AI Copilot

The AI Copilot is an AI assistant embedded in the ByteChef workflow editor. It helps you understand, design, and build automation workflows without leaving the editor.

Copilot is available in two modes: Ask and Build.

Accessing Copilot

The Copilot panel opens from the workflow editor toolbar. Click the AI Copilot button (sparkle icon) to toggle it. Use the Ask / Build toggle at the top of the panel to switch modes.

Copilot is also available in:

• the Code Editor - located in the Script component for generating code blocks in JavaScript, Python, and Ruby
• Cluster Elements - located in the AI Agent component or in any vector database component, used for generating all configurations from zero
• the Skills page - opens as a side panel for editing the currently-viewed skill, or as a full-page chat from the Create Skill → Create With AI dropdown

Each surface has its own pair of Ask and Build agents wired with surface-specific tools and prompts. The list of surfaces and their conversation modes lives in the controller as a Source enum (WORKFLOW_EDITOR, CODE_EDITOR, CLUSTER_ELEMENT, SKILLS).

Ask Mode

Ask mode is a read-only assistant for exploring and understanding the current surface.

Both modes share (workflow editor):

• Full context of the current workflow definition
• The last execution error on the workflow
• Read-only access to component and task definitions

Ask mode additionally:

• Searches the internet for relevant information (via Firecrawl, if configured)
• Queries the ByteChef documentation knowledge base
• Suggests when to switch to Build mode for making changes
• Cannot modify anything on the current surface

Use Ask mode to get explanations, debug errors, research components, or plan changes before building.

On the Skills surface, Ask is scoped to explaining and auditing skills — it can summarize a skill, diff its SKILL.md against the agentskills.io format, or suggest improvements, but it refuses mutations and directs you to Build mode.

Build Mode

Build mode has full access to create and modify content on the current surface.

Build mode (workflow editor) can:

• Create new workflows or update existing ones
• Search and configure components and actions
• Validate task configurations before applying them
• Validate the complete workflow after building
• Deploy the workflow directly from the conversation

Build mode follows a structured process: discover the right components → configure them → pre-validate → build → validate the full workflow → deploy. It will fix any validation errors before proceeding.

Build mode (Skills) can:

• Create new skills from a conversation (via the createAiSkill tool)
• Edit the body of any file in a skill archive (updateAiSkillContent)
• Rename a skill or rewrite its description (updateAiSkill)
• Delete a skill
• Both Skills agents are context-aware: when you have a skill open, currentSelectedSkillId and currentSelectedSkillName are injected into every turn so "this skill" resolves to the visible one.

Enabling Copilot

Copilot is disabled by default. Set the following environment variables to enable it:

Anthropic (default provider)

BYTECHEF_AI_COPILOT_ENABLED="true"
BYTECHEF_AI_PROVIDER_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-..."

OpenAI (optional provider)

BYTECHEF_AI_COPILOT_PROVIDER="openai"
BYTECHEF_AI_PROVIDER_OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."

All Copilot Variables