Addresses review feedback that channel-host.mts is doing too much.
Two changes, both scoped to the starters:
1. Channel construction moves to a new `channels.mts` beside `agent.ts` —
name resolution, `createChannel`, and the `onMessage` handler. That is
also the file to edit to customise a Channel (commands, reactions,
onMention), which previously meant editing the host.
The per-framework agent import moves with it, so `channel-host.mts` is now
byte-identical in all 15 starters rather than 13 + 2.
2. The host no longer stands up an HTTP server. Its comment claimed the
server was what "keeps the lifecycle-owning process alive"; that is false.
An open undici WebSocket holds the event loop on its own — verified with a
standalone repro where a process with no HTTP server and no timers of its
own stayed up indefinitely on a single WebSocket connection. The server was
therefore serving a second, uncalled copy of the runtime API on port 8300
for no reason.
With the server gone, `createCopilotNodeListener` was the wrong factory —
it builds a request listener purely for its activation side effect. The
host now uses `createCopilotRuntimeHandler` + `ready()`, which is the
documented long-running-host pattern (see fetch-handler.ts). This also
drops `node:http`, `basePath`, and the CHANNEL_PORT env var.
Behaviour is unchanged: same Channel, same agent, same status reporting, and
the same non-zero exit on activation failure.
Verified: 14/14 starters with a `typecheck:channel` script pass; mastra has no
such script by design (166dc94691) and its pre-existing Mastra `Memory` type
error is byte-identical before and after. `npm run channel` exercised on both
failure paths — missing channels.json, and missing INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY with a
name supplied — confirming the new `./channels.mjs` specifier resolves under
tsx as well as tsc. `parity:check` output identical to the pre-change baseline.
Refs #6315
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
6.8 KiB
CopilotKit <> Microsoft Agent Framework (Python)
This is a starter template for building CopilotKit experiences using the Microsoft Agent Framework. It ships with a Next.js UI and a FastAPI server that exposes a Microsoft Agent Framework agent over the AG-UI protocol, so you can study and customize both sides of the stack.
Prerequisites
- OpenAI or Azure OpenAI credentials (for the Microsoft Agent Framework agent)
- Python 3.12+
- uv
- Node.js 20+
- Any of the following package managers:
Getting Started
-
Install dependencies using your preferred package manager:
# Using npm (default) npm install # Using pnpm pnpm install # Using yarn yarn install # Using bun bun installNote: This automatically sets up the Python environment as well.
If you have manual issues, you can run:
npm run install:agent -
Set up your agent credentials. The backend automatically uses Azure when the Azure env vars below are present; otherwise it falls back to OpenAI. Create a
.envfile inside theagentfolder with one of the following configurations:OpenAI
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...your-openai-key-here... OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL_ID=gpt-4o-miniAzure OpenAI
AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/ AZURE_OPENAI_CHAT_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt-4o-mini # If you are not relying on az login: # AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=... -
Start the development server:
# Using npm (default) npm run dev # Using pnpm pnpm dev # Using yarn yarn dev # Using bun bun run devThis will start both the UI and the Microsoft Agent Framework server concurrently.
Running a Channel
channel-host.mts mounts the same agent as an Intelligence Channel
(Slack, Teams). It requires INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY and a declared Channel in
.copilotkit/channels.json – set both up with copilotkit init or
copilotkit channels add, which write that file and the credentials your
.env needs, then:
npm run channel
The host reads which Channel to hold from .copilotkit/channels.json. If a
project declares more than one, set INTELLIGENCE_CHANNEL_NAME to pick one.
The host holds no provider credentials and exposes no provider endpoint – Intelligence owns the provider edge – so the same file works for every provider.
The Channel itself is declared in channels.mts – that is where to add commands,
reactions, or an onMention handler. channel-host.mts only owns the process
lifetime, and is byte-identical in every starter.
Once startup finishes, the log reports the truth per Channel:
Channel "<name>" is online.– the session is up and can send.Channel "<name>" is declared but no provider is attached yet.– a normal waiting state, not a failure. Runcopilotkit channels statusto see what setup remains.
Neither message proves the provider app is installed, reachable, or that anyone can message it – verify that separately (invite the bot, then message it) before treating the Channel as working.
Available Scripts
The following scripts can also be run using your preferred package manager:
dev– Starts both UI and agent servers in development modedev:debug– Starts development servers with debug logging enableddev:ui– Starts only the Next.js UI serverdev:agent– Starts only the Microsoft Agent Framework serverbuild– Builds the Next.js application for productionstart– Starts the production serverlint– Runs ESLint for code lintinginstall:agent– Installs Python dependencies for the agentchannel– Holds an Intelligence Channel open (see "Running a Channel" above)typecheck:channel– Type-checks the channel host on its owntsconfig.channel.json
Documentation
The main UI component is in src/app/page.tsx. You can:
- Modify the theme colors and styling
- Add new frontend actions
- Customize the CopilotKit sidebar appearance
📚 Documentation
- Microsoft Agent Framework – Learn more about Microsoft Agent Framework and its features
- CopilotKit Documentation – Explore CopilotKit’s capabilities
- Next.js Documentation – Learn about Next.js features and API
Contributing
Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests! This starter is designed to be easily extensible.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License – see the LICENSE file for details.
Troubleshooting
Agent Connection Issues
If you see "I'm having trouble connecting to my tools", make sure:
- The Microsoft Agent Framework agent is running on port 8000
- Your OpenAI/Azure credentials are set correctly
- Both servers started successfully
Python Dependencies
If you encounter Python import errors:
cd agent
uv sync
uv run src/main.py
CopilotKit Intelligence & Threads (Optional)
CopilotKit Intelligence adds durable thread history and cross-session memory to
your agent. It requires a COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN and a running local
Intelligence stack (Docker Desktop + a local Intelligence repo checkout).
Prerequisites
- Docker Desktop running
- A
COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN(obtain from CopilotKit Cloud) - The Intelligence repo cloned
locally. The
docker-compose.intelligence.ymldefaults to a sibling directory at../../../Intelligencerelative to this starter; override with theINTELLIGENCE_REPOenv var if your checkout is elsewhere.
Start the intelligence stack
# From inside this starter directory:
docker compose -f docker-compose.intelligence.yml up -d --wait
First run builds the intelligence image from source (may take several minutes).
Verify the stack is healthy
docker compose -f docker-compose.intelligence.yml ps
All three services (postgres, redis, intelligence) should show healthy.
Set environment variables
Add the following to your .env file:
COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN=your-license-token-here
INTELLIGENCE_API_URL=http://localhost:4205
INTELLIGENCE_GATEWAY_WS_URL=ws://localhost:4405
Then start the dev server as usual (npm run dev). Thread history and memory
features are activated automatically when COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN is set.
Stop / reset
# Stop without removing data:
docker compose -f docker-compose.intelligence.yml down
# Full reset (removes postgres + redis volumes):
docker compose -f docker-compose.intelligence.yml down -v