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GitHub describes repository custom instructions as files that give Copilot additional context about how to understand a project and build, test and validate changes. That context is useful only when its scope, activation and supported feature are clear.
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Start by identifying the Copilot surface
“GitHub Copilot” is not one execution environment. A developer may be using Copilot Chat in VS Code, Copilot in another IDE, Copilot on GitHub.com, the cloud agent, code review, or Copilot CLI. Each surface can support a different set of instruction files.
Before writing rules, open GitHub’s support reference for custom instructions. Treat it as a compatibility checklist for the exact combination you use. The reference distinguishes GitHub.com, VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode and Copilot CLI, and it separates features such as Copilot Chat, cloud agent and code review.
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- Record the surface and feature you want to influence, such as Copilot Chat in VS Code or Copilot CLI.
- Check whether that feature supports repository-wide instructions, path-specific instructions,
AGENTS.md, prompt files or custom agents. - Check whether a documented capability is in public preview. Preview behavior can change, so recheck the current page when your IDE or extension updates.
Do not assume that a file recognized by one surface is automatically read by another. A statement such as “Copilot always reads AGENTS.md” is too broad to be dependable.
Use a repository-wide file as the baseline
Where the file goes
Create this file at the repository root:
.github/copilot-instructions.mdGitHub’s IDE documentation describes this as a natural-language Markdown file. Requests made in repository context can use the guidance in it. Put only rules that are useful across the repository: project conventions, supported frameworks, important tools and the way changes are validated.
What belongs in the baseline
A useful baseline tells Copilot how the project is organized and what “done” means. For example, you can state which framework the application uses, where production code and tests live, which package manager is authoritative, the naming conventions the team follows, and the commands used to lint, test or build.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWrite instructions as direct, testable guidance rather than as a long description of the project. A concise file is easier to maintain and less likely to contain contradictory directions. An illustrative structure might look like this:
# Repository guidance
- Use the existing TypeScript and React patterns in this repository.
- Keep reusable UI components in the established components directory.
- Add or update tests for behavior changes.
- Run the repository's lint and test commands before proposing a change.
- Follow the package manager and scripts already defined in package.json.
The example is a template, not a prescribed set of commands. Replace it with the conventions and validation steps that are true for your repository. Do not write a global rule for a language, directory or deployment process that exists only in one part of the codebase; scope that guidance more narrowly instead.
Keep global guidance stable
Repository-wide instructions are automatic context, so every task can encounter them. That makes them a poor place for a one-off migration, a temporary branch rule or a detailed checklist for a single ticket. Put durable policy in the global file and leave task-specific requests to a manually invoked prompt file or to the prompt you send in the current conversation.
Instructions should explain preferences and constraints, not promise an outcome. GitHub’s documentation does not publish a universal improvement percentage or guarantee that custom instructions produce better code. Their purpose is to provide additional project context.
Scope different rules with path-specific files
Directory and filename
In VS Code, path-specific instruction files live under:
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.github/instructions/Each filename ends in .instructions.md. The file starts with frontmatter containing an applyTo glob that identifies the paths where it applies. For example:
---
applyTo: "**/*.ts,**/*.tsx"
---
Use the repository's TypeScript conventions for these files. Keep components consistent with the existing test and accessibility patterns.
The glob is the scope boundary. A rule intended for TypeScript and TSX should not be placed in a file that matches every file in the repository. You can create separate files for genuinely different areas, such as backend code, infrastructure definitions or documentation, as long as each file has a clear path pattern.
How the scopes combine
When a target file matches a path-specific instruction and repository-wide instructions also exist, both sets are used. This is additive context, not an automatic replacement of the global file. Keep the global file general enough that the narrower guidance can extend it without creating a conflict.
For example, a global rule can require tests for behavior changes, while a backend-specific file explains the service’s test command and error-handling convention. The backend file should not silently reverse a repository-wide requirement unless the supported Copilot feature documents how that conflict is resolved.
When not to split a file
Do not create a path-specific file merely to make the repository look organized. A second file adds another document to review whenever conventions change. Split only when the guidance truly differs by path or when a global file would become cluttered with exceptions.
Understand the available customization mechanisms
Custom instructions, prompt files and custom agents solve different problems. Choosing among them by filename alone leads to missing context or rules that activate at the wrong time.
| Mechanism | Scope and activation | Best use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repository-wide custom instructions | Broad repository context; applied automatically where the target feature supports the file | Project conventions, frameworks, tools and validation expectations shared across the codebase | Use the documented support entry for the actual IDE or feature |
| Path-specific instruction files | Automatic guidance for files matching an applyTo glob |
Language-, directory- or subsystem-specific rules | In VS Code, matching path-specific and repository-wide instructions are both used |
AGENTS.md and related agent instruction files |
Directory-scoped agent guidance when the target Copilot feature supports it | Instructions that should follow a directory tree or apply to a particular agent workflow | Support is feature-specific; it is not a universal replacement for .github/copilot-instructions.md |
| Prompt files | Focused templates selected manually for a request | Repeatable tasks such as a review checklist or test-generation prompt | They are invoked for a task rather than being general repository policy |
| Custom agents | A distinct process or role with specialized capabilities or handoffs | Workflows that need a defined role, tools or transfer between steps | Use them for process differences, not as another name for ordinary repository context |
Compare mechanisms on four questions: how wide the scope is, whether activation is automatic, which Copilot surface supports it, and how much maintenance it adds. GitHub’s customization cheat sheet summarizes these distinctions.
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Add AGENTS.md only when the workflow supports it
Agent instruction files can be useful for directory-specific work, but their behavior depends on the feature. Consult the support matrix before adding one as a team-wide assumption.
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For the documented VS Code setup, the nearest AGENTS.md in the directory tree takes precedence when Copilot is working. Support for agent files outside the workspace root is off by default in that workflow. That means a file in a parent directory or another location should not be treated as automatically active.
Other surfaces may support a different set of agent files or no agent-file behavior for the feature you are using. Keep the instructions aligned with the repository-wide file where the same rules apply, and avoid placing contradictory requirements in files that can be combined.
Check support before copying a VS Code setup elsewhere
VS Code documentation describes repository-wide and path-specific files in detail, but those details should not be transferred wholesale to JetBrains, Xcode, Visual Studio, Eclipse, GitHub.com or CLI. GitHub’s support page is the authoritative place to check the current combination of surface and feature.
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For example, the documentation describes a single repository-wide file in the JetBrains and Xcode sections, while support for path-specific or agent instructions varies by feature. The same filename can therefore have different practical coverage depending on where Copilot is running.
- Open the support matrix.
- Find your client: IDE, GitHub.com or CLI.
- Find the feature: chat, cloud agent, code review or another workflow.
- Confirm each instruction type you plan to use.
- Note any preview label and recheck after major extension or product updates.
Verify that Copilot actually picked up the files
Verification in VS Code
GitHub says the custom-instructions feature is enabled by default in VS Code. After asking Copilot for help in the repository, inspect the Chat response’s References list. The list should show .github/copilot-instructions.md when that file was included.
If the file is absent, check the basics in this order:
- Confirm the filename and capitalization exactly match
.github/copilot-instructions.md. - Confirm the file is at the repository root, not in a nested project directory.
- Confirm the request is operating in the repository context you intended.
- For a path-specific rule, check that the target file matches the
applyToglob and that the file ends in.instructions.md. - Check the support entry for the exact Copilot feature you used.
Reference visibility is a practical discovery check; it is not a measurement of response quality.
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Copilot CLI documents the /instructions command. Run it to view the instruction files the CLI discovered and to enable or disable individual files.
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/instructionsUse this command when a rule appears not to apply, when you are changing repositories, or when you need to confirm which files are active for a session. The CLI documentation says applicable files are combined and does not define a general precedence order among them. Avoid conflicting directions instead of relying on an assumed ranking.
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Describe conventions, not every implementation detail
Copilot needs the decisions that are hard to infer from a single file: the supported framework, preferred patterns, validation commands and boundaries between parts of the system. It does not need a prose copy of the entire README or a rule for every identifier.
Prefer statements that a reviewer can verify, such as “add tests for behavior changes” or “use the existing package scripts.” Avoid vague requests such as “write clean code” unless you define what clean means in this repository.
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Separate universal rules from exceptions
Put a rule in the global file only if it is valid throughout the repository. If an exception is tied to a file pattern, move it into a path-specific file with an explicit glob. This keeps automatic context smaller and reduces the chance that a frontend rule is applied to backend or infrastructure code.
Keep instructions consistent across files
When several instruction files can be discovered together, contradictory requirements create ambiguity. Use the same terminology for commands, directories and architectural boundaries. If a policy changes, update every affected file in the same change and remove obsolete wording.
Make validation explicit
State which checks should be run and what a successful change must satisfy, using the commands that already exist in the repository. If different paths use different checks, put the relevant command in the matching path-specific file. This gives Copilot a concrete completion condition without inventing a new toolchain.
A practical setup sequence
- Choose the target workflow. Decide whether the immediate goal is Copilot Chat in an IDE, a GitHub cloud-agent task, code review or CLI assistance.
- Read the support entry. Use GitHub’s support matrix to confirm the instruction types available for that workflow.
- Create the baseline. Add
.github/copilot-instructions.mdat the repository root with concise Markdown covering shared conventions, frameworks, tools and validation expectations. - Scope real differences. In VS Code, add files such as
.github/instructions/typescript.instructions.mdonly when a path needs separate guidance. Start each with frontmatter and anapplyToglob. - Evaluate agent files separately. Add
AGENTS.mdonly where the target feature supports it, and account for the documented nearest-file behavior in VS Code. - Choose prompts for repeatable tasks. Put a review checklist or test-generation template in a prompt file when a user should invoke it deliberately.
- Use custom agents for distinct processes. Reserve them for specialized roles, capabilities or handoffs rather than ordinary coding conventions.
- Verify discovery. In VS Code, inspect the Chat response References list. In CLI, run
/instructionsand review the discovered files. - Resolve ambiguity by simplifying. If two files give different directions and the feature has no documented precedence rule, rewrite them so the applicable instructions agree.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
Putting everything in the global file
Symptom: Instructions for one language or service appear in unrelated tasks. Correction: Keep repository-wide policy in .github/copilot-instructions.md and move narrow guidance to a matching path-specific file.
Assuming a filename guarantees support
Symptom: A carefully written AGENTS.md has no visible effect in a particular client. Correction: Check the matrix for the exact feature. A supported file in one surface is not proof of support in another.
Using a prompt file as permanent policy
Symptom: Developers forget to invoke the prompt, so important repository conventions are missing. Correction: Move automatic, broadly applicable rules to custom instructions; keep the prompt for a deliberate, focused task.
Relying on undocumented precedence
Symptom: Two files issue incompatible commands and the result changes between workflows. Correction: Remove the conflict. In particular, Copilot CLI documents combined applicable files but does not publish a general precedence order.
Never checking discovery
Symptom: The team debates whether a rule is active without looking at the client. Correction: Use the VS Code References list or CLI’s /instructions command, then check path, filename, glob and support.
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Treat instruction files as versioned project configuration. Review them when the framework, package manager, directory layout, test commands or validation policy changes. Remove rules that no longer describe the repository; stale context can be as confusing as missing context.
Keep each file short enough that a maintainer can audit it during an ordinary pull request. Use headings and lists for scanability, and name the paths a rule covers. When a rule is intentionally limited to a surface, document that limitation in the file or its surrounding team documentation so developers do not mistake it for universal behavior.
After changing instructions, verify discovery again in every supported workflow your team relies on. A repository can have correct files and still produce different context in an IDE, on GitHub.com and in CLI because support differs by surface and feature.
What “the right context” means
The right context is not the largest possible instruction set. It is the smallest set of accurate, discoverable and appropriately scoped rules that tells Copilot how this repository is built, tested and maintained.
- Use
.github/copilot-instructions.mdfor durable repository-wide guidance. - Use
.github/instructions/*.instructions.mdwithapplyTopatterns for genuine path-specific differences in VS Code. - Use
AGENTS.mdonly where the target feature documents support and scope. - Use prompt files for manually invoked task templates and custom agents for distinct workflows.
- Check the support matrix and verify discovery instead of assuming every Copilot surface behaves alike.
That structure gives each rule a clear home, makes activation understandable and leaves you with a repeatable way to diagnose missing or conflicting context.
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