There are many ways GitHub Copilot can be used to help you with not just your coding tasks, but also with ideation, problem solving, understanding, planning, research and so much more.
The biggest challenge is either creating or finding the right prompts and tools to get the most out of GitHub Copilot - and when to use them.
I've spent many hours building my own tools and prompts and chat modes to help me with my work, and I want to share them with you.
This repository provides the following types of assets:
- Copilot Instructions: These are custom instructions that you can add to your GitHub repository to enhance the way GitHub Copilot interacts with your code. They can be used to set the tone, style, and context of the responses you receive from Copilot. See the Custom Instructions for more information. This is available in both Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio. These can be configured at the user and workspace level.
- Custom Code Generation Instructions (experimental): These are similar to Copilot Instructions, but specifically designed for code generation tasks. They provide additional context and guidelines for generating code snippets. See the Code Generation Instructions Examples for more information. This is only available in Visual Studio Code. These can be configured at the user and workspace level.
- Prompt Files (experimental): Prompt files are reusable prompts for common tasks like generating code or performing a code review. You define the prompt content in a Markdown file. A prompt file is a standalone prompt that you can run directly in chat. Optionally, you can also include guidelines about how the task should be performed. See the Prompt Files for more information. This is only available in Visual Studio Code. These can be configured at the user and workspace level.
- Custom Chat Modes: Aside from the core chat modes of Ask, Edit and Agent, custom chat modes consist of a set of instructions and tools that are applied when you switch to that mode. For example, a "Plan" chat mode could include instructions for generating an implementation plan and only use read-only tools. By creating a custom chat mode, you can quickly switch to that specific configuration without having to manually select relevant tools and instructions each time. For more information, see the Custom Chat Modes documentation. This is only available in Visual Studio Code. These can be configured at the user and workspace level.
- Tool Sets: Tool sets are collections of tools that you can use in your chats. They allow you to group related tools together and switch between different sets of tools easily. These aren't fully documented yet, but are included for completeness. Tool sets are only available in Visual Studio Code. These can only be configured at the user level.
- MCP Servers: MCP servers are a way to provide additional functionality to GitHub Copilot by allowing it to call out to external services using Model Context Protocol. See the MCP Servers documentation for more information. This is available in both Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio. These can be configured at the user and workspace level.
| Feature Name | Description | VS Code/VS Support | Configuration Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot Instructions | Custom instructions to set tone, style, and context for Copilot responses. | VS Code & VS | User & Workspace |
| Custom Code Generation Instructions | Code generation instructions for code generation tasks. | VS Code only | User & Workspace |
| Prompt Files | Prompt files are reusable prompts for common tasks. | VS Code only | User & Workspace |
| Custom Chat Modes | Custom chat modes combine instructions and tools for specific workflows. | VS Code only | User & Workspace |
| Tool Sets | Collections of tools for chat, allowing easy switching between tool groups. Not fully documented. | VS Code only | User only |
| MCP Servers | MCP Servers enable Copilot to call external services via Model Context Protocol. | VS Code & VS | User & Workspace |
Examples for Copilot Instructions can be found in subfolders in the copilot-instructions/ folder.
| Name | Example File | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Azure Developer Solution Accelerator | copilot-instructions/azure_developer_solution_accelerator/copilot-instructions.md | Azure Developer CLI (AZD) solution accelerator for deploying Azure resources using modern Infrastructure as Code practices. |
Important
Copilot Instructions only apply to Chat modes (Ask, Edit, Agent or custom modes), they do not apply to Copilot auto-completion in the editor.
To set a custom instruction file in your repository:
-
Copy it from the subfolder in the
copilot-instructionsfolder in this repository to the.github/copilot-instructions/folder of your repository. -
(Optional) In Visual Studio Code, use the
Auto-update instructionscommand to update the instructions in your repository based on the content of the repository and other AI tools that may have stored instructions in your repository.
This file will automatically apply to all contributors when they use GitHub Copilot for all file types.
Custom instruction files with specific language and framework guidance can be found in the instructions/ folder.
Important
Copilot Instructions only apply to Chat modes (Ask, Edit, Agent or custom modes), they do not apply to Copilot auto-completion in the editor.
| Name | Example File | Pattern | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| C# 14 Best Practices | csharp-14-best-practices.instructions.md | **/*.cs |
C# 14 best practices and formatting guidelines for AI code generation |
| C# Best Practices (All Versions) | csharp-best-practices.instructions.md | **/*.cs |
C# best practices and formatting guidelines for AI code generation (all versions) |
To set a custom instruction file in your repository:
- Copy it from the
instructionsfolder in this repository to the.github/instructions/folder of your repository.
This file will automatically apply to all contributors when they use GitHub Copilot in the specified file types (e.g., C# files).
Prompt file examples are found in the prompts/ folder.
| Name | Example File | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Create GitHub Issue from Spec | create_github_issue_feature_from_spec.prompt.md | Generate GitHub issues for new features based on specifications. |
| Create GitHub Issues for Unmet Requirements | create_github_issues_for_unmet_spec_requirements.prompt.md | Create GitHub issues for requirements not met in specifications. |
| Create Plan | create_plan.prompt.md | Create a new implementation plan file for features, refactoring, upgrades, or architecture, optimized for Generative AI. |
| Create Specification | create_spec.prompt.md | Create a new specification file for the solution, optimized for Generative AI consumption. |
| .NET Best Practices Review | dotnet_best_practices.prompt.md | Review .NET code for best practices and improvements. |
| .NET Design Pattern Review | dotnet_design_pattern_review.prompt.md | Analyze .NET code for design pattern usage and recommendations. |
| Update AVM Modules in Bicep | update_avm_modules_in_bicep.prompt.md | Update Azure Verified Modules in Bicep templates. |
| Update LLMs | update_llms.prompt.md | Update Large Language Model configurations and settings. |
| Update Markdown File Index | update_markdown_file_index.prompt.md | Update a markdown file section with an index/table of files from a specified folder. |
| Update Plan | update_plan.prompt.md | Update an existing implementation plan file with new or updated requirements to provide new features, refactoring existing code or upgrading packages, design, architecture or infrastructure. |
| Update Specification | update_spec.prompt.md | Update an existing specification file for the solution, optimized for Generative AI consumption based on new requirements or updates to any existing code. |
To add a prompt file in your repository:
-
Copy it from the
promptsfolder in this repository to the.github/prompts/folder of your repository. -
In Visual Studio Code, you can execute the prompt file by pressing
/and selecting the prompt file and adding any required input variables.
This will run the prompt file in the chat and generate the output based on the instructions in the file.
Chat mode examples are found in the chatmodes/ folder:
| Name | Example File | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Azure Verified Modules (Bicep) | azure_verified_modules_bicep.chatmode.md | Create, update, or review Azure IaC in Bicep using Azure Verified Modules (AVM). |
| Azure Verified Modules (Terraform) | azure_verified_modules_terraform.chatmode.md | Create, update, or review Azure IaC in Terraform using Azure Verified Modules (AVM). |
| Critical Thinking | critical_thinking.chatmode.md | Challenge assumptions and encourage critical thinking to ensure the best possible solution and outcomes. |
| C#/.NET Janitor | csharp_dotnet_janitor.chatmode.md | Perform janitorial tasks on C#/.NET code including cleanup, modernization, and tech debt remediation. |
| Demonstrate Understanding | demonstrate_understanding.chatmode.md | Validate user understanding of code, design patterns, and implementation details through guided questioning. |
| Expert .NET Software Engineer | expert_dotnet_software_engineer.chatmode.md | Provide expert .NET software engineering guidance using modern software design patterns. |
| Expert React Frontend Engineer | expert_react_frontend_engineer.chatmode.md | Provide expert React frontend engineering guidance using modern TypeScript and design patterns. |
| Simple App Idea Generator | simple_app_idea_generator.chatmode.md | Brainstorm and develop new application ideas through fun, interactive questioning until ready for specification creation. |
| Janitor | janitor.chatmode.md | Perform janitorial tasks on any codebase including cleanup, simplification, and tech debt remediation. |
| Mentor | mentor.chatmode.md | Help mentor the engineer by providing guidance and support. |
| Plan | plan.chatmode.md | Generate an implementation plan for new features or refactoring existing code. |
| Semantic Kernel (.NET) | semantic_kernel_dotnet.chatmode.md | Create, update, refactor, explain or work with code using the .NET version of Semantic Kernel. |
| Semantic Kernel (Python) | semantic_kernel_python.chatmode.md | Create, update, refactor, explain or work with code using the Python version of Semantic Kernel. |
| Specification | specification.chatmode.md | Generate or update specification documents for new or existing functionality. |
| Tech Debt Remediation Plan | tech_debt_remediation_plan.chatmode.md | Generate technical debt remediation plans for code, tests, and documentation. |
To add a custom chat mode in your repository:
-
Copy the chat mode file from the
chatmodesfolder in this repository to the.github/chatmodes/folder of your repository. -
In Visual Studio Code, you can select the chat mode from the chat mode selector in the chat view.
Note
You may need to restart Visual Studio Code to see the new chat mode in the chat mode selector. (Newer versions of Visual Studio Code will automatically detect new chat modes in the .github/chatmodes/ folder).
Tool sets are collections of tools that you can use in your chats. They allow you to group related tools together and switch between different sets of tools easily.
Tool sets are only available in Visual Studio Code and can be configured at the user level. While these aren't fully documented yet by Microsoft, they are included for completeness as they provide a way to organize and streamline your development workflow.
Tool sets are configured at the user level only and are not yet fully supported for workspace-level configuration. Refer to the VS Code documentation for the latest information on tool set configuration.
MCP Server configurations are found in the mcp/mcp.json file.
| Server Name | Usage |
|---|---|
| microsoft.docs.mcp | Provides access to Microsoft Docs Model Context Protocol (MCP) for documentation and examples. |
| filesystem | Provides file system access capabilities to Copilot for reading and writing files. |
| playwright | Enables web automation and testing capabilities through Playwright. |
| github | Integrates GitHub API functionality for repository operations and management. |
| giphy | Adds GIF search and integration capabilities through the Giphy API. |
| ado | Integrates Azure DevOps API for project management and CI/CD operations. |
To add an MCP server in your repository:
- Copy the server configuration from the
mcp.jsonfile in themcpfolder of this repository to the.vscode/mcp.jsonfile in your repository.
Note
You can also add MCP servers to your GitHub Repository for use by Coding Agents. See the Extending Copilot coding agent with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) documentation for more information.