Custom Instructions

This folder contains example custom instructions for GitHub Copilot. For more information on how to use these, see the GitHub Copilot custom instructions.

Available Instruction Files

File	Pattern	Description
ai-prompt-engineering-safety-best-practices.instructions.md	['*']	Comprehensive best practices for AI prompt engineering, safety frameworks, bias mitigation, and responsible AI usage for Copilot and LLMs.
angular.instructions.md	**/*.ts, **/*.html, **/*.scss, **/*.css	Angular-specific coding standards and best practices
aspnet-rest-apis.instructions.md	**/*.cs, **/*.json	Guidelines for building REST APIs with ASP.NET
azure-developer-solution-accelerator.md	**	Apply Azure Developer CLI best practices and guidelines for creating Azure solution accelerators.
azure-functions-typescript.instructions.md	**/*.ts, **/*.js, **/*.json	TypeScript patterns for Azure Functions
bicep-code-best-practices.instructions.md	**/*.bicep	Infrastructure as Code with Bicep
blazor.instructions.md	**/*.razor, **/*.razor.cs, **/*.razor.css	Blazor component and application patterns
cmake-vcpkg.instructions.md	**/*.cmake, **/CMakeLists.txt, **/*.cpp, **/*.h, **/*.hpp	C++ project configuration and package management
containerization-docker-best-practices.instructions.md	*	Comprehensive best practices for creating optimized, secure, and efficient Docker images and managing containers. Covers multi-stage builds, image layer optimization, security scanning, and runtime best practices.
copilot-thought-logging.instructions.md	**	See process Copilot is following where you can edit this to reshape the interaction or save when follow up may be needed
csharp-14-best-practices.instructions.md	**/*.cs	C# 14 best practices and formatting guidelines for AI code generation.
csharp-best-practices.instructions.md	**/*.cs	C# best practices and formatting guidelines for AI code generation (all versions).
csharp.instructions.md	**/*.cs	Guidelines for building C# applications
devops-core-principles.instructions.md	*	Foundational instructions covering core DevOps principles, culture (CALMS), and key metrics (DORA) to guide GitHub Copilot in understanding and promoting effective software delivery.
dotnet-architecture-good-practices.instructions.md	**/*.cs,**/*.csproj,**/Program.cs,**/*.razor	DDD and .NET architecture guidelines
dotnet-maui.instructions.md	**/*.xaml, **/*.cs	.NET MAUI component and application patterns
genaiscript.instructions.md	**/*.genai.*	AI-powered script generation guidelines
generate-modern-terraform-code-for-azure.instructions.md	**/*.tf	Guidelines for generating modern Terraform code for Azure
gilfoyle-code-review.instructions.md	**	Gilfoyle-style code review instructions that channel the sardonic technical supremacy of Silicon Valley''s most arrogant systems architect.
github-actions-ci-cd-best-practices.instructions.md	.github/workflows/*.yml	Comprehensive guide for building robust, secure, and efficient CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions. Covers workflow structure, jobs, steps, environment variables, secret management, caching, matrix strategies, testing, and deployment strategies.
go.instructions.md	**/*.go,**/go.mod,**/go.sum	Instructions for writing Go code following idiomatic Go practices and community standards
java.instructions.md	**/*.java	Guidelines for building Java base applications
joyride-user-project.instructions.md	scripts/**/*.cljs,src/**/*.cljs,deps.edn,.joyride/**/*.cljs	Expert assistance for Joyride User Script projects - REPL-driven ClojureScript and user space automation of VS Code
joyride-workspace-automation.instructions.md	.joyride/**/*.*	Expert assistance for Joyride Workspace automation - REPL-driven and user space ClojureScript automation within specific VS Code workspaces
kubernetes-deployment-best-practices.instructions.md	*	Comprehensive best practices for deploying and managing applications on Kubernetes. Covers Pods, Deployments, Services, Ingress, ConfigMaps, Secrets, health checks, resource limits, scaling, and security contexts.
localization.instructions.md	**/*.md	Guidelines for localizing markdown documents
markdown.instructions.md	**/*.md	Documentation and content creation standards
memory-bank.instructions.md	**
ms-sql-dba.instructions.md	**	Instructions for customizing GitHub Copilot behavior for MS-SQL DBA chat mode.
nextjs-tailwind.instructions.md	**/*.tsx, **/*.ts, **/*.jsx, **/*.js, **/*.css	Next.js + Tailwind development standards and instructions
nodejs-javascript-vitest.instructions.md	**/*.js, **/*.mjs, **/*.cjs	Guidelines for writing Node.js and JavaScript code with Vitest testing
performance-optimization.instructions.md	*	The most comprehensive, practical, and engineer-authored performance optimization instructions for all languages, frameworks, and stacks. Covers frontend, backend, and database best practices with actionable guidance, scenario-based checklists, troubleshooting, and pro tips.
playwright-typescript.instructions.md	**	Playwright test generation instructions
power-platform-connector.instructions.md	**/*.{json,md}	Comprehensive development guidelines for Power Platform Custom Connectors using JSON Schema definitions. Covers API definitions (Swagger 2.0), API properties, and settings configuration with Microsoft extensions.
powershell.instructions.md	**/*.ps1,**/*.psm1	PowerShell cmdlet and scripting best practices based on Microsoft guidelines
python.instructions.md	**/*.py	Python coding conventions and guidelines
quarkus-mcp-server-sse.instructions.md	*	Quarkus and MCP Server with HTTP SSE transport development standards and instructions
quarkus.instructions.md	*	Quarkus development standards and instructions
reactjs.instructions.md	**/*.jsx, **/*.tsx, **/*.js, **/*.ts, **/*.css, **/*.scss	ReactJS development standards and best practices
ruby-on-rails.instructions.md	**/*.rb	Ruby on Rails coding conventions and guidelines
security-and-owasp.instructions.md	*	Comprehensive secure coding instructions for all languages and frameworks, based on OWASP Top 10 and industry best practices.
self-explanatory-code-commenting.instructions.md	**	Guidelines for GitHub Copilot to write comments to achieve self-explanatory code with less comments. Examples are in JavaScript but it should work on any language that has comments.
spec-driven-workflow-v1.instructions.md	**	Specification-Driven Workflow v1 provides a structured approach to software development, ensuring that requirements are clearly defined, designs are meticulously planned, and implementations are thoroughly documented and validated.
springboot.instructions.md	**/*.java, **/*.kt	Guidelines for building Spring Boot base applications
sql-sp-generation.instructions.md	**/*.sql	Guidelines for generating SQL statements and stored procedures
taming-copilot.instructions.md	**	Prevent Copilot from wreaking havoc across your codebase, keeping it under control.
tanstack-start-shadcn-tailwind.instructions.md	**/*.ts, **/*.tsx, **/*.js, **/*.jsx, **/*.css, **/*.scss, **/*.json	Guidelines for building TanStack Start applications
vuejs3.instructions.md	**/*.vue, **/*.ts, **/*.js, **/*.scss	VueJS 3 development standards and best practices with Composition API and TypeScript

Usage

To use these instructions:

1. Copy the desired .instructions.md file to your VS Code user settings folder or workspace .github/instructions folder
2. Select the new instruction set through the chat interface in VS Code