From 3ed981f6bbb3ac69e9cd092cc1f418fbc0b13b34 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dan Wahlin Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 05:49:07 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 1/5] docs: add /model --session, /model plan, and copilot plugins install --skill Document three beginner-relevant features added in recent CLI releases: - Chapter 01: Add tip about /model --session (-s) for session-only model changes - Chapter 04: Add /model plan section showing how to set a dedicated model for plan mode (useful for saving premium quota on lightweight planning tasks) - Chapter 05: Add copilot plugins install --skill as a CLI-native skill installation option alongside the existing gh skill install and copilot skill add commands Sources: - v1.0.75 release (2026-07-24): Claude Opus 5 support - v1.0.74 release (2026-07-23): /model plan command - v1.0.72 release (2026-07-20): /model --session, copilot plugins install --skill Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --- 01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md | 2 ++ 04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md | 18 ++++++++++++++++++ 05-skills/README.md | 19 ++++++++++++++++++- 3 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md index 13afdafe..d097c604 100644 --- a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md +++ b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md @@ -513,6 +513,8 @@ copilot > 💡 **Model family shortcuts**: You can also type a short family alias — like `opus`, `sonnet`, `haiku`, `gpt`, or `gemini` — directly in the `/model` picker instead of scrolling through the full list. Copilot will pick the best available model in that family for you. +> 💡 **Session-only model change**: Use `/model --session` (or `/model -s`) to change the model for just your current session, without changing your global default. This is handy when you want to try a different model for one task without affecting all your future sessions. When the session ends, the model reverts to your usual default. + --- diff --git a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md index a286a570..21468117 100644 --- a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md +++ b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md @@ -109,6 +109,24 @@ What about the Task Agent? It works behind the scenes to manage and track what i > 💡 **Multi-turn subagents**: Subagents (background tasks launched by agents) support follow-up messages. While an agent is running in the background, you can open `/tasks` to view it and send follow-up instructions. You don't have to wait for it to finish before guiding it further. Think of it like being able to tap your assistant on the shoulder mid-task to give extra direction. +### Choosing a Model for Plan Mode + +By default, `/plan` uses the same AI model you've selected for your session. You can pick a *different* model to use only while in plan mode — great for using a faster or less expensive model for planning, then switching back to a more powerful one for implementation: + +```bash +copilot + +# Open the model picker for plan mode only +> /model plan + +# Or specify a model ID directly (use 'off' to clear the plan-mode model) +> /model plan claude-haiku-4.5 + +# Leave plan mode and the model reverts to your session model automatically +``` + +> 💡 **Why set a plan-mode model?** Planning prompts tend to be lighter tasks — outlining steps, identifying files to change, or scoping work. A faster, cheaper model (like `haiku`) is often plenty for this. Saving your premium-quota model for the actual implementation step is a smart habit. + > 📚 **Official Documentation**: [GitHub Copilot CLI Agents](https://docs.github.com/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-copilot-cli#use-custom-agents) --- diff --git a/05-skills/README.md b/05-skills/README.md index 80e5bad0..7c9eea5c 100644 --- a/05-skills/README.md +++ b/05-skills/README.md @@ -622,9 +622,26 @@ Pre-made skills are also available from community repositories: - **[Awesome Copilot](https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot)** - Official GitHub Copilot resources including skills documentation and examples +### Installing a Skill with `copilot plugins install` + +You can install a skill directly from the Copilot CLI without leaving your terminal. This is the simplest option because it doesn't require any additional tools: + +```bash +# Install a skill from a local file +copilot plugins install --skill .github/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md + +# Install a skill from a URL +copilot plugins install --skill https://example.com/skills/security-audit/SKILL.md + +# Install into the current project (shared with the team via git) +copilot plugins install --skill https://example.com/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md --scope project +``` + +> 💡 **`--scope project` vs default**: By default, skills are installed at the user level (`~/.copilot/skills/`) and are available in all your projects. Adding `--scope project` installs the skill into `.github/skills/` in the current repository, making it part of the project and visible to everyone on your team. + ### Installing a Community Skill with GitHub CLI -The easiest way to install a skill from a GitHub repository is using the `gh skill install` command (requires [GitHub CLI v2.90.0+](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-16-manage-agent-skills-with-github-cli/)): +Another option is the `gh skill install` command (requires [GitHub CLI v2.90.0+](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-16-manage-agent-skills-with-github-cli/)): ```bash # Browse and interactively select a skill from awesome-copilot From d23afbb15298e83a8d62e38abab532a70404ef04 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dan Wahlin Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:40:16 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 2/5] =?UTF-8?q?Add=20traffic=20data=20for=20week=20of=2007?= =?UTF-8?q?/20=20=E2=80=93=2007/26?= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --- .github/uvs.csv | 7 +++++++ .github/views.csv | 7 +++++++ 2 files changed, 14 insertions(+) diff --git a/.github/uvs.csv b/.github/uvs.csv index 345702fd..10e144b1 100644 --- a/.github/uvs.csv +++ b/.github/uvs.csv @@ -137,3 +137,10 @@ "07/17",474 "07/18",213 "07/19",238 +"07/20",481 +"07/21",434 +"07/22",418 +"07/23",461 +"07/24",431 +"07/25",204 +"07/26",211 diff --git a/.github/views.csv b/.github/views.csv index 4f566887..3d1e369d 100644 --- a/.github/views.csv +++ b/.github/views.csv @@ -136,3 +136,10 @@ "07/17",1162 "07/18",485 "07/19",596 +"07/20",1041 +"07/21",881 +"07/22",878 +"07/23",958 +"07/24",1014 +"07/25",547 +"07/26",507 From 82c02b1e192b4992f3dfe6e28af6c88b36f82fef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:59:33 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 3/5] docs: revert ch01 and ch05 changes, keep only ch04 plan mode section --- 01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md | 2 -- 05-skills/README.md | 19 +------------------ 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 20 deletions(-) diff --git a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md index d097c604..13afdafe 100644 --- a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md +++ b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md @@ -513,8 +513,6 @@ copilot > 💡 **Model family shortcuts**: You can also type a short family alias — like `opus`, `sonnet`, `haiku`, `gpt`, or `gemini` — directly in the `/model` picker instead of scrolling through the full list. Copilot will pick the best available model in that family for you. -> 💡 **Session-only model change**: Use `/model --session` (or `/model -s`) to change the model for just your current session, without changing your global default. This is handy when you want to try a different model for one task without affecting all your future sessions. When the session ends, the model reverts to your usual default. - --- diff --git a/05-skills/README.md b/05-skills/README.md index 7c9eea5c..80e5bad0 100644 --- a/05-skills/README.md +++ b/05-skills/README.md @@ -622,26 +622,9 @@ Pre-made skills are also available from community repositories: - **[Awesome Copilot](https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot)** - Official GitHub Copilot resources including skills documentation and examples -### Installing a Skill with `copilot plugins install` - -You can install a skill directly from the Copilot CLI without leaving your terminal. This is the simplest option because it doesn't require any additional tools: - -```bash -# Install a skill from a local file -copilot plugins install --skill .github/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md - -# Install a skill from a URL -copilot plugins install --skill https://example.com/skills/security-audit/SKILL.md - -# Install into the current project (shared with the team via git) -copilot plugins install --skill https://example.com/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md --scope project -``` - -> 💡 **`--scope project` vs default**: By default, skills are installed at the user level (`~/.copilot/skills/`) and are available in all your projects. Adding `--scope project` installs the skill into `.github/skills/` in the current repository, making it part of the project and visible to everyone on your team. - ### Installing a Community Skill with GitHub CLI -Another option is the `gh skill install` command (requires [GitHub CLI v2.90.0+](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-16-manage-agent-skills-with-github-cli/)): +The easiest way to install a skill from a GitHub repository is using the `gh skill install` command (requires [GitHub CLI v2.90.0+](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-04-16-manage-agent-skills-with-github-cli/)): ```bash # Browse and interactively select a skill from awesome-copilot From 755a7fa61da57f43195fcb10d1a33bd823d26182 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "copilot-swe-agent[bot]" <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:38:33 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 4/5] docs: update plan-mode model tip to recommend frontier models for planning --- 04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md index 21468117..8986e1a1 100644 --- a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md +++ b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md @@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ copilot # Leave plan mode and the model reverts to your session model automatically ``` -> 💡 **Why set a plan-mode model?** Planning prompts tend to be lighter tasks — outlining steps, identifying files to change, or scoping work. A faster, cheaper model (like `haiku`) is often plenty for this. Saving your premium-quota model for the actual implementation step is a smart habit. +> 💡 **Why set a plan-mode model?** A high-quality plan created by a frontier model upfront can actually save tokens and time overall — a precise, well-scoped plan means fewer back-and-forth corrections during implementation. Consider using your most capable model for planning and a lighter one for simpler follow-up tasks. > 📚 **Official Documentation**: [GitHub Copilot CLI Agents](https://docs.github.com/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-copilot-cli#use-custom-agents) From 27a221591a394dd28986f770a151c8df3b58bddd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dan Wahlin Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:04:54 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 5/5] Update README.md --- 04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md | 6 +++--- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md index 8986e1a1..7e84bf23 100644 --- a/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md +++ b/04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md @@ -120,14 +120,14 @@ copilot > /model plan # Or specify a model ID directly (use 'off' to clear the plan-mode model) -> /model plan claude-haiku-4.5 +> /model plan gpt-5.6-sol # Leave plan mode and the model reverts to your session model automatically ``` -> 💡 **Why set a plan-mode model?** A high-quality plan created by a frontier model upfront can actually save tokens and time overall — a precise, well-scoped plan means fewer back-and-forth corrections during implementation. Consider using your most capable model for planning and a lighter one for simpler follow-up tasks. +> 💡 **Why set a plan-mode model?** A high-quality plan created by a frontier model upfront can actually save tokens and time overall. A precise, well-scoped plan means fewer back-and-forth corrections during implementation. -> 📚 **Official Documentation**: [GitHub Copilot CLI Agents](https://docs.github.com/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-copilot-cli#use-custom-agents) +> 📚 **Official Documentation**: [GitHub Copilot CLI Agents](https://docs.github.com/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/use-copilot-cli/invoke-custom-agents) ---