GitHub Copilot Skills
GitHub Copilot, GitHub's AI coding agent, reads Agent Skills from its skills directory. SkillMD lists 25,790 safety-reviewed
skills (SKILL.md files) you can use in GitHub Copilot free: search by task, install with one command, or copy the file
into ./.agents/skills.
Install a skill in GitHub Copilot
- CLI (recommended). Install the CLI once, then add any skill to GitHub Copilot by slug:
npm i -g skillmds skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a github-copilot # project scope → ./.agents/skills skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a github-copilot -g # global scope → ~/.copilot/skills - Manual copy. Open any skill on SkillMD, download its SKILL.md, and save it as
./.agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md(or~/.copilot/skills/…for every project). - MCP server. If GitHub Copilot supports MCP servers, connect the SkillMD server and ask the agent to search and install skills for you. Setup details: MCP docs.
Machine-readable version of this guide: /agents/github-copilot.txt
Top skills for GitHub Copilot
Frequently asked questions
Where does GitHub Copilot look for skills?
GitHub Copilot loads Agent Skills from ./.agents/skills inside a project and from ~/.copilot/skills globally. Each skill lives in its own folder as <skill-name>/SKILL.md; the agent reads the skill's description and applies it when a request matches.
How do I install a skill in GitHub Copilot?
Run npm i -g skillmds once, then skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a github-copilot in your project (add -g for global scope). The CLI writes the SKILL.md into .agents/skills for you. You can also copy the file by hand from any skill page on skillmd.com.
Do skills made for Claude Code work in GitHub Copilot?
Yes. SKILL.md is an open, agent-neutral format: the same file works across Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codex, and 60+ other agents. Only the directory it lives in changes, and skillmd add -a github-copilot handles that for you.