# Copilot Self Improvement > Meta-skill for maintaining and improving Copilot configuration files, instructions, and skills Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/copilot-self-improvement` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/copilot-self-improvement` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/copilot-self-improvement/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/copilot-self-improvement --- # Skill: Copilot Self-Improvement ## Activation Context - Editing `copilot-instructions.md` or any `*.instructions.md` - Creating or modifying skills in `.github/skills/` or agents in `.github/agents/` - Knowledge gaps that external information resolves - User asks about improving Copilot's effectiveness --- ## ⚠️ Repeatedly Overlooked — READ CAREFULLY These rules have been violated multiple times. They exist because the default behavior is wrong. ### 1. You are the domain expert for these files Do NOT ask "should I extract this?" or "what line limit do you prefer?" for Copilot config files. State "I'm doing X because Y." The user can override — but you decide by default. These files are FOR you, BY you. Human role is approval only. ### 2. Fix structural issues NOW, not later When you detect a problem (size violation, misplaced content, tool-delegable rules): fix it immediately as the first action. Do not defer. Do not "note it for later." Deferring compounds the problem on every subsequent request. ### 3. Report ALL findings transparently When scanning for misplaced content, report everything you considered — including things you assessed as not worth extracting. Silent dismissal means the user never knows you evaluated it. > Wrong: _(silently dismisses python.instructions.md)_ > Right: "Created terraform.instructions.md. Also detected Python patterns but assessed as overhead since Ruff handles it." --- ## Context Window Awareness Every line in `copilot-instructions.md`, `*.instructions.md`, and skills consumes context window space, leaving less room for code reasoning, file contents, and tool results. This directly causes earlier summarization and lost conversation state. **Loading frequency matters:** | File | Loading | Impact | | ---- | ------- | ------ | | `copilot-instructions.md` | Every request | Highest — competes with every interaction | | `*.instructions.md` | When editing matching files | Medium — present during file-type work | | Skills | On demand | Lowest — only when activated | **Optimization priority:** Always-loaded > pattern-matched > on-demand. A 10-line reduction in `copilot-instructions.md` frees more reasoning capacity across a session than removing 50 lines from a skill. **When reviewing any config file, ask:** "Does every line here earn its context window space?" Generic knowledge from training data does not. Project-specific decisions, gotchas, and patterns that contradict defaults do. --- ## Detect Misplaced Content On every invocation, scan `copilot-instructions.md` for content that belongs elsewhere: | Signal | Destination | | ------ | ----------- | | File-extension-specific conventions (`.tf`, `.py`, `.ts`) | `*.instructions.md` | | Step-by-step procedures, "how to" sections, decision trees | Skills | | URLs to external docs, version-specific info | `copilot-references.md` | Extract BEFORE proceeding with other work. --- ## Delegate to Tools, Not Instructions **Any rule that a linter, formatter, or validator can enforce MUST NOT appear in instructions.** Instructions duplicate what `ruff`, `prettier`, pre-commit hooks, or `tsconfig` already handle = wasted tokens. **Test:** Could a regex, AST parser, or schema validator enforce this? → Tool territory. When detected: check project's prek config (`.pre-commit-config.yaml`) / `pyproject.toml` / `tsconfig.json`. If tool exists, remove the instruction. If not, propose adding the tool. **Keep in instructions only:** semantic patterns, domain conventions, architecture decisions, project-specific terminology — things tools cannot enforce. --- ## File Architecture | File | When Loaded | Context Impact | Content | | ---- | ----------- | -------------- | ------- | | `copilot-instructions.md` | Every request | High (always present) | Minimal: overview, stack, principles, skill registry | | `*.instructions.md` | File pattern match | Medium (during edits) | File-type conventions | | Skills (`SKILL.md`) | On demand | Low (only when needed) | Procedures, workflows | | Agents (`*.agent.md`) | Agent selection | Medium (per session) | Persona, handoffs, tool restrictions | | `copilot-references.md` | On demand | Low | External links, stale-prone data | | `.copilot-tasks.md` | Conversation start | Low | Cross-conversation state | ### Placement Decision | Question | Yes → | | -------- | ----- | | Always needed, fits in <20 lines? | `copilot-instructions.md` | | Always needed, >20 lines? | Summarize in instructions, detail in skill | | Triggered by file type? | `*.instructions.md` | | Agent persona? | `agents/*.agent.md` | | Procedure/workflow? | Skill | | External reference data? | `copilot-references.md` | | None of the above? | Probably doesn't need documenting | ### Size Guidelines | File | Guideline | Key Question | | ---- | --------- | ------------ | | `copilot-instructions.md` | ~200 lines | Could any content be conditionally loaded? | | Skill (SKILL.md) | <500 lines, <5000 tokens | Split refs to `references/`? | | `*.instructions.md` | Comprehensive | Is file type common enough to justify? | | Agent | ~150 lines | Focused persona? Clear handoffs? | Size is a smell, not a violation. 400 lines of essential content is fine. 150 lines with extractable content is not. --- ## Creating Skills and Agents Read [references/PROCEDURES.md](references/PROCEDURES.md) for structure, registration, and anti-patterns. | Creating | Must Have | | -------- | --------- | | Skill | Clear activation context, registered in `copilot-instructions.md` | | Agent | Distinct persona, clear boundaries, handoff definitions | --- ## Anti-Patterns | Anti-Pattern | Solution | | ------------ | -------- | | Everything in `copilot-instructions.md` | Split per placement decision above | | Duplicated content across files | Single source of truth | | Procedures in always-loaded instructions | Move to skills | | Skill not registered in `copilot-instructions.md` | Register it — unregistered = undiscoverable | | Tool-enforceable rules in instructions | Remove instruction, verify tool config | | Hardcoded external data | Use `copilot-references.md` | --- ## Health Checks On every invocation of this skill: 1. Scan for content that could be conditionally loaded 2. Scan for tool-delegable rules 3. If found, assess and extract/remove before other work | Periodic Check | Action | | -------------- | ------ | | Stale references | Test 2-3 for relevance | | `.copilot-tasks.md` cleanup | After branch merge, remove branch section | --- ## Fitness Assessment When reviewing skills (on request or during health checks): | Criterion | Question | | --------- | -------- | | Purpose clarity | Immediately clear from name + description? | | Audience fit | Written for Copilot, not humans? | | Actionable | Specific instructions vs vague principles? | | Domain value | Knowledge Copilot lacks from training? | | Up-to-date | Reflects current project state? | | Dependencies valid | Referenced files actually exist? | **Verdict:** ✅ Fit / 🟡 Needs attention / ❌ Needs rewrite (fix structural issues NOW, not later) --- ## Knowledge Gaps | Trigger | Action | | ------- | ------ | | Uncertain about current syntax/API | Check `copilot-references.md` | | User provides corrective link | Add to `copilot-references.md` with category and date | | Repeated procedure (3x) | Create a skill | | Instructions over size limit | Extract to skill or `*.instructions.md` | --- ## Self-Registration This skill must verify `copilot-instructions.md` contains: 1. Trigger rule in Collaboration Guidelines: "Before editing Copilot config — read copilot-self-improvement skill" 2. Skill entry in the skills table If missing, add them before making other changes. --- > Source: [SkaneTrails/meal-planner](https://github.com/SkaneTrails/meal-planner) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).