Dj2695 Custom Copilot Github Copilot Customizer

GitHub Copilot Customizer

Tailor GitHub Copilot through six customization methods. This skill provides navigation to detailed guides.

When to Use This Skill

Use this when you need to:

• Create or modify .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Build custom agents (.agent.md), prompts (.prompt.md), or instruction files (.instructions.md)
• Configure MCP servers for external tool access
• Choose the right customization method for your needs
• Set up the .github/ folder structure

Quick Decision Guide

Need to...
├─ Apply rule to ALL code? → copilot-instructions.md
├─ Apply rule to specific file types? → .instructions.md  
├─ Create reusable workflow? → .agent.md
├─ Template a common task? → .prompt.md
├─ Package domain knowledge? → SKILL.md
└─ Add external tools? → mcp.json (+ MCP server)

Six Customization Methods

Critical: Use exact file extensions or detection fails.

Prerequisites

• VS Code with GitHub Copilot extension
• Enable instruction files in settings:

  {
    "github.copilot.chat.codeGeneration.useInstructionFiles": true,
    "chat.agent.enabled": true
  }
  

Directory Structure

.github/
├── copilot-instructions.md
├── agents/
│   ├── planner.agent.md
│   └── reviewer.agent.md
├── prompts/
│   └── generate-component.prompt.md
├── instructions/
│   ├── python-coding.instructions.md
│   └── typescript-coding.instructions.md
└── skills/
    └── <skill-name>/SKILL.md

.vscode/
└── mcp.json  # VS Code only

Quick Start

1. Create workspace baseline: Copy template to .github/copilot-instructions.md
2. Add custom agent: Use template → save as .github/agents/<name>.agent.md
3. Create prompt: Use template → save as .github/prompts/<name>.prompt.md
4. Add instruction file: Use template → save as .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md
5. Configure MCP: See MCP Setup Guide

Details and Examples

Complete Guides

• Detailed Guides - In-depth information on all methods
  • Agent frontmatter properties (9 properties with handoffs)
  • Available models and tools
  • Prompt file properties
  • Glob patterns for instruction files
  • Skills vs Instructions comparison
  • Combining methods patterns
• Agent Examples - Common patterns (Planner, Implementer, Reviewer)
• Instruction Examples - Language/framework specific
• Chat Tools Reference - Complete list of 47+ tools and tool sets
• VS Code Settings - Essential Copilot settings organized by category
• MCP Setup - Complete MCP server configuration guide with stdio/HTTP types

Templates

• Agent Template - Generic .agent.md starter
• Prompt Template - Generic .prompt.md starter
• Instructions Template - Generic .instructions.md starter
• Copilot Instructions Template - Workspace baseline starter

Troubleshooting

External Resources

• Custom Agents Documentation
• Agent Skills Documentation
• Custom Instructions
• Prompt Files
• Chat Tools Reference
• MCP Servers
• Agent Skills Standard

Source: DJ2695/custom-copilot — distributed by TomeVault.