📋 Custom Instructions

Team and project-specific instructions to enhance GitHub Copilot's behavior for specific technologies and coding practices.

How to Use Custom Instructions

To Install:

Click the VS Code or VS Code Insiders install button for the instruction you want to use
Download the *.instructions.md file and manually add it to your project's instruction collection

To Use/Apply:

Copy these instructions to your .github/copilot-instructions.md file in your workspace
Create task-specific .github/.instructions.md files in your workspace's .github/instructions folder
Instructions automatically apply to Copilot behavior once installed in your workspace

Title	Description
.NET Framework Development	Guidance for working with .NET Framework projects. Includes project structure, C# language version, NuGet management, and best practices.
.NET MAUI	.NET MAUI component and application patterns
.NET Project Upgrade Instructions	Specialized agent for comprehensive .NET framework upgrades with progressive tracking and validation
AI Prompt Engineering & Safety Best Practices	Comprehensive best practices for AI prompt engineering, safety frameworks, bias mitigation, and responsible AI usage for Copilot and LLMs.
Angular Development Instructions	Angular-specific coding standards and best practices
Ansible Conventions and Best Practices	Ansible conventions and best practices
ASP.NET REST API Development	Guidelines for building REST APIs with ASP.NET
Astro Development Instructions	Astro development standards and best practices for content-driven websites
Azure DevOps Pipeline YAML Best Practices	Best practices for Azure DevOps Pipeline YAML files
Azure Functions Typescript	TypeScript patterns for Azure Functions
Azure Logic Apps and Power Automate Instructions	Guidelines for developing Azure Logic Apps and Power Automate workflows with best practices for Workflow Definition Language (WDL), integration patterns, and enterprise automation
Azure Terraform Best Practices	Create or modify solutions built using Terraform on Azure.
Azure Verified Modules (AVM) Terraform	Azure Verified Modules (AVM) and Terraform
Bicep Code Best Practices	Infrastructure as Code with Bicep
Blazor	Blazor component and application patterns
C# Development	Guidelines for building C# applications
C# MCP Server Development	Instructions for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers using the C# SDK
C# 코드 작성 규칙	C# 애플리케이션 개발을 위한 코드 작성 규칙 by @jgkim999
C# アプリケーション開発	C# アプリケーション構築指針 by @tsubakimoto
Clojure Development Instructions	Clojure-specific coding patterns, inline def usage, code block templates, and namespace handling for Clojure development.
Cmake Vcpkg	C++ project configuration and package management
Code Generation Guidelines	Guidelines for writing Node.js and JavaScript code with Vitest testing
ColdFusion Coding Standards	ColdFusion cfm files and application patterns
ColdFusion Coding Standards for CFC Files	ColdFusion Coding Standards for CFC component and application patterns
Collections Development	Guidelines for creating and managing awesome-copilot collections
Containerization & Docker Best Practices	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.
Convert Spring JPA project to Spring Data Cosmos	Step-by-step guide for converting Spring Boot JPA applications to use Azure Cosmos DB with Spring Data Cosmos
Copilot Process tracking Instructions	See process Copilot is following where you can edit this to reshape the interaction or save when follow up may be needed
Copilot Prompt Files Guidelines	Guidelines for creating high-quality prompt files for GitHub Copilot
Custom Instructions File Guidelines	Guidelines for creating high-quality custom instruction files for GitHub Copilot
Dart and Flutter	Instructions for writing Dart and Flutter code following the official recommendations.
DDD Systems & .NET Guidelines	DDD and .NET architecture guidelines
Dev Box image definitions	Authoring recommendations for creating YAML based image definition files for use with Microsoft Dev Box Team Customizations
DevOps Core Principles	Foundational instructions covering core DevOps principles, culture (CALMS), and key metrics (DORA) to guide GitHub Copilot in understanding and promoting effective software delivery.
Dotnet Wpf	.NET WPF component and application patterns
Genaiscript	AI-powered script generation guidelines
Generate Modern Terraform Code For Azure	Guidelines for generating modern Terraform code for Azure
Gilfoyle Code Review Instructions	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	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 Development Instructions	Instructions for writing Go code following idiomatic Go practices and community standards
Go MCP Server Development Guidelines	Best practices and patterns for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Go using the official github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk package.
Guidance for Localization	Guidelines for localizing markdown documents
Instructions for accessibility	Guidance for creating more accessible code
Java 11 to Java 17 Upgrade Guide	Comprehensive best practices for adopting new Java 17 features since the release of Java 11.
Java 17 to Java 21 Upgrade Guide	Comprehensive best practices for adopting new Java 21 features since the release of Java 17.
Java 21 to Java 25 Upgrade Guide	Comprehensive best practices for adopting new Java 25 features since the release of Java 21.
Java Development	Guidelines for building Java base applications
Java MCP Server Development Guidelines	Best practices and patterns for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Java using the official MCP Java SDK with reactive streams and Spring integration.
Joyride User Scripts Project Assistant	Expert assistance for Joyride User Script projects - REPL-driven ClojureScript and user space automation of VS Code
Joyride Workspace Automation Assistant	Expert assistance for Joyride Workspace automation - REPL-driven and user space ClojureScript automation within specific VS Code workspaces
Kotlin MCP Server Development Guidelines	Best practices and patterns for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Kotlin using the official io.modelcontextprotocol:kotlin-sdk library.
Kubernetes Deployment Best Practices	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.
LangChain Python Instructions	Instructions for using LangChain with Python
Markdown	Documentation and content creation standards
Memory Bank	Bank specific coding standards and best practices
Microsoft 365 Declarative Agents Development Guidelines	Comprehensive development guidelines for Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents with schema v1.5, TypeSpec integration, and Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit workflows
MongoDB DBA Chat Mode Instructions	Instructions for customizing GitHub Copilot behavior for MONGODB DBA chat mode.
MS-SQL DBA Chat Mode Instructions	Instructions for customizing GitHub Copilot behavior for MS-SQL DBA chat mode.
NestJS Development Best Practices	NestJS development standards and best practices for building scalable Node.js server-side applications
Next.js + Tailwind Development Instructions	Next.js + Tailwind development standards and instructions
Next.js Best Practices for LLMs (2025)	(2025) specific coding standards and best practices
Object Calisthenics Rules	Enforces Object Calisthenics principles for business domain code to ensure clean, maintainable, and robust code
Oqtane	Oqtane Module patterns
Performance Optimization Best Practices	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.
PHP MCP Server Development Best Practices	Best practices for building Model Context Protocol servers in PHP using the official PHP SDK with attribute-based discovery and multiple transport options
Playwright Python Test Generation Instructions	Playwright Python AI test generation instructions based on official documentation.
Playwright Typescript	Playwright test generation instructions
Power Apps Canvas Apps YAML Structure Guide	Comprehensive guide for working with Power Apps Canvas Apps YAML structure based on Microsoft Power Apps YAML schema v3.0. Covers Power Fx formulas, control structures, data types, and source control best practices.
Power Apps Code Apps Development Instructions	Power Apps Code Apps development standards and best practices for TypeScript, React, and Power Platform integration
Power BI Custom Visuals Development Best Practices	Comprehensive Power BI custom visuals development guide covering React, D3.js integration, TypeScript patterns, testing frameworks, and advanced visualization techniques.
Power BI Data Modeling Best Practices	Comprehensive Power BI data modeling best practices based on Microsoft guidance for creating efficient, scalable, and maintainable semantic models using star schema principles.
Power BI DAX Best Practices	Comprehensive Power BI DAX best practices and patterns based on Microsoft guidance for creating efficient, maintainable, and performant DAX formulas.
Power BI DevOps and Application Lifecycle Management Best Practices	Comprehensive guide for Power BI DevOps, Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, and version control best practices.
Power BI Report Design and Visualization Best Practices	Comprehensive Power BI report design and visualization best practices based on Microsoft guidance for creating effective, accessible, and performant reports and dashboards.
Power BI Security and Row-Level Security Best Practices	Comprehensive Power BI Row-Level Security (RLS) and advanced security patterns implementation guide with dynamic security, best practices, and governance strategies.
Power Platform Connectors Schema Development Instructions	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.
Power Platform MCP Custom Connector Development	Instructions for developing Power Platform custom connectors with Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration for Microsoft Copilot Studio
PowerShell Cmdlet Development Guidelines	PowerShell cmdlet and scripting best practices based on Microsoft guidelines
PowerShell Pester v5 Testing Guidelines	PowerShell Pester testing best practices based on Pester v5 conventions
Python Coding Conventions	Python coding conventions and guidelines
Python MCP Server Development	Instructions for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers using the Python SDK
Quarkus	Quarkus development standards and instructions
Quarkus MCP Server	Quarkus and MCP Server with HTTP SSE transport development standards and instructions
ReactJS Development Instructions	ReactJS development standards and best practices
Ruby MCP Server Development Guidelines	Best practices and patterns for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Ruby using the official MCP Ruby SDK gem.
Ruby on Rails	Ruby on Rails coding conventions and guidelines
Rust Coding Conventions and Best Practices	Rust programming language coding conventions and best practices
Rust MCP Server Development Best Practices	Best practices for building Model Context Protocol servers in Rust using the official rmcp SDK with async/await patterns
Secure Coding and OWASP Guidelines	Comprehensive secure coding instructions for all languages and frameworks, based on OWASP Top 10 and industry best practices.
Self-explanatory Code Commenting Instructions	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	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.
Spring Boot Development	Guidelines for building Spring Boot base applications
SQL Development	Guidelines for generating SQL statements and stored procedures
Svelte 5 and SvelteKit Development Instructions	Svelte 5 and SvelteKit development standards and best practices for component-based user interfaces and full-stack applications
Swift MCP Server Development Guidelines	Best practices and patterns for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Swift using the official MCP Swift SDK package.
Taming Copilot	Prevent Copilot from wreaking havoc across your codebase, keeping it under control.
TanStack Start with Shadcn/ui Development Guide	Guidelines for building TanStack Start applications
Task Plan Implementation Instructions	Instructions for implementing task plans with progressive tracking and change record - Brought to you by microsoft/edge-ai
TaskSync V4 Protocol	TaskSync V4 - Allows you to give the agent new instructions or feedback after completing a task using terminal while agent is running.
Terraform Conventions	Terraform Conventions and Guidelines
TypeScript Development	Guidelines for TypeScript Development targeting TypeScript 5.x and ES2022 output
TypeScript MCP Server Development	Instructions for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers using the TypeScript SDK
VueJS 3 Development Instructions	VueJS 3 development standards and best practices with Composition API and TypeScript
WordPress Development — Copilot Instructions	Coding, security, and testing rules for WordPress plugins and themes

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