Official agent skill

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions

by github in github/awesome-copilot

Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this…

OfficialMITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions

skills CLI
$ npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install github/awesome-copilot suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions .claude/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions
GitHub stars
40k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
753 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
417
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this…

  • Works in 12 steps: Fetch Available Instructions: Extract… → Scan Local Instructions: Discover… → Extract Descriptions: Read front matter… → …
  • Tasks that involve Codebase knowledge for agents
  • SKILL.md covers Process, Context Analysis Criteria, Output Format and Local Instructions Discovery…, plus 6 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions is an agent skill from github/awesome-copilot, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this repository, and identifying outdated instructions that need updates.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Codebase knowledge for agents. It works with GitHub. The repository describes itself as: Community-contributed instructions, agents, skills, and configurations to help you make the most of GitHub Copilot. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Codebase knowledge for agents

Example prompts

  • “/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions”

Workflow steps

12 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Fetch Available Instructions: Extract instruction list and descriptions from awesome-copilot README.instructions.md. Must use #fetch tool.
  2. Scan Local Instructions: Discover existing instruction files in .github/instructions/ folder
  3. Extract Descriptions: Read front matter from local instruction files to get descriptions and applyTo patterns
  4. Fetch Remote Versions: For each local instruction, fetch the corresponding version from awesome-copilot repository using raw GitHub URLs…
  5. Compare Versions: Compare local instruction content with remote versions to identify
  6. Analyze Context: Review chat history, repository files, and current project needs
  7. Compare Existing: Check against instructions already available in this repository
  8. Match Relevance: Compare available instructions against identified patterns and requirements
  9. Present Options: Display relevant instructions with descriptions, rationale, and availability status including outdated instructions
  10. Validate: Ensure suggested instructions would add value not already covered by existing instructions
  11. Output: Provide structured table with suggestions, descriptions, and links to both awesome-copilot instructions and similar local…
  12. Download/Update Assets: For requested instructions, automatically

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 727ff2e. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions loads about 1.9k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 77 tokens; SKILL.md has 753 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~77
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.9k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from github/awesome-copilot at commit 727ff2e, republished under its MIT licence (© github). 753 words, ~1,904 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions
description
Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this repository, and identifying outdated instructions that need updates.

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions

Analyze current repository context and suggest relevant copilot-instruction files from the GitHub awesome-copilot repository that are not already available in this repository.

Process

  1. Fetch Available Instructions: Extract instruction list and descriptions from awesome-copilot README.instructions.md. Must use #fetch tool.
  2. Scan Local Instructions: Discover existing instruction files in .github/instructions/ folder
  3. Extract Descriptions: Read front matter from local instruction files to get descriptions and applyTo patterns
  4. Fetch Remote Versions: For each local instruction, fetch the corresponding version from awesome-copilot repository using raw GitHub URLs (e.g., https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/awesome-copilot/main/instructions/<filename>)
  5. Compare Versions: Compare local instruction content with remote versions to identify:
    • Instructions that are up-to-date (exact match)
    • Instructions that are outdated (content differs)
    • Key differences in outdated instructions (description, applyTo patterns, content)
  6. Analyze Context: Review chat history, repository files, and current project needs
  7. Compare Existing: Check against instructions already available in this repository
  8. Match Relevance: Compare available instructions against identified patterns and requirements
  9. Present Options: Display relevant instructions with descriptions, rationale, and availability status including outdated instructions
  10. Validate: Ensure suggested instructions would add value not already covered by existing instructions
  11. Output: Provide structured table with suggestions, descriptions, and links to both awesome-copilot instructions and similar local instructions AWAIT user request to proceed with installation or updates of specific instructions. DO NOT INSTALL OR UPDATE UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO.
  12. Download/Update Assets: For requested instructions, automatically:
    • Download new instructions to .github/instructions/ folder
    • Update outdated instructions by replacing with latest version from awesome-copilot
    • Do NOT adjust content of the files
    • Use #fetch tool to download assets, but may use curl using #runInTerminal tool to ensure all content is retrieved
    • Use #todos tool to track progress

Context Analysis Criteria

🔍 Repository Patterns:

  • Programming languages used (.cs, .js, .py, .ts, etc.)
  • Framework indicators (ASP.NET, React, Azure, Next.js, etc.)
  • Project types (web apps, APIs, libraries, tools)
  • Development workflow requirements (testing, CI/CD, deployment)

🗨️ Chat History Context:

  • Recent discussions and pain points
  • Technology-specific questions
  • Coding standards discussions
  • Development workflow requirements

Output Format

Display analysis results in structured table comparing awesome-copilot instructions with existing repository instructions:

Awesome-Copilot InstructionDescriptionAlready InstalledSimilar Local InstructionSuggestion Rationale
blazor.instructions.mdBlazor development guidelines✅ Yesblazor.instructions.mdAlready covered by existing Blazor instructions
reactjs.instructions.mdReactJS development standards❌ NoNoneWould enhance React development with established patterns
java.instructions.mdJava development best practices⚠️ Outdatedjava.instructions.mdapplyTo pattern differs: remote uses '**/*.java' vs local '*.java' - Update recommended

Local Instructions Discovery Process

  1. List all *.instructions.md files in the instructions/ directory
  2. For each discovered file, read front matter to extract description and applyTo patterns
  3. Build comprehensive inventory of existing instructions with their applicable file patterns
  4. Use this inventory to avoid suggesting duplicates
Show full SKILL.md (306 more words)Show less

Version Comparison Process

  1. For each local instruction file, construct the raw GitHub URL to fetch the remote version:
    • Pattern: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/awesome-copilot/main/instructions/<filename>
  2. Fetch the remote version using the #fetch tool
  3. Compare entire file content (including front matter and body)
  4. Identify specific differences:
    • Front matter changes (description, applyTo patterns)
    • Content updates (guidelines, examples, best practices)
  5. Document key differences for outdated instructions
  6. Calculate similarity to determine if update is needed

File Structure Requirements

Based on GitHub documentation, copilot-instructions files should be:

  • Repository-wide instructions: .github/copilot-instructions.md (applies to entire repository)
  • Path-specific instructions: .github/instructions/NAME.instructions.md (applies to specific file patterns via applyTo frontmatter)
  • Community instructions: instructions/NAME.instructions.md (for sharing and distribution)

Front Matter Structure

Instructions files in awesome-copilot use this front matter format:

markdown
---
description: 'Brief description of what this instruction provides'
applyTo: '**/*.js,**/*.ts' # Optional: glob patterns for file matching
---

Requirements

  • Use githubRepo tool to get content from awesome-copilot repository instructions folder
  • Scan local file system for existing instructions in .github/instructions/ directory
  • Read YAML front matter from local instruction files to extract descriptions and applyTo patterns
  • Compare local instructions with remote versions to detect outdated instructions
  • Compare against existing instructions in this repository to avoid duplicates
  • Focus on gaps in current instruction library coverage
  • Validate that suggested instructions align with repository's purpose and standards
  • Provide clear rationale for each suggestion
  • Include links to both awesome-copilot instructions and similar local instructions
  • Clearly identify outdated instructions with specific differences noted
  • Consider technology stack compatibility and project-specific needs
  • Don't provide any additional information or context beyond the table and the analysis

Icons Reference

  • ✅ Already installed and up-to-date
  • ⚠️ Installed but outdated (update available)
  • ❌ Not installed in repo

Update Handling

When outdated instructions are identified:

  1. Include them in the output table with ⚠️ status
  2. Document specific differences in the "Suggestion Rationale" column
  3. Provide recommendation to update with key changes noted
  4. When user requests update, replace entire local file with remote version
  5. Preserve file location in .github/instructions/ directory

© github, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions of github/awesome-copilot.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 727ff2e

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in github/awesome-copilot, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions compared with similar skills
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Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions this skillgithub/awesome-copilot40k1 repos~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Repomix Codebase Packeryamadashy/repomix29k—~1.3kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Docs Seekereinverne/dotfiles1211 repos~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassGPL-3.0
Project Context SetupMathews-Tom/armory327—~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
BTCA Local Repo Searchstickerdaniel/linkedin-mcp-server3.8k—~660Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
PR Inline Commentssesori-ai/sesori_apps_monorepo125—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions

What does Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions do?

Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this…. Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions is an agent skill from github/awesome-copilot, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this repository, and identifying outdated instructions that need updates.

When should I use Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions?

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions fits situations like: tasks that involve Codebase knowledge for agents.

How do I install Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions in github/awesome-copilot) into .claude/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions in Codex?

Run `npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions in github/awesome-copilot) into .agents/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions, .gemini/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions, .github/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions and .opencode/skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions in your project.

What does Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions is instructions for the agent only.

Does Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions use?

Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions use?

About 1.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions: Repomix Codebase Packer (yamadashy/repomix, 29k stars), Docs Seeker (einverne/dotfiles, 121 stars), Project Context Setup (Mathews-Tom/armory, 327 stars) and BTCA Local Repo Search (stickerdaniel/linkedin-mcp-server, 3.8k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Suggest Awesome GitHub Copilot Instructions?

github (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in github/awesome-copilot, which has 39,748 GitHub stars. The repository holds 417 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: github/awesome-copilot on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.