Best PromptsCopilot Instructions Template
A .github/copilot-instructions.md that gives GitHub Copilot your stack, conventions, and boundaries in the short, explicit form it follows best.
# Copilot instructions for [PROJECT NAME] [One sentence: what this project is.] ## Stack - [LANGUAGE + VERSION, FRAMEWORK + VERSION, e.g. "TypeScript 5, Next.js 16 App Router, Tailwind 4"] - [DATABASE/ORM, e.g. "Postgres via Drizzle: schema in db/schema.ts"] - [TEST RUNNER, e.g. "vitest; tests live next to source as *.test.ts"] ## How to verify changes - Type check: `[COMMAND]` - Tests: `[COMMAND]` - A change is not complete until both pass. ## Conventions - Use named exports, never default exports. - [STATE PATTERN, e.g. "Server components by default; 'use client' only for interactivity."] - [ERROR PATTERN, e.g. "API routes return typed errors via lib/errors.ts, never raw strings."] - [DATA PATTERN, e.g. "All DB access goes through repositories in lib/repos/, no inline queries."] - Match the style of the surrounding file over general best practices. ## Do not - Do not add dependencies, config files, or environment variables unprompted. - Do not edit: [GENERATED/PROTECTED PATHS, e.g. `db/migrations/`, `*.gen.ts`]. - Do not write code comments that restate what the code does.
How to use
Save to .github/copilot-instructions.md: Copilot loads it for every chat and agent request in the repo. Keep it under ~200 lines and make every instruction explicit ('use named exports') rather than aspirational ('write good code'); vague lines are ignored. For rules that only apply to some paths, add scoped files under .github/instructions/*.instructions.md with an 'applyTo: "**/*.ts"' frontmatter glob instead of growing this file.
More agent prompts
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Coding Agent System Prompt
Autonomous coding agent that matches repo conventions, proves work with passing tests before claiming done, and reports failures truthfully.
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Debugging Agent System Prompt
Root-cause-first debugging agent: no fix until the bug is reproduced, minimal diffs only, and done means the repro dies while the test suite stays green.
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Code Migration Agent System Prompt
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