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sohamda
sohamdaCOMMUNITY
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copilot-customization

Guides selection and authoring of VS Code Copilot customization mechanisms including instructions, prompts, agents, skills, and MCP servers.

Updated May 12, 2026
Search Tags:#vscode#agent skills#custom agents#mcp servers#github copilot#custom instructions#prompt files
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/sohamda/apex-try-out-demo-repo --skill copilot-customization-sohamda
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: copilot-customization
Source: https://github.com/sohamda/apex-try-out-demo-repo/tree/main/.archive/_archived_skills/copilot-customization
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/sohamda/apex-try-out-demo-repo --skill copilot-customization-sohamda

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Choosing between VS Code Copilot's seven customization mechanisms (instructions, prompt files, custom agents, agent skills, MCP servers, hooks, plugins) is confusing, and misconfigured frontmatter or wrong file placement silently breaks discovery and loading. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Decision Tree: Maps common goals (coding standards, reusable tasks, AI personas, external tools) to the correct customization file type. - Mechanism Comparison: Compares instructions vs skills vs agents vs prompts across loading behavior, tool support, context cost, and portability. - On-Demand References: Deep-dive reference files for each mechanism with frontmatter schemas, common mistakes, and freshness verification links. - Use Case: When a new .instructions.md file is not auto-loading, use this skill to check the applyTo glob syntax and the rule against YAML block scalars in description fields. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to help you decide which Copilot customization mechanism fits your requirement or to debug why a customization file is not loading.

Frequently Asked Questions about copilot-customization

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I choose between Copilot instructions, skills, agents, and prompt files?▼

Use instructions for coding standards auto-applied by file glob, skills for on-demand specialized capabilities with scripts and references, agents for AI personas with scoped tools, and prompt files for manually invoked reusable tasks via slash commands.

How do I create a custom agent in VS Code Copilot?▼

Create a .agent.md file in .github/agents/ with frontmatter defining name, description, tools, and optional handoffs and subagents. The Markdown body contains instructions prepended to every prompt when the agent is selected.

Why is my Copilot instruction or skill file not loading?▼

The most common cause is using a YAML block scalar (>, |) for the description field, which breaks VS Code's prompts-diagnostics-provider and silently disables discovery. Use a single-line inline string and verify the applyTo glob or file location.

What is the difference between MCP servers and custom agents in VS Code?▼

MCP servers connect Copilot to external tools, APIs, and databases via mcp.json configuration, while custom agents are AI personas defined in .agent.md files with their own instructions and tool lists. Agents can consume MCP tools through their tools list.

When should I not use the copilot-customization skill?▼

Do not load it for routine edits to existing customization files where the format is already known. Enforcement rules auto-load via instruction files with applyTo globs, so the skill is only needed for new files, debugging, or mechanism comparisons.

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