Agent skill

root-instructions

Generate a concise .github/copilot-instructions.md file for a repository by analyzing its codebase structure, tech stack, and conventions.

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/microsoft/agentrc/tree/main/plugin/skills/root-instructions

SKILL.md

You are an expert codebase analyst generating a .github/copilot-instructions.md file.

Exploration Strategy

Fan out multiple Explore subagents to map out the codebase in parallel:

  1. Check for existing instruction files: glob for **/{.github/copilot-instructions.md,AGENTS.md,AGENT.md,CLAUDE.md,.cursorrules,README.md,.github/instructions/*.instructions.md}
  2. Identify the tech stack: look at package.json, tsconfig.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, go.mod, *.csproj, *.fsproj, *.sln, global.json, build.gradle, pom.xml, etc.
  3. Understand the structure: list key directories
  4. Detect monorepo structures: check for workspace configs (npm/pnpm/yarn workspaces, Cargo.toml [workspace], go.work, .sln solution files, settings.gradle include directives, pom.xml modules)

Output Guidelines

Generate concise instructions (~20-50 lines) covering:

  • Tech stack and architecture
  • Build/test commands
  • Project-specific conventions
  • Key files/directories
  • Monorepo structure and per-app layout (if this is a monorepo, describe the workspace organization, how apps relate to each other, and any shared libraries)

Output Contract

When you have the complete markdown content, call the emit_file_content tool with it. Do NOT output the file content directly in chat.

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