30 community-contributed rules
GitHub Copilot instructions customize Microsoft's AI pair programmer. Define coding standards for VS Code, JetBrains, and other supported IDEs.
GitHub Copilot Instructions let you customize how Copilot generates code suggestions. As the most widely-used AI coding assistant, Copilot benefits greatly from personalized instructions that match your coding style.
By configuring Copilot with custom instructions, you can improve suggestion relevance, enforce team coding standards, and reduce the need for manual edits to AI-generated code.
File name: .github/copilot-instructions.md
Best practices and patterns for using GitHub Copilot with TypeScript projects.
Optimize GitHub Copilot suggestions for React and TypeScript development.
Configure Copilot for Python development with type hints and docstrings.
Copilot configuration for strict TypeScript development.
Optimize Copilot for Next.js App Router patterns.
Generate tests with Copilot assistance
Write shell scripts with Copilot
Generate Node.js backend code
Write code that helps Copilot suggest better
Configure Copilot for idiomatic Go backend development.
Generate React component code
Generate modern JavaScript patterns
Design RESTful APIs
Generate Webpack configurations
Copilot configuration for Rust systems programming.
Write docs with Copilot assistance
Generate modern CSS code
Migrate JavaScript to TypeScript
Refactor code with Copilot help
Generate Docker configurations
You can customize Copilot through VS Code settings, workspace-level instruction files (.github/copilot-instructions.md), or through GitHub.com for organization-wide settings.
Instruction file support varies by IDE. VS Code has the most complete support, while JetBrains and other IDEs may have different configuration methods.
Yes, by adding a .github/copilot-instructions.md file to your repository, all team members using Copilot will automatically receive the same instructions.
Create your own GitHub Copilot rules and share them with the community.