VS Code & Copilot

For the official documentation, see Custom Instructions on VS Code's docs.

How Custom Instructions Work

Custom instructions are Markdown files that get added to Copilot's context at the start of each chat. VS Code finds them automatically based on where they are stored and how they are named.

When multiple instruction files are applicable, VS Code combines them. However, the order is not guaranteed. Each instruction file should stand alone and not depend on another to load first.

Instruction File Types

VS Code recognizes four types of instruction files:

Instruction File Format

Instruction files use Markdown with optional YAML frontmatter:

---
description: "Standards for React frontend components"
name: "React Guidelines"
applyTo: "src/components/**/*.tsx"
---

# React Component Standards

- One component per file
- Use named exports
- Co-locate styles and tests
- Use functional components with hooks

Frontmatter Fields

Settings-Based Instructions

For specific tasks like code review or commit messages, VS Code supports instructions through settings.json:

These can either reference external files or include inline text:

{
  "github.copilot.chat.reviewSelection.instructions": [
    { "file": "guidance/review-guidelines.md" }
  ],
  "github.copilot.chat.commitMessageGeneration.instructions": [
    { "text": "Use conventional commits format. Keep subject under 72 chars." }
  ]
}

Creating Instruction Files

Scoping with Glob Patterns

The applyTo field lets you target instructions to specific file types or directories:

This is useful for large codebases where different sections have different conventions, such as frontend React patterns versus backend API patterns.

Syncing and Sharing

Writing Effective Instructions

Selling VS Code Instructions on Skly

• List "VS Code" and/or "GitHub Copilot" as supported tools so buyers can find compatible instructions.
• Use the .instructions.md format since it is the most flexible, supporting targeting through applyTo patterns.
• Include clear applyTo patterns so buyers know which files the instructions focus on.
• Keep instructions portable — plain Markdown works across multiple AI tools, not just Copilot.
• Provide a copilot-instructions.md version for buyers wanting the simplest setup.

Comparison with Cursor Rules

Learn More