---
title: HVE Core
description: Hypervelocity Engineering prompt library for GitHub Copilot with convention-driven AI workflows and validated artifacts
author: Microsoft
ms.date: 2026-05-04
ms.topic: overview
keywords:
  - hypervelocity engineering
  - prompt engineering
  - github copilot
  - ai workflows
  - custom agents
  - copilot instructions
  - rpi methodology
estimated_reading_time: 3
---

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Hypervelocity Engineering (HVE) Core (accelerating software delivery through AI-augmented workflows) gives you specialized agents, auto-applied coding instructions, reusable prompts, and validated skills for GitHub Copilot. Turn Copilot into a convention-driven engineering workflow (agents follow your repository's standards automatically) that scales from solo developers to enterprise teams.

> [!TIP]
> Install from the VS Code Marketplace in under 30 seconds. See the [Installation Guide](docs/getting-started/install.md) for all options.

## Quick Start

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[![Install HVE Core - Flagship Collection](https://img.shields.io/badge/VS%20Code-Install%20HVE%20Core-007ACC?logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white)](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core) [![Install HVE Core - All Collection](https://img.shields.io/badge/VS%20Code-Install%20All%20Collections-007ACC?logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white)](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core-all)
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1. Install the [HVE Core - Flagship Collection extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core) from the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Open any project and launch GitHub Copilot Chat (`Ctrl+Alt+I`).
3. Select an agent from the picker (try **rpi-agent**, **task-researcher**, or **memory**) and start a conversation.

That's it. Agents, instructions, and prompts activate automatically once the extension is installed.

**Using GitHub Copilot CLI?** Install as a plugin instead:

```bash
copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/hve-core
copilot plugin install hve-core@hve-core
```

See [CLI Plugins](docs/getting-started/methods/cli-plugins.md) for usage details.

Ready for more? Follow the [Getting Started Guide](docs/getting-started/README.md).

## Choose Your Extension

Two VS Code extensions serve different needs:

Collections are curated bundles of agents, prompts, instructions, and skills targeting specific workflows or domains. The **HVE Core** extension installs the flagship collection (41 artifacts for RPI (Research → Plan → Implement) workflows). Install **HVE Core All** for the complete bundle (221 artifacts across all domains).

| Extension                                                                                             | What it includes                                                | Best for                                                                |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [HVE Core All](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core-all)   | Every collection: all agents, prompts, instructions, and skills | Individual developers and teams that want the full library              |
| [HVE Installer](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-installer) | Selective installation of specific collections                  | Teams that want to pick only the collections relevant to their workflow |

Not sure which to choose? Start with HVE Core All. You can switch to HVE Installer later if you need finer control over which collections are active. See the [Collections Overview](docs/getting-started/collections.md) for a comparison of all available bundles.

**Copilot CLI users:** All collections are also available as [CLI plugins](docs/getting-started/methods/cli-plugins.md) via `copilot plugin install <collection>@hve-core`.

## What's Included

| Component    | Count | Description                                                          | Documentation                                  |
|--------------|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| Agents       | 49    | Specialized AI assistants for research, planning, and implementation | [Agents](.github/CUSTOM-AGENTS.md)             |
| Instructions | 102   | Repository-specific coding guidelines applied automatically          | [Instructions](.github/instructions/README.md) |
| Prompts      | 63    | Reusable templates for common tasks like commits and PRs             | [Prompts](.github/prompts/README.md)           |
| Skills       | 11    | Self-contained packages with cross-platform scripts and guidance     | [Skills](.github/skills/)                      |
| Scripts      | N/A   | Validation tools for linting, security, and quality                  | [Scripts](scripts/README.md)                   |

> [!TIP]
> **Component types at a glance:**
>
> * Agents - Specialized AI personas with domain expertise (e.g., Task Researcher, Security Planner)
> * Prompts - Predefined commands that trigger specific workflows (e.g., `/task-research`, `/git-commit`)
> * Instructions - Coding standards and conventions auto-applied to matching files
> * Skills - Reusable tool packages that extend agent capabilities

## Documentation

Full documentation is available at **<https://microsoft.github.io/hve-core/>**.

| Guide                                                            | Description                                     |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| [Getting Started](docs/getting-started/README.md)                | Setup and first workflow tutorial               |
| [Collections](docs/getting-started/collections.md)               | Available bundles and selection guide           |
| [RPI Workflow](docs/rpi/README.md)                               | Deep dive into Research, Plan, Implement        |
| [Contributing](docs/contributing/README.md)                      | Create custom agents, instructions, and prompts |
| [Agents Reference](.github/CUSTOM-AGENTS.md)                     | All available agents                            |
| [Instructions Reference](.github/instructions/README.md)         | All coding instructions                         |
| [AI Artifacts Architecture](docs/architecture/ai-artifacts.md)   | Prompt engineering framework and artifact types |
| [Validation Standards](docs/contributing/ai-artifacts-common.md) | CI/CD validation pipeline and quality gates     |

## Label Management

Repository labels are declared in [`.github/labels.yml`](.github/labels.yml) and synced automatically by the [Label Sync](.github/workflows/label-sync.yml) workflow on push to `main` or via manual `workflow_dispatch`.

| Task               | How                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Add a label**    | Add an entry with `name`, `color` (bare hex, no `#`), and `description` to `.github/labels.yml`, then push to `main`                                                                                |
| **Update a label** | Edit the existing entry's `color` or `description`                                                                                                                                                  |
| **Rename a label** | Add an `aliases` array under the new canonical name listing the old name; the sync migrates existing assignments automatically                                                                      |
| **Delete a label** | Remove it manually in the [GitHub Labels UI](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/labels). Deleting an entry from the file does **not** delete it from GitHub (the workflow runs in additive mode) |

## Contributing

We appreciate contributions! Whether you're fixing typos or adding new components:

1. Read our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md).
2. Check out [open issues](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/issues).
3. Join the [discussion](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/discussions).

## Responsible AI

Microsoft encourages customers to review its Responsible AI Standard when developing AI-enabled systems to ensure ethical, safe, and inclusive AI practices. Learn more at [Microsoft's Responsible AI](https://www.microsoft.com/ai/responsible-ai).

## Legal

This project is licensed under the [MIT License](./LICENSE).

### Licensing

Most content in this repository is covered by the MIT License. Certain skill content
derived from OWASP Foundation publications is licensed under
[CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Each affected
skill identifies its license in frontmatter and includes a Third-Party Attribution
section. See [THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES](./THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES) for full details.

See [SECURITY.md](./SECURITY.md) for the security policy and vulnerability reporting.

See [GOVERNANCE.md](./GOVERNANCE.md) for the project governance model.

## Trademark Notice

> This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft
> trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines. Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in
> modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship. Any use of third-party trademarks or
> logos are subject to those third-party's policies.

---

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*🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction,
then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.*
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