---
title: GitHub Copilot Instructions
description: Repository-specific coding guidelines and conventions for GitHub Copilot
author: HVE Core Team
ms.date: 2026-01-17
ms.topic: reference
keywords:
- copilot
- instructions
- coding standards
- guidelines
estimated_reading_time: 5
---
## GitHub Copilot Instructions
Repository-specific guidelines that GitHub Copilot automatically applies when
editing files. Instructions ensure consistent code style and conventions across
the codebase.
## How Instructions Work
1. Instruction files declare which file patterns they apply to using `applyTo`
in frontmatter
2. GitHub Copilot reads instructions when editing matching files
3. Suggestions follow the documented standards automatically
Custom agents and the `prompt-builder` agent respect these instructions and can create new ones.
See [Contributing Instructions](../../docs/contributing/instructions.md) for authoring guidance.
## Available Instructions
### Language and Technology
| File | Applies To | Purpose |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| [coding-standards/bash/bash.instructions.md](coding-standards/bash/bash.instructions.md) | `**/*.sh` | Bash script implementation standards |
| [coding-standards/bicep/bicep.instructions.md](coding-standards/bicep/bicep.instructions.md) | `**/bicep/**` | Bicep infrastructure as code patterns |
| [coding-standards/csharp/csharp.instructions.md](coding-standards/csharp/csharp.instructions.md) | `**/*.cs` | C# implementation and coding conventions |
| [coding-standards/csharp/csharp-tests.instructions.md](coding-standards/csharp/csharp-tests.instructions.md) | `**/*.cs` | C# test code standards |
| [coding-standards/python-script.instructions.md](coding-standards/python-script.instructions.md) | `**/*.py` | Python scripting implementation |
| [coding-standards/terraform/terraform.instructions.md](coding-standards/terraform/terraform.instructions.md) | `**/*.tf, **/*.tfvars, **/terraform/**` | Terraform infrastructure as code |
| [coding-standards/uv-projects.instructions.md](coding-standards/uv-projects.instructions.md) | `**/*.py, **/*.ipynb` | Python virtual environments using uv |
### Documentation and Content
| File | Applies To | Purpose |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| [hve-core/markdown.instructions.md](hve-core/markdown.instructions.md) | `**/*.md` | Markdown formatting standards |
| [hve-core/writing-style.instructions.md](hve-core/writing-style.instructions.md) | `**/*.md` | Voice, tone, and language conventions |
| [hve-core/prompt-builder.instructions.md](hve-core/prompt-builder.instructions.md) | `**/*.prompt.md, **/*.agent.md, **/*.instructions.md` | Prompt engineering artifact authoring |
### Git and Workflow
| File | Applies To | Purpose |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| [hve-core/commit-message.instructions.md](hve-core/commit-message.instructions.md) | Commit actions | Conventional commit message format |
| [hve-core/git-merge.instructions.md](hve-core/git-merge.instructions.md) | Git operations | Merge, rebase, and conflict handling |
| [hve-core/pull-request.instructions.md](hve-core/pull-request.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/pr/**` | PR generation workflow with subagents |
| [pull-request.instructions.md](pull-request.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/pr/**` | Repo-specific PR conventions |
### Azure DevOps Integration
| File | Applies To | Purpose |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| [ado/ado-create-pull-request.instructions.md](ado/ado-create-pull-request.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/pr/new/**` | Pull request creation protocol |
| [ado/ado-get-build-info.instructions.md](ado/ado-get-build-info.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/pr/*-build-*.md` | Build status and log retrieval |
| [ado/ado-update-wit-items.instructions.md](ado/ado-update-wit-items.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/workitems/**/handoff-logs.md` | Work item creation and updates |
| [ado/ado-wit-discovery.instructions.md](ado/ado-wit-discovery.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/workitems/discovery/**` | Work item discovery protocol |
| [ado/ado-wit-planning.instructions.md](ado/ado-wit-planning.instructions.md) | `**/.copilot-tracking/workitems/**` | Work item planning specifications |
## XML-Style Blocks
Instructions use XML-style comment blocks for structured content:
* **Purpose**: Enables automated extraction, better navigation, and consistency
* **Format**: Kebab-case tags in HTML comments on their own lines
* **Examples**: `<!-- <example-bash> -->`, `<!-- <schema-config> -->`
* **Nesting**: Allowed with distinct tag names
* **Closing**: Always required with matching tag names
````markdown
<!-- <example-terraform> -->
```terraform
resource "azurerm_resource_group" "example" {
name = "example-rg"
location = "eastus"
}
```
<!-- </example-terraform> -->
````
## Creating New Instructions
Use the **prompt-builder** agent to create new instruction files:
1. Open Copilot Chat and select **prompt-builder** from the agent picker
2. Provide context (files, folders, or requirements)
3. Prompt Builder researches and drafts instructions
4. Auto-validates with Prompt Tester (up to 3 iterations)
5. Delivered to `.github/instructions/`
For manual creation, see [Contributing Instructions](../../docs/contributing/instructions.md).
## Directory Structure
```text
.github/instructions/
├── ado/ # Azure DevOps workflows
│ ├── ado-create-pull-request.instructions.md
│ ├── ado-get-build-info.instructions.md
│ ├── ado-update-wit-items.instructions.md
│ ├── ado-wit-discovery.instructions.md
│ └── ado-wit-planning.instructions.md
├── coding-standards/ # Language and technology conventions
│ ├── bash/
│ │ └── bash.instructions.md
│ ├── bicep/
│ │ └── bicep.instructions.md
│ ├── csharp/
│ │ ├── csharp.instructions.md
│ │ └── csharp-tests.instructions.md
│ ├── terraform/
│ │ └── terraform.instructions.md
│ ├── python-script.instructions.md
│ └── uv-projects.instructions.md
├── github/ # GitHub integration
│ ├── community-interaction.instructions.md
│ ├── github-backlog-discovery.instructions.md
│ ├── github-backlog-planning.instructions.md
│ ├── github-backlog-triage.instructions.md
│ └── github-backlog-update.instructions.md
├── hve-core/ # HVE Core workflow
│ ├── commit-message.instructions.md
│ ├── git-merge.instructions.md
│ ├── markdown.instructions.md
│ ├── prompt-builder.instructions.md
│ └── writing-style.instructions.md
├── shared/ # Cross-collection
│ └── hve-core-location.instructions.md
└── README.md
```
---
<!-- markdownlint-disable MD036 -->
*🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction,
then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.*
<!-- markdownlint-enable MD036 -->microsoft/hve-core
Publicmirrored fromhttps://github.com/microsoft/hve-coreAvailable
.github/instructions/README.md
149lines · modepreview