---
title: Customizing HVE Core
description: Overview of customization approaches from lightweight settings to full fork-and-extend, with role-based entry points
author: Microsoft
ms.date: 2026-03-10
ms.topic: overview
keywords:
- customization
- github copilot
- hve-core
- configuration
estimated_reading_time: 5
---
## Before You Customize
Your installation method determines which customization options are available.
| Customization Level | Extension Only | Installer Skill (Clone) | Direct Clone |
|---------------------------|:--------------:|:-----------------------:|:------------:|
| VS Code Settings | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| copilot-instructions.md | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| .instructions.md files | ✅ (your repo) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Agent bundle selection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Modify agents | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Modify prompts and skills | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Build system changes | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Fork and extend | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
The [HVE Core extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core) installs the flagship RPI workflow and core artifacts. For the complete library across all collections, use the [HVE Core - All extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core-all).
For MCP auto-configuration, installation method guidance, or agent bundle selection, install the [HVE Core Installer](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-installer) extension and ask any agent \"help me customize hve-core installation\".
For full artifact modification, use a [clone-based installation method](../getting-started/methods/).
## Customization Spectrum
HVE Core supports a range of customization depths. Start with the lightest option that meets your needs, then move deeper when the situation demands it.
```mermaid
graph LR
A["VS Code Settings"] --> B["Instructions"]
B --> C["Agents & Prompts"]
C --> D["Skills"]
D --> E["Collections"]
E --> F["Build System"]
F --> G["Fork & Extend"]
style A fill:#e8f5e9
style B fill:#c8e6c9
style C fill:#a5d6a7
style D fill:#81c784
style E fill:#66bb6a
style F fill:#4caf50
style G fill:#388e3c
```
| Approach | Description |
|--------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| VS Code Settings | Individual preferences like font size, theme, and editor behavior. No files to create or share. |
| Instructions | Configure Copilot behavior through `.github/copilot-instructions.md` and `.instructions.md` files. Lowest effort with highest return for shaping AI output. |
| Agents and Prompts | Specialized workflows: agents for multi-turn interactions, prompts for single-shot tasks. Both accept tool restrictions and delegation rules. |
| Skills | Domain knowledge in self-contained bundles with optional scripts. Use when instruction files alone cannot capture the depth of a domain. |
| Collections | Bundle agents, prompts, instructions, and skills into distributable packages for team or organization adoption. |
| Build System | Validation scripts, schema checks, and plugin generation pipelines. |
| Fork and Extend | Full control over every artifact. Fork the repository when your changes diverge significantly from upstream. |
## Choose Your Approach
| Goal | Approach | Files Involved | Difficulty |
|--------------------------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------|
| Set coding standards for Copilot | Instructions | `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `.instructions.md` | Low |
| Create a reusable workflow | Prompt | `.github/prompts/{collection}/name.prompt.md` | Low |
| Build a specialized Copilot assistant | Agent | `.github/agents/{collection}/name.agent.md` | Medium |
| Package domain expertise | Skill | `.github/skills/{collection}/{skill}/SKILL.md` | Medium |
| Share curated bundles across teams | Collection | `collections/*.collection.yml` | Medium |
| Add custom validation or plugin generation | Build System | `scripts/`, `package.json` | High |
| Diverge from upstream entirely | Fork and Extend | Full repository | High |
## Authoring with Prompt Builder
The [Prompt Builder](pathname://../../.github/agents/hve-core/prompt-builder.agent.md) agent streamlines creation, evaluation, and refinement of all artifact types. Three commands cover the full authoring workflow:
| Command | Purpose |
|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| `/prompt-build` | Create new artifacts or improve existing ones |
| `/prompt-analyze` | Evaluate quality and produce a structured assessment report |
| `/prompt-refactor` | Consolidate, deduplicate, or restructure related artifact files |
Each artifact guide below includes an "Accelerating with Prompt Builder" section with type-specific examples and sample invocations.
## Role-Based Entry Points
Each HVE role benefits from different customization techniques. The table below maps the nine roles to the guides most relevant to their workflow.
| Role | Recommended Guides | Rationale |
|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Engineer | [Instructions](instructions.md), [Agents](custom-agents.md) | Coding standards and specialized review agents accelerate daily development |
| TPM | [Prompts](prompts.md), [Collections](collections.md) | Reusable planning prompts and curated bundles standardize project workflows |
| Tech Lead / Architect | [Instructions](instructions.md), [Agents](custom-agents.md), [Skills](skills.md) | Standards enforcement, architecture review agents, and deep domain knowledge |
| Security Architect | [Skills](skills.md), [Instructions](instructions.md) | Compliance knowledge packages and security-focused coding conventions |
| Data Scientist | [Skills](skills.md), [Prompts](prompts.md) | Analytical domain bundles and repeatable notebook workflows |
| SRE / Operations | [Instructions](instructions.md), [Environment](environment.md) | Infrastructure conventions and DevContainer tuning |
| Business Program Manager | [Prompts](prompts.md), [Team Adoption](team-adoption.md) | Sprint-planning prompts and governance patterns for stakeholder alignment |
| New Contributor | [Instructions](instructions.md), [Environment](environment.md) | Quick onboarding through conventions and a ready-to-use development environment |
| Utility | [Collections](collections.md), [Build System](build-system.md) | Cross-cutting tooling assembly and validation pipeline customization |
## File Index
1. [Customizing with Instructions](instructions.md): Configure Copilot with `copilot-instructions.md` and instruction files
2. [Creating Custom Agents](custom-agents.md): Build specialized agents with tool restrictions and subagent delegation
3. [Creating Custom Prompts](prompts.md): Author reusable prompt templates with variables
4. [Authoring Custom Skills](skills.md): Create domain knowledge packages
5. [Managing Collections](collections.md): Bundle artifacts into distributable packages
6. [Build System and Validation](build-system.md): Plugin generation, schema validation, npm scripts
7. [Forking and Extending](forking.md): Full fork-and-extend customization
8. [Environment Customization](environment.md): DevContainers, VS Code settings, MCP servers
9. [Team Adoption and Governance](team-adoption.md): Governance, naming, onboarding, change management
## Related Resources
* [Contributing Guides](../contributing/): Detailed syntax references and contribution standards for each artifact type
* [Getting Started](../getting-started/): Installation and first workflow guides
* [Architecture](../architecture/): Technical architecture overview and design decisions
<!-- 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
docs/customization/README.md
127lines · modepreview