endorsment/.github/skills

GitHub Copilot Agent Skills

This directory contains project-specific skills for GitHub Copilot agents. Skills help Copilot perform specialized tasks in a consistent, repeatable way.

About Agent Skills

Agent Skills are folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Copilot can load when relevant to improve its performance. They work with:

• Copilot coding agent
• GitHub Copilot CLI
• Visual Studio Code agent mode

Directory Structure

Each skill should be in its own subdirectory with the following structure:

.github/skills/
├── skill-name/
│   ├── SKILL.md          # Required: Skill instructions with YAML frontmatter
│   ├── scripts/          # Optional: Helper scripts
│   └── examples/         # Optional: Example files or templates
└── another-skill/
    └── SKILL.md

Creating a New Skill

1. Create a directory for your skill with a lowercase, hyphenated name:

   .github/skills/your-skill-name/
   

2. Create a SKILL.md file with:

   • YAML frontmatter containing:
     • name (required): Unique identifier (lowercase, hyphenated)
     • description (required): When and why to use this skill
     • license (optional): Skill license information
   • Markdown body with detailed instructions, examples, and guidelines

3. Add resources (optional):

   • Scripts, templates, or other files Copilot might need
   • Store them in the same skill directory

SKILL.md Template

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of what this skill does and when to use it
license: MIT
---

# Skill Name

Detailed instructions for Copilot to follow when using this skill.

## When to Use

Describe the scenarios where this skill should be applied.

## Instructions

1. Step-by-step guidance
2. Include specific commands or tools to use
3. Provide examples and best practices

Example Skills

Check the example-skill/ directory for a complete skill template.

How Copilot Uses Skills

When you interact with Copilot:

1. Copilot analyzes your prompt and context
2. It decides which skills are relevant based on skill descriptions
3. It loads the relevant SKILL.md files into its context
4. It follows the instructions and uses any included resources

Skills vs Custom Instructions

• Skills: Detailed, task-specific instructions loaded when relevant (e.g., debugging workflows, testing patterns)
• Custom Instructions: Simple, always-active guidelines for your repository (e.g., coding standards, conventions)

Resources

• Agent Skills Documentation
• Agent Skills Standard
• Example Skills Repository
• Awesome Copilot Collection