Neura Market
docs.github.com logo

docs.github.com

Free

Customize Copilot with specialized skills

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Company
GitHub
Visit Website GitHub (40 stars)

About docs.github.com

Agent skills are folders of instructions, scripts, and resources that Copilot can load when relevant to improve its performance in specialized tasks. The Agent Skills specification is an open standard used by a range of AI systems. Skills can be created by users or shared online, for example in the anthropics/skills repository or GitHub's community-created github/awesome-copilot collection. Copilot supports project skills stored in a repository (.github/skills, .claude/skills, or .agents/skills) and personal skills stored in the home directory (~/.copilot/skills or ~/.agents/skills). Agent skills work with Copilot cloud agent, Copilot code review, the GitHub Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot app, and agent mode in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.

Key Features

Open standard specification for agent skills
Support for project skills stored in repository directories (.github/skills, .claude/skills, .agents/skills)
Support for personal skills stored in home directory (~/.copilot/skills, ~/.agents/skills)
Works with Copilot cloud agent, code review, CLI, app, and agent mode in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs
Community-shared skills available from repositories like anthropics/skills and github/awesome-copilot
Ability to create custom skills for specific, repeatable tasks

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Open standard allows interoperability with different AI systems
  • Project skills are version-controlled within repositories
  • Works across multiple Copilot environments (CLI, IDE, cloud agent, app)
  • Community repositories provide ready-to-use skills

Best For

Specialized task automation with CopilotCustomizing Copilot behavior for specific project workflowsSharing reusable skills across teams or the communityEnhancing Copilot in DevOps pipelines via CLI and cloud agent

FAQ

What are agent skills for GitHub Copilot?
Agent skills are folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Copilot can load to improve its performance in specialized tasks.
Where can agent skills be stored?
Skills can be stored as project skills in repository directories (.github/skills, .claude/skills, or .agents/skills) or as personal skills in the user's home directory (~/.copilot/skills or ~/.agents/skills).
Which Copilot interfaces support agent skills?
Agent skills work with Copilot cloud agent, Copilot code review, the GitHub Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot app, and agent mode in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.
Can I use community-created agent skills?
Yes, you can use skills shared online, for example in the anthropics/skills repository or GitHub's community-created github/awesome-copilot collection. You can also use 'gh skill' in GitHub CLI to discover and install skills.