suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions Skill (awesome-copilot) for Copilot

Suggests Copilot instruction files from awesome-copilot that your repo lacks, and flags local ones that are outdated.

Installs: 8.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 40.7K; on GitHub
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

This skill reviews your repository and chat history, then compares your .github/instructions/ folder with the awesome-copilot catalog. It returns a table of instruction files you do not have and marks local files that are outdated.

It installs or updates files only after you ask. It is written for GitHub Copilot Chat tools such as #fetch and githubRepo. It bundles no scripts and the SKILL.md names no API key.

Good for

GitHub Copilot users who want community instruction files for their stack
Teams keeping .github/instructions/ files in sync with awesome-copilot
Maintainers who want a table of what is installed, missing or outdated

Install suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions

Copilot CLI

Copy this prompt.

Install the suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions skill in Copilot CLI. Run this command:

copilot plugin install awesome-copilot@awesome-copilot

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Copilot CLI. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Pick one route. The Copilot plugin route installs the awesome-copilot plugin: 3 skills, the Meta Agentic Project Scaffold agent, and an MCP server started with docker run (Docker must be installed). The skills CLI route installs only this skill. The SKILL.md is written around Copilot Chat tools (#fetch, githubRepo, #runInTerminal, #todos), so this page offers only these two routes. If Copilot CLI reports an unknown marketplace, the awesome-copilot README says to run copilot plugin marketplace add github/awesome-copilot first.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Suggest relevant GitHub Copilot instruction files from the awesome-copilot repository based on current repository context and chat history, avoiding duplicates with existing instructions in this repository, and identifying outdated instructions that need updates.

Sections in SKILL.md

Process
Context Analysis Criteria
Output Format
Local Instructions Discovery Process
Version Comparison Process
File Structure Requirements
Front Matter Structure
Requirements
Icons Reference
Update Handling

Key facts

Author: Awesome Copilot Community (listed as the plugin author)
License: MIT
Installs on skills.sh: 8,757 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 40,666 for the whole github/awesome-copilot repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Oct 30, 2026
Audits on skills.sh: Gen Agent Trust Hub: fail, Socket: pass, Snyk: pass
What it includes: 1 file including SKILL.md
Part of: Copilot plugin awesome-copilot: 3 skills, 1 agent and an MCP server that needs Docker
Written for: GitHub Copilot Chat: the SKILL.md uses #fetch, githubRepo, #runInTerminal and #todos

What it includes

Reads awesome-copilot's docs/README.instructions.md with the #fetch tool.
This is the catalog of community instruction files.
Network · Fetch the instruction list
Lists *.instructions.md files in .github/instructions/ and reads their front matter.
It records each file's description and applyTo patterns to avoid duplicates.
Files · Scan local instructions
Fetches each local file's awesome-copilot version and flags outdated ones.
Uses raw.githubusercontent.com/github/awesome-copilot/main/instructions/<filename> and compares whole files, including front matter.
Network · Compare with remote versions
A table: instruction, description, installed status, similar local file, rationale.
Status icons: installed and current, installed but outdated, or not installed.
Suggestion table
After you ask, saves new files to .github/instructions/ and replaces outdated ones.
The SKILL.md says not to install or update unless you direct it, and not to change the file content. It may use curl in the terminal to get the full content.
Runs code · Download or update

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

After you approve, it downloads instruction files from GitHub and writes over local ones. Commit your own edits first and read each downloaded file.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It overwrites local instruction files on update
When you ask for an update, it replaces the whole local file with the awesome-copilot version. Commit your own edits first. github.com
It may use curl in the terminal
Step 12 allows curl through #runInTerminal so all content is retrieved. Downloaded instructions steer Copilot, so read them. github.com
The plugin adds an agent and a Docker MCP server
The awesome-copilot plugin lists an agent with tools such as runCommands and edit/editFiles, and an mcp.json that runs a ghcr.io Docker image. Skip the plugin route if you want only this skill. github.com

Technical details

Turning on read-only	Suggestions come first. Installing or updating files starts only when you ask for it.
Talks to	github.com/github/awesome-copilot (docs and instruction files). raw.githubusercontent.com. ghcr.io/microsoft/mcp-dotnet-samples/awesome-copilot (the plugin's Docker image)
Scopes	Reads .github/instructions/ and your repository for context Downloads files from github.com and raw.githubusercontent.com Writes and overwrites files in .github/instructions/ when you ask

Questions

What does suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions do?

It looks at your repository and chat history, compares your .github/instructions/ files with the community catalog in awesome-copilot, and returns a table of instruction files you do not have yet. It also flags local files that differ from the current awesome-copilot version.

Will it install files without asking?

No. The SKILL.md says to wait for your request: "DO NOT INSTALL OR UPDATE UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO." When you ask, it downloads new files into .github/instructions/ or replaces outdated ones with the latest version, without editing their content.

How do I install it?

Use the install box above. In Copilot CLI the awesome-copilot plugin adds this skill together with two sibling suggest-awesome skills for agents and skills, a Meta Agentic Project Scaffold agent and an MCP server that runs through Docker. The skills CLI installs only this skill.

Does it work in Claude Code?

It is written for GitHub Copilot Chat. The SKILL.md names the #fetch, githubRepo, #runInTerminal and #todos tools, and it works on Copilot's .github/instructions/ files. It names no other client, so the install box offers only the Copilot plugin and the skills CLI.

Is it safe?

It bundles no scripts. It fetches files from github.com and raw.githubusercontent.com, and after your go-ahead it writes or overwrites files in .github/instructions/. Use version control so you can undo an update, and read a downloaded instruction file before relying on it.

What does the awesome-copilot plugin add besides this skill?

Its plugin.json lists three skills (suggest-awesome-github-copilot-agents, -instructions and -skills) and the meta-agentic-project-scaffold agent. The plugin README also says it ships an awesome-copilot MCP server run with Docker, so Docker must be installed.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: github/awesome-copilot
Folder: skills/suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions

github/awesome-copilot skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 6

suggest-awesome-github-copilot-instructions SKILL.md · github.com
plugin.json · github.com
awesome-copilot plugin README · github.com
awesome-copilot README · github.com
mcp.json · github.com
meta-agentic-project-scaffold.agent.md · github.com