Support for different types of custom instructions

This reference article provides details of which types of custom instructions are supported in various environments. For more information about the various types of custom instructions for GitHub Copilot, see Anleitung zum Anpassen von GitHub Copilot-Antworten.

GitHub.com

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Personal instructions. Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Organization instructions.
Copilot-Programmier-Agent	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md` or `GEMINI.md` files). Organization instructions.
Copilot Code Review	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Organization instructions.

Visual Studio Code

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using an `AGENTS.md` file).
Copilot-Programmier-Agent	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md` or `GEMINI.md` files).
Copilot Code Review	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file).

Visual Studio

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files).
Copilot Code Review	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file).

JetBrains IDEs

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files).
Copilot-Programmier-Agent	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md` or `GEMINI.md` files).
Copilot Code Review	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files).

Eclipse

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file).
Copilot-Programmier-Agent	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md` or `GEMINI.md` files).
Copilot Code Review	Custom instructions are currently not supported.

Xcode

Copilot feature	Types of custom instructions supported
Copilot-Chat	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files).
Copilot-Programmier-Agent	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files). Agent instructions (using `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md` or `GEMINI.md` files).
Copilot Code Review	Repository-wide instructions (using the `.github/copilot-instructions.md` file). Path-specific instructions (using `.github/instructions/*/.instructions.md` files).

Copilot-CLI

Repository-wide instructions (using the .github/copilot-instructions.md file).
Path-specific instructions (using .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md files).
Agent instructions (using an AGENTS.md file).