agent-customization

**WORKFLOW SKILL** — Create, update, review, fix, or debug VS Code agent customization files (.instructions.md, .prompt.md, .agent.md, SKILL.md, copilot-instructions.md, AGENTS.md). USE FOR: saving coding preferences; troubleshooting why instructions/skills/agents are ignored or not invoked; configuring applyTo patterns; defining tool restrictions; creating custom agent modes or specialized workflows; packaging domain knowledge; fixing YAML frontmatter syntax. DO NOT USE FOR: general coding questions (use default agent); runtime debugging or error diagnosis; MCP server configuration (use MCP docs directly); VS Code extension development. INVOKES: file system tools (read/write customization files), ask-questions tool (interview user for requirements), subagents for codebase exploration. FOR SINGLE OPERATIONS: For quick YAML frontmatter fixes or creating a single file from a known pattern, edit the file directly — no skill needed.

Jump to install

Repository: microsoft/vscode
Last source activity: April 22, 2026 at 18:48
Detected SKILL.md language: English
Stars: 188,467
Forks: 41,464

Install options

The review-first prompt is selected by default. You can switch to a direct command or download a local copy.

Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.

A direct command skips the review prompt. Inspect the source before running it.

npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/vscode --skill agent-customization

The command stays on one line. Scroll horizontally to inspect it before copying.

Prefer a local copy? Download the files currently available to SkillsMP.

Review the source files

Read SKILL.md and any companion files shown by SkillsMP before deciding whether to install.

File Explorer

7 files

SKILL.md

Source instructions · Read-only preview

Back to search Back to installation

sessions

Agents window architecture — covers the agents-first app, layering, folder structure, chat widget, menus, contributions, entry points, and development guidelines. Use when implementing features or fixing issues in the Agents window.

2026-08-07

integration-tests

Use when running integration tests in the VS Code repo. Covers scripts/test-integration.sh (macOS/Linux) and scripts/test-integration.bat (Windows), their supported arguments for filtering, and the difference between node.js integration tests and extension host tests.

2026-08-06

sweeper-fix

Fix a microsoft/vscode issue that the VS Code Sweeper reviewed as agent-fixable. Fetches the review's fix spec from the sweeper's public state repo, implements the narrow fix in the current vscode checkout, and — after showing the diff — opens a draft PR. Use when asked to fix a vscode issue with the sweeper-fix skill, a vscodesweeper record, or a sweeper fix spec.

2026-08-06

View all from this repository

name	agent-customization
user-invocable	false
description	WORKFLOW SKILL — Create, update, review, fix, or debug VS Code agent customization files (.instructions.md, .prompt.md, .agent.md, SKILL.md, copilot-instructions.md, AGENTS.md). USE FOR: saving coding preferences; troubleshooting why instructions/skills/agents are ignored or not invoked; configuring applyTo patterns; defining tool restrictions; creating custom agent modes or specialized workflows; packaging domain knowledge; fixing YAML frontmatter syntax. DO NOT USE FOR: general coding questions (use default agent); runtime debugging or error diagnosis; MCP server configuration (use MCP docs directly); VS Code extension development. INVOKES: file system tools (read/write customization files), ask-questions tool (interview user for requirements), subagents for codebase exploration. FOR SINGLE OPERATIONS: For quick YAML frontmatter fixes or creating a single file from a known pattern, edit the file directly — no skill needed.