init

name	init
description	Generate or update workspace instructions file for AI coding agents
argument-hint	Optionally specify a focus area or pattern to document for agents
disable-model-invocation	true

Related skill: agent-customization. Load and follow workspace-instructions.md for template, principles, and anti-patterns.

Bootstrap workspace instructions (.github/copilot-instructions.md or AGENTS.md if already present).

Workflow

1. Discover existing conventions Search: **/{.github/copilot-instructions.md,AGENT.md,AGENTS.md,CLAUDE.md,.cursorrules,.windsurfrules,.clinerules,.cursor/rules/**,.windsurf/rules/**,.clinerules/**,README.md}

2. Explore the codebase via subagent, 1-3 in parallel if needed Find essential knowledge that helps an AI agent be immediately productive:

   • Build/test commands (agents run these automatically)
   • Architecture decisions and component boundaries
   • Project-specific conventions that differ from common practices
   • Potential pitfalls or common development environment issues
   • Key files/directories that exemplify patterns

   Also inventory existing documentation (docs/**/*.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, etc.) to identify topics that should be linked, not duplicated.

3. Generate or merge

   • New file: Use template from workspace-instructions.md, include only relevant sections
   • Existing file: Preserve valuable content, update outdated sections, remove duplication
   • Follow the Link, don't embed principle from workspace-instructions.md

4. Iterate

   • Ask for feedback on unclear or incomplete sections
   • If the workspace is complex, suggest applyTo-based instructions for specific areas (e.g., frontend, backend, tests)

Once finalized, suggest example prompts to see it in action, and propose related agent-customizations to create next (/create-(agent|hook|instruction|prompt|skill) …), explaining the customization and how it would be used in practice.