| name | sync-agents |
| description | Synchronize AGENTS.md content into all detected AI coding agent configurations. AGENTS.md is the universal source of truth — read natively by GitHub Copilot (Aug 2025+), OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and VS Code. Falls back to .github/copilot-instructions.md for repos that have not migrated yet. Use when asked to mirror AGENTS.md or .github/copilot-instructions.md into Claude, Cursor, Gemini, Windsurf, and related tooling. |
Sync Agent Instructions, Agents, and Skills
Mirror all GitHub Copilot customizations — instructions, custom agents, and agent skills —
into every detected AI coding agent configuration found in this repository.
This skill supports 12 agent ecosystems. Rather than creating files for every
agent unconditionally, it detects which agents are already configured in the repo and
syncs only those.
Source locations:
AGENTS.md — global instructions (primary source of truth).github/copilot-instructions.md — global instructions (fallback for repos not yet using AGENTS.md).github/instructions/*.instructions.md — path-scoped instructions.github/agents/*.agent.md — custom agent profiles.github/skills/<name>/SKILL.md — agent skills (open standard)
Your Task
Execute the following steps in order, creating or overwriting files as needed.
Never delete AGENTS.md or anything inside .github/.
Step 1 — Read the source of truth
Read AGENTS.md at the repo root and store its full content as the source of truth.
If AGENTS.md is not found, fall back to .github/copilot-instructions.md. If neither exists, stop and tell the user:
"No source file found. Create AGENTS.md at the repo root with your project instructions, then re-run /sync-agents."
Note which source file was used — it will be referenced in sync headers and reports.
Also scan and store the contents of:
.github/instructions/ — any *.instructions.md files. For each, record the filename, applyTo frontmatter glob (if present), and body content..github/agents/ — any *.agent.md files. For each, record the full filename, the complete YAML frontmatter block (name, description, model, tools, handoffs, etc.), and the body prompt..github/skills/ — any subdirectory containing a SKILL.md file. For each skill, record the directory name, the complete SKILL.md frontmatter (name, description, user-invokable, disable-model-invocation, etc.), the body content, and note any additional bundled asset files (scripts, examples, references) present in that directory.- Nested
AGENTS.md files — any AGENTS.md file found outside the repo root and outside .github/. For each, record its relative directory path (e.g., docs/, src/) and full content. These are directory-scoped sources of truth and will be synced to matching per-directory tool config files in Step 3.
Step 2 — Detect active agents
Scan the repository root for the presence of the following files and directories.
For each one found, mark that agent as active and include it in subsequent sync steps.
Do not create directories or files for agents that are not already present.
| Agent | Detection Signal(s) | Category |
|---|
| Claude Code | CLAUDE.md at repo root or .claude/ directory | Full sync |
| Gemini CLI | GEMINI.md at repo root or .gemini/ directory | Full sync |
| OpenAI Codex | .agents/ directory | Full sync — Note: AGENTS.md is the source of truth for Codex instructions; no instructions sync needed. Detect only if .agents/ directory is explicitly present. |
| OpenCode | .opencode/ directory or .opencode.json | Full sync |
| Cursor | .cursor/ directory or .cursorrules file | Full sync |
| Windsurf | .windsurf/ directory or .windsurfrules file | Full sync |
| Cline | .clinerules file or .clinerules/ directory | Full sync |
| Roo Code | .roo/ directory or .roorules file | Full sync |
| Kilo Code | .kilocode/ directory | Full sync |
| JetBrains Junie | .junie/ directory | Full sync |
| Zed | .rules file at repo root | Instructions only |
| Augment Code | .augment/ directory | Full sync |
If no agents are detected, offer the user a choice:
"No agent configuration directories or files were detected in this repository. You have two options:
Option A — Create AGENTS.md (recommended for new repos): AGENTS.md is now read by GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and VS Code. Creating this file gives you broad multi-tool coverage from a single file. Confirm to create AGENTS.md now and sync your Copilot instructions into it.
Option B — Initialize a specific agent: Create the config signal for the tool you use (e.g., CLAUDE.md for Claude Code, .cursor/ for Cursor) and re-run /sync-agents."
If the user confirms Option A, create AGENTS.md at the repo root with a sync header and the full content of the source file from Step 1 (.github/copilot-instructions.md), then skip to Step 6 and report completion. Note: once AGENTS.md is created, future runs will use it as the source of truth.
List the detected agents before proceeding:
🔍 Detected agents: <comma-separated list of detected agent names>
Skipping (not detected): <comma-separated list of undetected agent names>
Step 3 — Sync instructions to detected agents
For each agent marked as active in Step 2, sync the global instructions and any
path-scoped instructions using the agent-specific format described below.
Every synced file must include a sync header (as a comment appropriate to the format)
indicating:
- The file is auto-synced and should not be edited directly
- The source of truth path (
AGENTS.md or the specific instructions file)
- How to re-sync (
/sync-agents)
3A — Claude Code
Global instructions → CLAUDE.md
Create or overwrite CLAUDE.md at the repo root:
<!--
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ AUTO-SYNCED — DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE DIRECTLY ║
║ Source of truth: AGENTS.md ║
║ To update: run /sync-agents ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-->
# Claude Code Instructions
> **Source of truth:** [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md)
>
> This file is automatically generated by the `/sync-agents` command.
> To propagate changes, update `AGENTS.md` and re-run that command.
---
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Important: When inserting the content of AGENTS.md, ensure you completely overwrite the existing file content. Do not append the content to the existing file, as this will cause duplication.
Path-scoped instructions → .claude/instructions/
If path-specific .github/instructions/*.instructions.md files exist, create matching
files in .claude/instructions/ with a sync header comment. Strip the applyTo frontmatter
(Claude Code does not use it) but preserve it as a markdown comment for context.
Nested AGENTS.md → <dir>/CLAUDE.md
For each nested AGENTS.md found in Step 1 (e.g., docs/AGENTS.md), create a matching
CLAUDE.md in the same directory. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md files at each directory
level, so this provides directory-scoped context when working inside that subtree.
<!--
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ AUTO-SYNCED — DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE DIRECTLY ║
║ Source of truth: <dir>/AGENTS.md ║
║ To update: run /sync-agents ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-->
# Claude Code Instructions
> **Source of truth:** [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md)
>
> This file is automatically generated by the `/sync-agents` command.
> To propagate changes, update `AGENTS.md` and re-run that command.
---
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF <dir>/AGENTS.md HERE]
3B — Gemini CLI
Global instructions → GEMINI.md
Gemini CLI supports @path/to/file.md import syntax for dynamic loading at runtime.
<!--
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SOURCE OF TRUTH: AGENTS.md ║
║ This file uses Gemini CLI's native @import syntax so it ║
║ always loads the latest instructions at runtime. ║
║ Run /sync-agents to update path-specific files. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-->
# Gemini CLI Instructions
> **Source of truth:** `AGENTS.md`
> This file dynamically imports from `AGENTS.md` using Gemini's
> `@file` syntax. Any edits to `AGENTS.md` are reflected
> here automatically — no manual sync required.
@AGENTS.md
Path-scoped instructions: Append additional @ imports, one per line. If any have
applyTo targeting a subdirectory, create matching GEMINI.md files in those directories
using the same @ import syntax pointing back to .github/instructions/.
Nested AGENTS.md → <dir>/GEMINI.md
For each nested AGENTS.md found in Step 1, create a matching GEMINI.md in the same
directory using Gemini's native @import syntax:
<!--
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SOURCE OF TRUTH: <dir>/AGENTS.md ║
║ This file uses Gemini CLI's native @import syntax so it ║
║ always loads the latest instructions at runtime. ║
║ Run /sync-agents to update path-specific files. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-->
@AGENTS.md
3C — AGENTS.md (Universal)
AGENTS.md is the source of truth — no sync needed.
AGENTS.md is read natively by GitHub Copilot (Aug 2025+), OpenAI Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and VS Code. Because it is the source of truth, no copy is written here. All other sync steps distribute FROM this file.
Path-scoped instructions: For each .github/instructions/*.instructions.md with an
applyTo targeting a subdirectory, create a corresponding AGENTS.md inside that subdirectory.
Codex reads one AGENTS.md per directory level and merges top-down.
Important: Do not overwrite any nested AGENTS.md that was found in Step 1 as a
hand-authored source. If a nested AGENTS.md already exists in a target directory, it is
the source of truth for that directory — skip creating or overwriting it here.
Skip to Step 3D.
3D — OpenCode
OpenCode reads AGENTS.md at the repo root directly. Since AGENTS.md is the source of truth, no additional sync step is needed — OpenCode picks it up automatically.
Custom commands: If .github/skills/ contains skills, optionally create matching
.opencode/commands/<skill-name>.md files containing the skill's body content as a
reusable prompt. Prepend each with a sync header comment.
3E — Cursor
Global instructions → .cursor/rules/global-instructions.mdc
Cursor uses .mdc files (Markdown with YAML frontmatter) in .cursor/rules/.
---
# AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly
# Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents
description: "Global project instructions synced from GitHub Copilot"
alwaysApply: true
---
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .cursor/rules/<name>.mdc
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create .cursor/rules/<name>.mdc:
- Set
description from the filename or first heading
- Set
globs from the applyTo frontmatter value (if present)
- Set
alwaysApply: false (the glob handles activation)
- Write the body content after the frontmatter
3F — Windsurf
Global instructions → .windsurf/rules/global-instructions.md
Windsurf uses plain Markdown files in .windsurf/rules/.
<!-- AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents -->
# Global Project Instructions
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .windsurf/rules/<name>.md
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create a matching .md file
with sync header and body content.
3G — Cline
Global instructions → .clinerules/global-instructions.md
Cline reads Markdown files from the .clinerules/ directory. If only a .clinerules file
(not directory) exists, convert it to a directory first by moving the existing file to
.clinerules/_original.md, then proceed.
<!-- AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents -->
# Global Project Instructions
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .clinerules/<name>.md
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create a matching .md file.
3H — Roo Code
Global instructions → .roo/rules/global-instructions.md
Roo Code reads .md files recursively from .roo/rules/ in alphabetical order.
<!-- AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents -->
# Global Project Instructions
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .roo/rules/<name>.md
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create a matching .md file.
3I — Kilo Code
Global instructions → .kilocode/rules/global-instructions.md
Kilo Code reads Markdown files from .kilocode/rules/.
<!-- AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents -->
# Global Project Instructions
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .kilocode/rules/<name>.md
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create a matching .md file.
3J — JetBrains Junie
All instructions → .junie/guidelines.md
Junie uses a single guidelines.md file. Concatenate all instructions into one file.
<!-- AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents -->
# Project Guidelines
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
---
<!-- Path-scoped instructions follow (if any) -->
[FOR EACH .github/instructions/*.instructions.md, INSERT:]
## [filename context / applyTo info]
[body content]
Since Junie only reads a single file, all path-scoped instructions are appended to the
same file with clear section headers.
3K — Zed
Global instructions → .rules
Zed reads a .rules file at the project root. It is plain text (no frontmatter).
# AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly
# Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Zed also auto-detects .cursorrules, .windsurfrules, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, and
GEMINI.md — so if those files were written by earlier steps, Zed gets additional coverage
automatically.
Path-scoped instructions are not supported by Zed's .rules format. If path-scoped
instructions exist, append a note:
# NOTE: Path-scoped instructions exist in .github/instructions/ but cannot be
# represented in Zed's .rules format. See those files for directory-specific guidance.
3L — Augment Code
Global instructions → .augment/rules/global-instructions.md
Augment Code uses Markdown files with optional YAML frontmatter in .augment/rules/.
---
# AUTO-SYNCED from AGENTS.md — do not edit directly
# Source of truth: AGENTS.md | Re-sync: /sync-agents
always_apply: true
---
# Global Project Instructions
[INSERT FULL CONTENT OF AGENTS.md HERE]
Path-scoped instructions → .augment/rules/<name>.md
For each .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md, create .augment/rules/<name>.md:
- Set
always_apply: false and agent_requested: true in the YAML frontmatter
- Include a
description derived from the filename or applyTo value
- Write the body content after the frontmatter
Step 3M — Model normalization policy (all targets)
Apply a single normalization policy for model fields across all detected targets.
For each detected target, determine whether the synced artifact format supports an explicit
agent/profile model field:
- Supports explicit model field in this sync flow: Claude Code (
.claude/agents/*.md)
- Does not support agent profile model fields in this sync flow:
Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code,
JetBrains Junie, Zed, Augment Code
When a target supports an explicit model field, normalize source model values to that
target's default family map before writing files.
Default target map (current):
| Target | Keep-as-is patterns | Rewrite patterns | Default fallback |
|---|
| Claude Code | claude-*, sonnet, haiku, opus | gpt-*, o*, codex-*, gemini-* | sonnet |
Normalization rules:
- If model is target-native, keep unchanged.
- If model is non-native but recognized, rewrite to target default mapped value.
- If model is missing, inject target default mapped value.
- If model is present but unrecognized, rewrite to target default and preserve provenance with a comment.
For targets that do not support agent profile models in this sync flow, do not inject
synthetic model fields. Record each one as not applicable in Step 6 reporting.
Step 4 — Sync custom agents (where supported)
Custom agent profiles (.github/agents/*.agent.md) can only be synced to agents
that support sub-agent profiles. Currently, only Claude Code supports this.
If Claude Code is active:
For each .github/agents/<name>.agent.md:
- Create
.claude/agents/<name>.md (drop the .agent infix)
- Copy YAML frontmatter and body, and apply Step 3M model normalization policy using the Claude target map.
- Write the frontmatter, adding these YAML comments after
---:
# AUTO-SYNCED from .github/agents/<name>.agent.md — do not edit directly
Source of truth: .github/agents/ | Re-sync: /sync-agents
4. Write the body prompt verbatim after the closing `---`
**Model normalization rules (Copilot → Claude):**
- If `model` is already Claude-native (starts with `claude-`, or is `sonnet`, `haiku`, or `opus`), keep it unchanged.
- If `model` is Copilot/OpenAI/Gemini specific (examples: `gpt-5`, `gpt-5.3-codex`, `o3`, `o4-mini`, `gpt-4.1`, `gemini-*`, `codex-*`), rewrite it to `sonnet`.
- If `model` is missing, add `model: sonnet` in the synced `.claude/agents/<name>.md` frontmatter.
- If `model` is present but unrecognized, rewrite to `sonnet` and add a YAML comment directly above it:
```yaml
# Normalized by /sync-agents from unsupported source model: <original-model>
model: sonnet
Default map reference:
| Source model family | Synced Claude model |
|---|
claude-*, sonnet, haiku, opus | Keep as-is |
gpt-*, o*, codex-*, gemini-* | sonnet |
| Missing/unknown | sonnet |
All other agents: No sub-agent profile concept exists. Skip agent syncing.
Step 5 — Sync agent skills (where supported)
Agent Skills use an open standard (SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter). Only tools with
a documented skill/command path receive synced copies.
| Tool | Skills path | Supported? |
|---|
| GitHub Copilot (source) | .github/skills/<name>/SKILL.md | ✅ Source |
| Claude Code | .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md | ✅ If detected |
| OpenCode | .opencode/commands/<name>.md | ✅ Via Step 3D |
| OpenAI Codex | — | ❌ No skills concept |
| All others | — | ❌ No skills concept |
For each .github/skills/<skill-name>/ directory:
If Claude Code is active:
- Create
.claude/skills/<skill-name>/ directory
- Write
SKILL.md verbatim with a YAML sync comment
- Copy any bundled asset files as-is
Important: When writing SKILL.md, ensure you completely overwrite the existing file content. Do not append the content to the existing file, as this will cause duplication.
OpenCode custom commands are handled in Step 3D. No additional action needed here.
Important — name field constraint: The name field in SKILL.md frontmatter must
exactly match the parent directory name. Do not rename directories or alter the field.
Gemini CLI (if active): Append a note to GEMINI.md:
<!-- NOTE: Agent Skills are not supported by Gemini CLI. -->
<!-- Skills available in this repo: <comma-separated skill names> -->
<!-- See .github/skills/ for skill definitions usable by Copilot, Claude, and Codex. -->
All others: No skills concept. Skip.
Step 6 — Verify and report
After writing all files, list every file created or updated, grouped by agent:
✅ Sync complete.
🔍 Detected agents: <list>
📁 Source of truth: AGENTS.md (agents and skills from .github/)
📂 Nested AGENTS.md found: <list of relative paths, or "none">
Files written:
[Agent Name]
- <file path> (<description>)
...
[Agent Name]
- <file path> (<description>)
...
Nested directory syncs:
- <dir>/CLAUDE.md (synced from <dir>/AGENTS.md)
- <dir>/GEMINI.md (synced from <dir>/AGENTS.md)
...
SKIPPED (not detected in repo):
- <agent name>: <detection signal not found>
...
To keep all agents in sync, run /sync-agents after any update to AGENTS.md or .github/.
Also note:
💡 AGENTS.md is the source of truth: GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, OpenCode,
Cursor, Gemini CLI, and VS Code read it natively — no sync needed for those tools.
All other tools above received synced copies.
Also include a model normalization subsection:
🧠 Model normalization:
Applied:
- Claude Code: <N> agent file(s) normalized using target map
Not applicable (no agent profile model field in this sync flow):
- Gemini CLI
- OpenAI Codex
- OpenCode
- Cursor
- Windsurf
- Cline
- Roo Code
- Kilo Code
- JetBrains Junie
- Zed
- Augment Code
Sync Coverage Reference
Instructions
| Agent | Primary File | Format | Sync Method |
|---|
| GitHub Copilot | AGENTS.md (read natively) | Markdown | Source of truth (no sync needed) |
| Claude Code | CLAUDE.md | Markdown | Full copy |
| Claude Code | <dir>/CLAUDE.md | Markdown | Full copy (per nested AGENTS.md) |
| Gemini CLI | GEMINI.md | Markdown + @imports | Live import |
| Gemini CLI | <dir>/GEMINI.md | Markdown + @imports | Live import (per nested AGENTS.md) |
| OpenAI Codex | AGENTS.md (read natively) | Markdown | Source of truth (no sync needed) |
| OpenAI Codex | <dir>/AGENTS.md (read natively) | Markdown | Source of truth (no sync needed) |
| OpenCode | AGENTS.md (read natively) | Markdown | Source of truth (no sync needed) |
| Cursor | .cursor/rules/*.mdc | MDC (Markdown + YAML) | Translated |
| Windsurf | .windsurf/rules/*.md | Markdown | Full copy |
| Cline | .clinerules/*.md | Markdown | Full copy |
| Roo Code | .roo/rules/*.md | Markdown | Full copy |
| Kilo Code | .kilocode/rules/*.md | Markdown | Full copy |
| JetBrains Junie | .junie/guidelines.md | Markdown (single file) | Concatenated |
| Zed | .rules | Plain text | Full copy |
| Augment Code | .augment/rules/*.md | Markdown + YAML | Translated |
Custom Agents
| Agent | Path | Notes |
|---|
| GitHub Copilot | .github/agents/*.agent.md | Source of truth |
| Claude Code | .claude/agents/*.md | Copied at sync; model normalized for Claude |
| All others | ❌ Not supported | No sub-agent profile concept |
Skills (Open Standard)
| Agent | Path | Notes |
|---|
| GitHub Copilot | .github/skills/<n>/SKILL.md | Source of truth |
| Claude Code | .claude/skills/<n>/SKILL.md | Verbatim copy |
| OpenAI Codex / OpenCode | .agents/skills/<n>/SKILL.md | Verbatim copy |
| All others | ❌ Not supported | No skills concept |
Docs references
