add-instruction

name	add-instruction
description	Extract a lesson from recent agent struggles and create a .instructions.md file to prevent recurrence. Use when: agent made a mistake, discovered a new convention, found a recurring issue pattern.
user-invocable	true

Add Instruction Skill

When to Use

• An agent made a mistake that should be prevented in the future
• You discovered a new convention or pattern during implementation
• A recurring issue keeps happening across stories/epics
• You want to codify a lesson learned into project-wide agent guidance

Procedure

1. Identify the struggle: What mistake happened? What was the root cause?
2. Define the file scope: What glob pattern matches files where this rule applies? (e.g., **/*.ts, **/schema.prisma)
3. Create the file: Create .github/instructions/<name>.instructions.md with:
   • YAML frontmatter: description (with "Use when..." trigger words) and applyTo (glob pattern)
   • Body: clear DO/DON'T examples, concrete code snippets, reasoning
4. Update copilot-instructions.md: Add a 1-2 line summary to the "Known Pitfalls" section

Template

---
description: "Use when {trigger scenarios}. Covers {what this instruction prevents}."
applyTo: "{glob pattern matching affected files}"
---

# {Title}

## Rule

{One sentence rule}

## ✅ DO

```typescript
{good example with explanation}
```

❌ DON'T

{bad example with explanation}

Reasoning

{Why this rule exists — helps agents make better decisions in edge cases}

## Reference
See standard instruction templates and examples in `.github/instructions/` folder.