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What is the purpose of a .github/copilot-instructions.md file in a repository?
.github/copilot-instructions.md
It configures which AI model Copilot uses for inline code completions.
It provides always-on custom guidelines that are automatically included in every Copilot Chat request within the workspace.
It stores environment variables that Copilot needs to access external APIs.
How do .instructions.md files differ from the repository-wide copilot-instructions.md file?
.instructions.md
copilot-instructions.md
.instructions.md files replace the copilot-instructions.md file when both are present.
.instructions.md files use an applyTo frontmatter field to target specific files or file patterns, applying instructions only when the agent is working on matching files.
applyTo
.instructions.md files are only used for inline code completion suggestions, while copilot-instructions.md is used for chat responses.
What is a custom agent in Visual Studio Code's Copilot Chat?
A built-in Visual Studio Code extension that adds new programming language support.
A specialized AI persona defined by a .agent.md file that encapsulates a set of instructions and tool permissions for a particular development role.
.agent.md
A remote server that processes Copilot requests on behalf of the developer.
What does the tools field in a custom agent's YAML frontmatter control?
tools
The programming languages the agent can generate code in.
Which actions the agent can perform, such as reading files, editing code, searching the workspace, or running terminal commands.
The list of non-Microsoft extensions that the agent depends on.
What is a handoff in the context of custom Copilot agents?
A mechanism for transferring Copilot Chat conversations to a human developer.
A transition that switches from one custom agent to another, carrying over context and optionally prefilling a prompt to continue a multi-step workflow.
A process that automatically saves the agent's output to a file in the workspace.
When a developer configures a handoff, what does setting send: false mean?
send: false
The handoff button is hidden from the user interface.
The prompt is prefilled in the chat input for the developer to review and edit before sending, rather than being submitted automatically.
The handoff is disabled and the agent can't transition to the target agent.
What is the purpose of a .prompt.md file in the .github/prompts/ folder?
.prompt.md
.github/prompts/
It defines a custom agent persona with specific tool permissions.
It provides a reusable prompt template that can be invoked as a slash command in Copilot Chat to run a common task consistently.
It configures which AI model Copilot uses for all chat interactions in the workspace.
How do subagents differ from handoffs in custom agent workflows?
Subagents and handoffs are different names for the same feature.
Subagents are invoked automatically within an agent's processing and return results to the calling agent, while handoffs transfer control to the user to approve a transition to another agent.
Subagents can only run in the cloud, while handoffs run locally in Visual Studio Code.
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