GitHub Copilot prompt files in VS Code: .github/prompts/*.prompt.md slash commands

• Workspace: the .github/prompts folder. Commit it so the whole team gets the same commands.
• User: your VS Code profile's user data. Create user prompt files with the Agent Customizations editor or the Chat: New Prompt File command.
• Monorepos: turn on chat.useCustomizationsInParentRepositories to also discover prompt files from the parent repository root.
• Sync user prompt files across machines with Settings Sync: run Settings Sync: Configure and select Prompts and Instructions.

A prompt file is Markdown with the .prompt.md extension and an optional YAML frontmatter header. Every field is optional.

• description: a short description of the prompt.
• name: the name you type after /. Defaults to the file name.
• argument-hint: hint text shown in the chat input.
• agent: ask, agent, plan or the name of a custom agent. Defaults to the current agent, or agent when tools are set.
• model: the model to use. Defaults to the model picker selection.
• tools: tools, tool sets, MCP tools or extension tools. Use <server name>/* for every tool of an MCP server. Tools that are not available are ignored.

---
description: Review a REST API for security issues
agent: ask
argument-hint: path to the API folder
---
Review the REST API in ${input:apiPath:src/api} for security issues.

Return a prioritized Markdown TODO list that covers:
- authentication and authorization
- input validation
- rate limiting
- logging of sensitive data

Follow the conventions in [our API guidelines](../../docs/api-guidelines.md).

• File links: Markdown links or #file:. Workspace paths are relative to the prompt file; paths starting with ~ or ~/ point to your home folder. Use / as the separator.
• Tools: #tool:<tool-name>, for example #tool:browser.
• Input: ${input:variableName} or ${input:variableName:placeholder}. The vscode/askQuestion tool can also ask the user during the run.
• Built-in variables such as ${selection} are supported.

• Create: select Local in the Chat view, open Customizations from the Chat title bar, go to Prompts and choose New Prompt next to Workspace or User. Or run Chat: New Prompt File or Chat: New Untitled Prompt File.
• Generate: type /create-prompt with a description in Local chat, or use Generate with AI next to Workspace in the Prompts section.
• Run: type / plus the name in chat, with optional input after it, for example /create-api for listing customers. Agent skills show up in the same / list.
• Run from the Command Palette with Chat: Run Prompt, or press the play button in the editor title of an open prompt file.
• chat.promptFilesRecommendations shows chosen prompts as recommended actions in new chats.

• 1. Tools listed in the prompt file.
• 2. Otherwise, tools from the custom agent the prompt file references.
• 3. Otherwise, the default tools of the selected agent.

• Prompt files run only in Local harness sessions in the Chat view. For other harnesses, create an agent skill or convert the prompt file to a skill.
• To see where a prompt file comes from (built-in, user, workspace or extension), run Chat: Configure Prompt Files and hover over it.
• To see discovery errors, open the Chat view's ... menu and choose Show Agent Debug Logs.

• Compare: custom slash commands in every AI coding agent
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• GitHub Copilot custom agents
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