How to Create Custom GitHub Copilot Prompt Files

A guide on creating reusable prompt files for GitHub Copilot in VS Code to automate common tasks.

Prompt files are a great way to automate repetitive tasks with GitHub Copilot. Think of them as saved scripts for the chat. Instead of typing out a long instruction every time, you can just run a prompt file.

I use this to automate creating new cookbook metadata on my site.

Create the Prompt File

  1. Create a folder named .github/prompts at the root of your project.
  2. Inside that folder, create a new file with a .prompt.md extension. For example, new-cookbook.prompt.md.

Write the Prompt

A prompt file has two parts: a YAML frontmatter for configuration and a Markdown body for the instructions.

Here’s an example based on how I automate new cookbook creation. This new-cookbook.prompt.md file asks for a title and then uses a separate instructions file to do the work.

Markdown
---
description: "1. Create a new cookbook"
mode: "agent"
---

# Task: Create New Cookbook

You will help me create a new cookbook metadata file.

**Always follow the rules in [my instructions](../copilot-instructions.md). Pay
close attention to my "Writing Style Rules" and the "Cookbook & Recipe
Concept".**

## User Input:

(You will be prompted for these if not provided)

- **Cookbook Title:** `${input:title:Foundry Cookbook}`
- **First Recipe Idea:** `${input:recipeIdea:How to do multichannel test}`
- **File Slug:** `${input:slug:foundry}`

---

## Step 1: Draft Description

Based on the **Title** and **First Recipe Idea**, draft a `description` for the
cookbook.

- **Constraint:** The description must be **max 150 characters**.
- **Style:** It must follow my writing style and the cookbook concept from the
  instructions.
- **Example:** "My personal cookbook for VS Code. It's where I keep my notes on
  how to customize the editor, like making a new theme or changing GitHub
  Copilot settings. Just a collection of solutions for myself so I can find them
  again."

Ask for my approval before continuing.

## Step 2: Create File

Once I approve the description, create the new file:

- **File Path:** `src/content/cookbooks/${slug}.md`
- **Full Content:**

    ```markdown
    ---
    title: ${title}
    description: [Your approved description goes here]
    ---
    ```

How to Use It

Once the file is saved, you can run it directly from the VS Code chat.

  1. Open the GitHub Copilot chat.
  2. Type / and you should see your prompt file in the list.
  3. Select new-cookbook and hit enter.

Copilot will then follow the instructions in your prompt file. It’s a simple way to make sure common tasks are done the same way every time.

Other recipes in GitHub Copilot