Add GitHub Copilot instructions for repository by Copilot · Pull Request #2352 · WordPress/performance

Copilot · 2026-01-15T18:51:23Z

Configures GitHub Copilot coding agent instructions per best practices documentation.

Changes

Added .github/copilot-instructions.md which links to the existing AGENTS.md file.
Added .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml per docs.

The file complements the existing AGENTS.md by providing Copilot-specific quick reference for common development tasks and coding standards.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

gh.io
- Triggering command: /home/REDACTED/work/_temp/ghcca-node/node/bin/node /home/REDACTED/work/_temp/ghcca-node/node/bin/node --enable-source-maps /home/REDACTED/work/_temp/copilot-developer-action-main/dist/index.js (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>✨ Set up Copilot instructions</issue_title>
<issue_description>Configure instructions for this repository as documented in Best practices for Copilot coding agent in your repository.

</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

Fixes ✨ Set up Copilot instructions #2351

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

Co-authored-by: westonruter <[email protected]>

adamsilverstein · 2026-01-15T19:26:45Z

I'm in favor of adding some agent guidelines, however maybe we should use the more generic AGENTS.md?

westonruter · 2026-01-15T19:29:35Z

@adamsilverstein I initiated this PR due to Copilot prompting me to do so in #2346:

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

I defer to your expertise for the best way to do this.

We do already have an AGENTS.md introduced in #2193, so maybe Copilot is just not aware of it?

westonruter · 2026-01-15T20:40:24Z

Ah, according to the PR description:

The file complements the existing AGENTS.md by providing Copilot-specific quick reference for common development tasks and coding standards.

westonruter · 2026-01-15T20:41:00Z

I'm not sure why having something Copilot-specific is better.

westonruter · 2026-01-27T16:58:12Z

Something which is Copilot specific is adding a copilot-setup-steps.yml workflow: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment

adamsilverstein · 2026-01-27T17:58:25Z

I'm not sure why having something Copilot-specific is better.

That was my main question when asking about using a more generic AGENTS.md. I'm primarily using Claude code and have built local Claude.md files, but I generally am gitignoring them so copilot in github wouldn't see them. If I did commit them, my expectation is that copilot would find them, or else I would just link to them from the copilot instruction or agent.md.

Something which is Copilot specific is adding a copilot-setup-steps.yml workflow: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment

Oh that is interesting, ideally Copilot would be capable of testing PRs while working on them and this might provide a way to provide the instructions to do just that.

adamsilverstein · 2026-02-01T22:52:50Z

Consider telling copilot about the recently released WordPress skills: https://github.com/WordPress/agent-skills

westonruter · 2026-02-01T23:50:10Z

That was my main question when asking about using a more generic AGENTS.md.

Ah, it looks like Copilot does respect this file in the end:

"You can create one or more AGENTS.md files, stored anywhere within the repository. When Copilot is working, the nearest AGENTS.md file in the directory tree will take precedence over other agent instructions files. For more information, see the openai/agents.md repository."

https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions#creating-custom-instructions

westonruter · 2026-02-01T23:52:50Z

Maybe we just have a .github/copilot-instructions.md which links to AGENTS.md? This would get rid of the following blurb on Copilot PRs, I believe:

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

Update: Done in 1ea1a5b.

See https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment#preinstalling-tools-or-dependencies-in-copilots-environment

westonruter · 2026-02-02T00:37:47Z

Something which is Copilot specific is adding a copilot-setup-steps.yml workflow: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment

Added in bbb0f56 and f057022.

github-actions · 2026-02-02T00:40:38Z

The following accounts have interacted with this PR and/or linked issues. I will continue to update these lists as activity occurs. You can also manually ask me to refresh this list by adding the props-bot label.

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The following contributors have not linked their GitHub and WordPress.org accounts: @Copilot.

Contributors, please read how to link your accounts to ensure your work is properly credited in WordPress releases.

If you're merging code through a pull request on GitHub, copy and paste the following into the bottom of the merge commit message.

Unlinked contributors: Copilot.

Co-authored-by: westonruter <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: felixarntz <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: adamsilverstein <[email protected]>

To understand the WordPress project's expectations around crediting contributors, please review the Contributor Attribution page in the Core Handbook.

felixarntz · 2026-02-02T03:37:05Z

.github/copilot-instructions.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Please see [AGENTS.md](../AGENTS.md).


Why this? Copilot already supports AGENTS.md, it should get picked up automatically.

Providing copilot-instructions.md is an alternative, which of course GitHub will document first because it's theirs, but it's not needed.

Because Copilot nags if you don't have it, as seen in #2346

Or, heh, even this own PR.

But where does it nag about it? I think we should validate whether it's actually not respecting our AGENTS.md file without having this extra copilot-instructions.md, or whether it's just that GitHub's nag is overly aggressive.

If the latter, then that would be annoying, but it shouldn't justify changing the configuration - because having a file just to say "look in the other file", when it already anyway looks in the other file, is pointless and possibly even confusing.

It nags about it in the PR description:

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

And I confirmed that AGENTS.md is respected: #2352 (comment)

I wanted to see if adding the file would suppress the nag.

It's worth as a test, but even if it works, I don't think we should do it. That would be optimizing for the (apparently buggy) nag rather than actual AI behavior.

It seems Copilot CLI isn't respecting AGENTS.md: github/copilot-cli#489

So having this additional pointer may be useful beyond suppressing a nag.

Hmm, that's odd. I know in VS Code you can configure that for Copilot. So maybe there's a way to do it for Copilot running on GitHub too.

Initial plan

d18e77c

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and westonruter Jan 15, 2026

Copilot started work on behalf of westonruter January 15, 2026 18:51 View session

Add GitHub Copilot instructions file

718acaf

Co-authored-by: westonruter <[email protected]>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Set up Copilot instructions for repository~~ Add GitHub Copilot instructions for repository Jan 15, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of westonruter January 15, 2026 18:59

Copilot AI requested a review from westonruter January 15, 2026 18:59

Refer to AGENTS.md

1ea1a5b

westonruter mentioned this pull request Feb 2, 2026

Add links to WordPress AI Guidelines #2376

Merged

westonruter added [Type] Documentation Documentation to be added or enhanced no milestone PRs that do not have a defined milestone for release skip changelog PRs that should not be mentioned in changelogs labels Feb 2, 2026

westonruter added 2 commits February 1, 2026 16:28

Copy copilot-setup-steps.yml from GitHub docs

bbb0f56

See https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment#preinstalling-tools-or-dependencies-in-copilots-environment

Customize copilot-setup-steps.yml

f057022

westonruter marked this pull request as ready for review February 2, 2026 00:40

westonruter requested review from felixarntz, mukeshpanchal27 and thelovekesh as code owners February 2, 2026 00:40

felixarntz reviewed Feb 2, 2026

View reviewed changes

westonruter requested a review from adamsilverstein February 2, 2026 18:39

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I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

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Copilot AI commented Jan 15, 2026 •

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