Skip to content
Loadout

Fix

GitHub Copilot copilot-instructions.md

Answer

GitHub Copilot reads repository-wide project instructions from .github/copilot-instructions.md. Path-specific instructions are NAME.instructions.md files under .github/instructions. Cursor reads .cursor/rules/*.mdc, AGENTS.md, and CLAUDE.md, and its rules docs do not name the Copilot file. Every Loadout free zip includes .github/copilot-instructions.md.

  • Scope Tool-agnostic. Written against Cursor project rules (.mdc), Claude Code CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and GitHub Copilot repository instructions as documented on 2026-10-15.

Last verified 2026-10-15

GitHub Copilot looks for repository-wide project instructions at .github/copilot-instructions.md. The Vibe Coder Starter pack ships that file. Its pinned scope is: Tool-agnostic. Written against Cursor project rules (.mdc), Claude Code CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and GitHub Copilot repository instructions as documented on 2026-10-15. .cursorrules, .cursor/rules, and a file named .github/instructions.md are different paths. applyTo files are /fixes/copilot-instructions-vs-applyto. AGENTS.md versus .cursorrules is /fixes/agents-md-vs-cursorrules.

Create .github/copilot-instructions.md in the repository root. The body is Markdown, and whitespace between instructions is ignored. Copilot uses the file as soon as you save it. Path-specific instructions are NAME.instructions.md files under .github/instructions, with an applyTo glob. On GitHub.com, only Copilot cloud agent and Copilot code review read those path-specific files. Copilot Chat on GitHub.com reads personal instructions, the repository-wide file, and organization instructions. Agent instructions are AGENTS.md, or a root CLAUDE.md or GEMINI.md, on the surfaces that support them. They sit beside .github/copilot-instructions.md. Checked against https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions.

Cursor project rules are .mdc files in .cursor/rules. Cursor also reads AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md. A root .cursorrules file is legacy and will be deprecated. Those docs do not list .github/copilot-instructions.md. Copilot's custom-instruction docs do not list .cursor/rules or .cursorrules. VS Code Copilot Chat reads the repository-wide file, path-specific files, and AGENTS.md. VS Code code review reads the repository-wide file only. On GitHub, personal instructions come first, then repository instructions, then organization instructions, and all relevant sets are still provided. The cheat sheet names .github/copilot-instructions.md as the repo-wide file. Checked against https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/custom-instructions-support and https://cursor.com/docs/rules.

Every Loadout free zip includes .github/copilot-instructions.md at that path, plus AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, and .cursor/rules/<slug>.mdc. The packs are /packs/vibe-coder-starter, /packs/nextjs-supabase, /packs/unity-6, and /packs/godot-4. Copy the Copilot file into the project's .github directory. Copy the .mdc into .cursor/rules for Cursor. Copy AGENTS.md to the root for agents that read the open file. The Copilot file carries the same rules, written for the path Copilot reads.

Last verified 2026-10-15. doc-verified.

Pro

Unity 6, Godot 4, and Next.js Pro rules, $1+

$1+ · pay what you want

Advanced rules for the same stacks as the free packs: Unity 6 Pro (Netcode, URP, Addressables, tests), Godot 4 Pro (multiplayer, GDExtension and C#, saves, export), and Next.js 16 + Supabase Pro (RLS, getClaims, Stripe webhooks, caching). Each pack is AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, Cursor .mdc, and Copilot instructions. The Phaser 4, three.js, and FastAPI packs stay on the Gumroad download as a bonus. 12 months of free updates.

Each pack ships as AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, Cursor .mdc, and Copilot instructions, with 12 months of free updates.

From the Unity 6 Pro rules

Mark an RPC with `[Rpc(SendTo.Server)]` and end the method name in `Rpc`. A missing `Rpc` suffix is an error. Do not write new `[ServerRpc]` or `[ClientRpc]` methods.
A client asks the server with `SendTo.Server`. The server talks to observers with `SendTo.NotServer`, or `SendTo.ClientsAndHost` when a host must run the method too. There is no direct client-to-client connection. The server forwards it.
Keep shared state on a `NetworkVariable<T>` and use `.Value`. It is sent to clients already connected and to a client that joins later. An RPC is not. Write `.Value` from the server when write permission is `NetworkVariableWritePermission.Server`.
Put a `NetworkObject` on the networked prefab and spawn it on the server. Do not use the removed UNet types `NetworkIdentity`, `[Command]`, or `UnityEngine.Networking`.
Unity 6, Godot 4, and Next.js Pro rules, $1+

Vibe Coder Starter pack — Safe defaults for any AI coding agent, in any stack.

doc-verified

Sources in the pack

Docs

Questions

Where does GitHub Copilot look for project custom instructions?
GitHub Copilot reads repository-wide project instructions from .github/copilot-instructions.md. Path-specific instructions are NAME.instructions.md files under .github/instructions. Cursor reads .cursor/rules/*.mdc, AGENTS.md, and CLAUDE.md, and its rules docs do not name the Copilot file. Every Loadout free zip includes .github/copilot-instructions.md.
Does Cursor read .github/copilot-instructions.md?
Cursor's rules docs name .mdc files in .cursor/rules, AGENTS.md, and CLAUDE.md. They do not name .github/copilot-instructions.md. A root .cursorrules file is legacy and will be deprecated. Copilot's docs name .github/copilot-instructions.md for repository-wide instructions and do not name .cursor/rules.
Do Loadout free zips include .github/copilot-instructions.md?
Yes. Each free zip includes .github/copilot-instructions.md, plus AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, and .cursor/rules/<slug>.mdc. The packs are /packs/vibe-coder-starter, /packs/nextjs-supabase, /packs/unity-6, and /packs/godot-4.
When was this GitHub Copilot instructions rule last checked?
Last verified 2026-10-15. doc-verified.