Complete Guide to Using Awesome Copilot |

Awesome Copilot is a massive community-driven resource hub with 270+ skills, instructions, and agents ready to supercharge your GitHub Copilot. Instead of building from scratch, download and use battle-tested customizations created by 325+ contributors worldwide!

What is Awesome Copilot?

Awesome Copilot is a community project maintained by GitHub, containing resources contributed by developers from around the globe.

What’s in the collection:

Type	Count	Description
🎯 Skills	271+	Specialized capabilities with bundled instructions and resources
📋 Instructions	Many	Coding standards applied automatically by file pattern
🤖 Agents	Many	Specialized Copilot agents integrated with MCP servers
🔌 Plugins	Many	Curated bundles of skills/instructions for specific workflows
🪝 Hooks	Many	Automated actions triggered during agent sessions
⚡ Workflows	Many	AI-powered GitHub Actions automations

Website: awesome-copilot.github.com GitHub: github.com/github/awesome-copilot

How to Use Awesome Copilot

Method 1: Install Plugins (Easiest!)

Plugins bundle multiple skills/instructions together:

# Install plugin directly via Copilot CLI
copilot plugin install <plugin-name>@awesome-copilot

# Examples:
copilot plugin install azure@awesome-copilot
copilot plugin install testing@awesome-copilot
copilot plugin install react@awesome-copilot

Check installed plugins:

copilot plugin list

Method 2: Download Individual Skills

Steps:

Browse website: Visit awesome-copilot.github.com/skills
Search: Use the search bar (e.g., “testing”, “azure”, “react”)
Download: Click “Download” or “GitHub”
Copy to project:

# Directory structure
.agents/skills/
  └── skill-name/
      └── SKILL.md

Popular skills to try:

🎲 roll-dice - Roll dice (simple starter skill)
🧪 webapp-testing - Test web apps with Playwright
☁️ azure-pricing - Estimate Azure costs
✅ git-commit - Smart conventional commits
🔒 security-review - Scan code for vulnerabilities
🛠️ mcp-cli - Interface with MCP servers
📝 readme-blueprint-generator - Auto-generate README
🐛 github-issues - Manage GitHub issues

Method 3: Use Instructions

Copy instructions to define project standards:

1. Browse Instructions:

Visit awesome-copilot.github.com/instructions

2. Copy to project:

# Project-wide
.github/copilot-instructions.md

# Or file-specific
.github/instructions/
  ├── react.instructions.md
  ├── testing.instructions.md
  └── api.instructions.md

Method 4: Use Agents

Agents are specialized Copilot instances integrated with MCP servers:

Browse awesome-copilot.github.com/agents
Download agent file (.agent.md)
Copy to .agents/ folder
Use in Copilot Chat

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Add Testing Skills

Download webapp-testing skill:

# Create skill directory
mkdir -p .agents/skills/webapp-testing

# Download SKILL.md from GitHub
# https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/main/skills/webapp-testing

Usage:

You: "Help me test the login page"
→ Copilot automatically loads webapp-testing skill!
→ Creates test cases with Playwright

Example 2: Setup Azure Project

Install Azure plugin:

copilot plugin install azure@awesome-copilot

Benefits:

✅ Skills for Azure deployment
✅ Instructions for Bicep best practices
✅ Agents for resource management
✅ Cost optimization guidance

Usage:

You: "Deploy app to Azure"
→ Copilot uses azure skills automatically
→ Creates proper Bicep files
→ Checks cost optimization

Example 3: Code Security Review

Download security-review skill:

mkdir -p .agents/skills/security-review
# Copy SKILL.md from GitHub

Usage:

You: "Scan code for security vulnerabilities"
→ Copilot runs security review
→ Finds SQL injection, XSS, exposed secrets
→ Suggests specific fixes

Example 4: Smart Git Commits

Download git-commit skill:

This skill automatically:

Analyzes git diff
Generates conventional commit message
Stages files intelligently
Groups changes logically

Usage:

You: "/commit"
→ Copilot analyzes changes
→ Creates message: "feat(auth): add OAuth2 login flow"
→ Commits with proper formatting

Practical Workflow

Step 1: Install Core Plugins

# Essential plugins
copilot plugin install github-actions@awesome-copilot
copilot plugin install testing@awesome-copilot

# Technology-specific
copilot plugin install azure@awesome-copilot        # If using Azure
copilot plugin install react@awesome-copilot        # If using React
copilot plugin install python@awesome-copilot       # If using Python

Step 2: Add Skills for Your Tech Stack

Example with React + TypeScript + Azure:

.agents/skills/
  ├── webapp-testing/          # Test web apps
  ├── typescript-mcp-server-generator/  # Create MCP servers
  ├── azure-deployment-preflight/       # Validate Azure deploys
  └── security-review/         # Security scanning

Step 3: Setup Instructions

# .github/copilot-instructions.md

# Project: E-commerce Platform

## Tech Stack
- Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript
- Backend: Node.js + Express
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Cloud: Azure
- Testing: Vitest + Playwright

## Code Standards
- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Follow Airbnb style guide
- 80% test coverage minimum
- All PRs must pass security scan

## Azure Resources
- Always use Bicep (not ARM templates)
- Use managed identities
- Tag resources: environment, project, owner
- Store secrets in Key Vault

Step 4: Test & Refine

# Check loaded skills
/skills

# Check active instructions
/instructions

# Test with prompt
"Create a login component with OAuth"
→ See if Copilot uses the right skills

Must-Try Skills

For Beginners

roll-dice - Simple, understand how skills work
github-copilot-starter - Setup full Copilot config
readme-blueprint-generator - Auto-generate README
conventional-commit - Standard commit messages
create-agentsmd - Generate AGENTS.md file

For Development

webapp-testing - Test automation with Playwright
security-review - Scan vulnerabilities
git-commit - Smart conventional commits
codeql - Setup CodeQL scanning
dependabot - Manage dependencies

For Azure/Cloud

azure-architecture-autopilot - Design Azure infrastructure
azure-pricing - Cost estimation
azure-deployment-preflight - Validate deployments
terraform-azurerm-set-diff-analyzer - Terraform planning
import-infrastructure-as-code - Import existing resources

For AI/ML Development

arize-instrumentation - LLM tracing
phoenix-tracing - AI observability
agent-governance - AI safety controls
agentic-eval - Evaluate AI outputs
eval-driven-dev - QA for LLM apps

Finding the Right Skills

Use Website Search

Go to awesome-copilot.github.com
Type keywords in search bar
Filter by category
Click to view details

Common keywords:

testing - Test automation skills
azure - Azure cloud skills
security - Security scanning
git - Git workflow skills
react - React development
api - API development
database - Database skills
documentation - Doc generation

LLMs.txt File

The website provides llms.txt - machine-readable listing of all resources!

Managing Skills

Check Active Skills

# In Copilot CLI
/skills                    # List all loaded skills
/instructions              # List all instructions
copilot plugin list        # List installed plugins

Remove Unused Skills

# Uninstall plugin
copilot plugin uninstall <plugin-name>@awesome-copilot

# Remove skill
rm -rf .agents/skills/skill-name/

Update Skills

Skills are community-maintained, so check for updates regularly:

# Pull latest from GitHub
cd /path/to/awesome-copilot-clone
git pull origin main

# Copy updated skills to project

Tips & Best Practices

✅ DO:

Review before using:

# Always read SKILL.md to understand what it does
cat .agents/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md

Start small:
- Try 1-2 simple skills first (like roll-dice)
- Understand how they work
- Gradually add more complex skills

Customize for your project:

# Edit SKILL.md to fit your needs
---
name: webapp-testing
description: Test web apps following OUR standards
---

# Add project-specific test patterns

Share with team:

# Commit skills to Git
git add .agents/skills/
git commit -m "Add webapp-testing skill"
git push

Document usage:

# README.md

## AI Development Setup

We use these Awesome Copilot skills:
- webapp-testing: E2E tests with Playwright
- security-review: Security scanning
- git-commit: Conventional commits

Install: `copilot plugin install testing@awesome-copilot`

❌ DON’T:

Install all skills:
- Skills consume context window
- Only install what you need
Use without reviewing:
- Skills are third-party code
- Always audit before production use
Forget to update:
- Skills are continuously improved
- Check for updates regularly
Ignore security:
- Some skills run terminal commands
- Review commands before approving

Contributing to Awesome Copilot

Awesome Copilot is open source - you can contribute!

How to Contribute

Fork repository:

# https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot

Create new skill:

mkdir -p skills/my-skill
touch skills/my-skill/SKILL.md

Follow template:

---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill does and when to use it
---

# Detailed instructions
# Examples
# References

Submit PR:
- Follow CONTRIBUTING.md
- Include tests
- Add documentation

Resources & Links

Official Links

🌐 Website: awesome-copilot.github.com
💻 GitHub: github.com/github/awesome-copilot
📖 Learning Hub: awesome-copilot.github.com/learning-hub
🛠️ Tools: awesome-copilot.github.com/tools

Skill Collections

Skills: awesome-copilot.github.com/skills (271+)
Instructions: awesome-copilot.github.com/instructions
Agents: awesome-copilot.github.com/agents
Plugins: awesome-copilot.github.com/plugins
Workflows: awesome-copilot.github.com/workflows

Quick Start Checklist

Browse awesome-copilot.github.com
Install 1-2 core plugins (testing, github-actions)
Download 2-3 skills for your tech stack
Test skills with simple prompts
Setup instructions for project standards
Document setup in README
Share with team via Git

Conclusion

Awesome Copilot is a treasure trove with 270+ battle-tested skills and resources. Instead of building from scratch, you can:

✅ Install plugins in seconds ✅ Download ready-made skills and customize ✅ Learn from examples by 325+ contributors ✅ Save hours of setup time ✅ Improve Copilot experience immediately

Start with a few simple skills, understand how they work, then gradually expand. Happy coding! 🚀

Fun fact: Roll a dice to test your first skill! 🎲

"Roll a d20"

Tags: vscode copilot ai productivity

What is Awesome Copilot?

How to Use Awesome Copilot

Method 1: Install Plugins (Easiest!)

Method 2: Download Individual Skills

Method 3: Use Instructions

Method 4: Use Agents

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Add Testing Skills

Example 2: Setup Azure Project

Example 3: Code Security Review

Example 4: Smart Git Commits

Practical Workflow

Step 1: Install Core Plugins

Step 2: Add Skills for Your Tech Stack

Step 3: Setup Instructions

Step 4: Test & Refine

Must-Try Skills

For Beginners

For Development

For Azure/Cloud

For AI/ML Development

Finding the Right Skills

Use Website Search

LLMs.txt File

Managing Skills

Check Active Skills

Remove Unused Skills

Update Skills

Tips & Best Practices

✅ DO:

❌ DON’T:

Contributing to Awesome Copilot

How to Contribute

Resources & Links

Official Links

Skill Collections

Related Posts

Quick Start Checklist

Conclusion