Scaffold repo ai guidance

Scaffold Repo AI Guidance

Generate AGENTS.md and .github/copilot-instructions.md for any repository by examining its source, patterns, CI pipeline, and conventions. The two files serve distinct purposes — never duplicate content between them:

• AGENTS.md (repo root): broad operational guide recognised by all AI agents — directory layout, exact build/test/lint commands, CI invariants, atomic checklists, conventions table.
• .github/copilot-instructions.md: project-specific authoring guide tailored to Copilot chat and code review — coding patterns, naming conventions, framework specifics, anti-patterns, security rules.

Bundled template files live in assets/ relative to this skill:

• assets/AGENTS.template.md — starting skeleton for AGENTS.md
• assets/copilot-instructions.template.md — starting skeleton for .github/copilot-instructions.md

Step 1 — Check for Existing Files

Before any analysis, check the repo root for AGENTS.md and .github/copilot-instructions.md.

• If a file exists: read it, preserve any content the user has written, and improve it in-place based on what the repo analysis reveals.
• If a file does not exist: read the corresponding template from assets/ and use it as the starting skeleton. Replace every placeholder (marked with [brackets] and <!-- comments -->) with repo-specific content.

Step 2 — Discover the Repository

Read these in priority order. Aim for 10–15 files; stop a category once you have sufficient context.

Documentation — README.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, existing AGENTS.md, existing .github/copilot-instructions.md

Build and CI — .github/workflows/*.yml, Makefile, Taskfile.yml, azure-pipelines.yml, Jenkinsfile; package manifests: package.json, pyproject.toml, go.mod, Cargo.toml, *.csproj, pom.xml

Lint and format configs — .eslintrc*, .prettierrc*, .editorconfig, .markdownlint.json, .golangci.yml, ruff.toml, stylecop.json

Sample source files — 2–3 representative files from the main source tree that show typical naming, structure, and comment style

Directory structure — list the repo root; list one level inside each major subdirectory

Extract:

• Project purpose and primary language/framework
• Exact bootstrap, build, test, and lint commands
• CI steps and which checks will fail a PR
• Directory structure and naming conventions (kebab-case, PascalCase, etc.)
• Code patterns: indent size, quote style, import order, error handling style
• Any content in existing files that must be preserved

Step 3 — Apply Best-Practice Principles

Read the full reference at references/best-practices.md. Key principles to follow while writing both files:

AGENTS.md — critical rules:

• Target under 100 lines; hard limit 150. Longer files reduce agent adherence.
• Lead with exact, validated build/test/lint commands — highest-value content.
• Prefer single-file commands (fast loops) over full-project builds where possible.
• Be concrete and verifiable: "Use 2-space indentation" not "Format code properly".
• Use ## headers, - bullets, | tables | — agents scan structure.
• Front-load critical rules — some consumers read only the first 4K characters.
• Include do/don't rules, reference real example files (good AND bad), and specify permission boundaries (what agents can do without asking).
• Add a rule the second time you see an agent make the same mistake.

copilot-instructions.md — critical rules:

• Code review reads only the first 4,000 characters — put security and breaking-convention rules at the top.
• Target under 100 lines. Start with 10–20 specific instructions; expand iteratively.
• Write short imperative bullets, not narratives. Use // Avoid + // Prefer code examples for non-obvious patterns.
• Do NOT include: build commands, directory layouts, UX/formatting instructions, vague quality advice, external URLs, task-specific prompts.
• Copilot is non-deterministic — write instructions that stay useful even when occasionally missed.
• Code review uses the base branch's instructions, not the PR branch's.
• Precedence: Personal > Path-specific > Repository-wide > AGENTS.md > Org.

Both files — never violate:

• No duplicated content between the two files.
• No contradictions between any instruction files in the repo.
• No secrets, tokens, or internal URLs.
• Treat as living documentation — grow from observed mistakes, not up-front design.

Step 4 — Plan the Content Split

Decide which guidelines belong where before writing anything:

Goes in AGENTS.md	Goes in copilot-instructions.md
Directory layout tree	Repo purpose and stack summary
Build/test/lint commands	Naming conventions with examples
CI checks that must pass	Framework-specific patterns
Atomic change checklists	Anti-patterns to avoid
"Must run after change" reminders	Security and quality rules
Conventions table (scannable)	Code-style specifics (quotes, indent)

Rule of thumb: if following the guideline requires running a command → AGENTS.md. If it shapes what generated code looks like → copilot-instructions.md.

Step 5 — Write AGENTS.md

If no AGENTS.md exists, read the template from assets/AGENTS.template.md and copy it to the repo root. Then fill in every placeholder.

If an existing AGENTS.md was found in Step 1, improve it in-place — do not discard user content.

Use the template's structural sections (Layout, Commands, Checklist, CI Pipeline, Conventions). The template includes HTML comments explaining each section; remove the comments once filled in.

Writing rules:

• Keep under 100 lines; hard limit 150
• Use code blocks for every command — no inline commands in prose
• Use tables for conventions — they are fast to scan
• Bold any rule whose violation will fail CI
• Omit boilerplate advice ("handle errors") — only include repo-specific rules

Step 6 — Write .github/copilot-instructions.md

Create .github/ if needed. If no copilot-instructions.md exists, read the template from assets/copilot-instructions.template.md and copy it to .github/copilot-instructions.md. Then fill in every placeholder.

If an existing file was found in Step 1, improve it in-place.

Use the template's structural sections (Purpose, Code Style, Naming, Framework Patterns, Testing, Security). Remove HTML comments once filled.

Writing rules:

• Do NOT include build commands or directory layouts — those are in AGENTS.md
• Reference AGENTS.md at the top: "See AGENTS.md for layout and commands."
• Include before/after examples only for non-obvious patterns
• Keep under 100 lines; hard limit 150
• Omit generic advice ("write clean code") — only include repo-specific rules that are clearly visible in the source inspection

Step 7 — Validate

Run the lint command found in Step 1. Common patterns:

pnpm lint:md          # Markdown repos
npm run lint          # Node.js projects
ruff check .          # Python projects
golangci-lint run     # Go projects

Check both generated files:

• No content duplicated across the two files
• Newline at end of file; no trailing whitespace
• Each file under 150 lines
• No secrets, tokens, or internal URLs

Step 8 — Present Results

Show the user:

1. Files created or updated (AGENTS.md, .github/copilot-instructions.md)
2. Brief rationale for key decisions — what you included and why you placed it where you did
3. Lint output from Step 6
4. Ask: "Does this look correct? Should I adjust the focus, add more detail to any section, or remove anything?"