- AccessibilityPrimary accessibility skill for VS Code. REQUIRED for new feature and contribution work, and also applies to updates of existing UI. Covers accessibility help dialogs, accessible views, verbosity settings, signals, ARIA announcements, keyboard navigation, and ARIA labels/roles.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Act On FeedbackAct on user feedback attached to the current session. Use when the user submits feedback on the session's changes via the Submit Feedback button.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Agent Customization**WORKFLOW SKILL** — Create, update, review, fix, or debug VS Code agent customization files (.instructions.md, .prompt.md, .agent.md, SKILL.md, copilot-instructions.md, AGENTS.md). USE FOR: saving coding preferences; troubleshooting why instructions/skills/agents are ignored or not invoked; configuring applyTo patterns; defining tool restrictions; creating custom agent modes or specialized workflows; packaging domain knowledge; fixing YAML frontmatter syntax. DO NOT USE FOR: general coding quesmicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Agent Host Chat ContributionsBuild and review cross-cutting agent-host chat behavior through lifecycle contributions. Use when adding turn lifecycle side effects, prompt or context injection, restored-history transformation, protocol-action observation, or when reviewing changes that add code to AgentSideEffects or AgentService.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Agent Host E2e TestsUse when writing, recording, updating, validating, or troubleshooting Agent Host end-to-end and real-provider integration tests under src/vs/platform/agentHost/test/node/e2e and providerIntegration. Covers adding a cross-provider test, re-recording fixtures after an SDK bump, required cross-platform Azure validation, gating non-deterministic or platform-specific tests, and diagnosing replay cache misses.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Agent Host LogsAnalyze Agent Host debug log exports. Use when given an ah-logs or ahp-logs zip/folder, an Export Agent Host Debug Logs bundle, events.jsonl, AHP JSONL transport logs, Agent Host.log, remote-agenthost.log, or copilot-logs.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Author ContributionsIdentify all files a specific author contributed to on a branch vs its upstream, tracing code through renames. Use when asked who edited what, what code an author contributed, or to audit authorship before a merge. This skill should be run as a subagent — it performs many git operations and returns a concise table.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Auto Perf OptimizeRun agent-driven VS Code performance or memory investigations. Use when asked to launch Code OSS, automate a VS Code scenario, run the Chat memory smoke runner, capture renderer heap snapshots, take workflow screenshots, compare run summaries, or drive a repeatable scenario before heap-snapshot analysis.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Azure PipelinesUse when validating Azure DevOps pipeline changes for the VS Code build. Covers queueing builds, checking build status, viewing logs, and iterating on pipeline YAML changes without waiting for full CI runs.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Build Champ TriageFind out why a build has failedmicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Chat Customizations EditorUse when working on the Chat Customizations editor — the management UI for agents, skills, instructions, hooks, prompts, MCP servers, and plugins.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Chat PerfRun chat perf benchmarks and memory leak checks against the local dev build or any published VS Code version. Use when investigating chat rendering regressions, validating perf-sensitive changes to chat UI, or checking for memory leaks in the chat response pipeline.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Chat Pet Sprite CreationUse when creating or changing VS Code chat pet sprite art, sprite sheets, state animations, eye treatments, Stable/Insiders variants, or pet transitions under src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/widget/media/chatPet.microsoft/vscode193,558
- ChronicleAnalyze Copilot session history for standup reports, usage tips, session search, and session reindexing. Use when the user asks for a standup, daily summary, usage tips, workflow recommendations, wants to search or find past sessions by keyword/file/PR, wants to reindex their session store, or asks about deleting session data.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Ci Artifact TestingUse when validating an upstream pull request or dependency fix against VS Code tests using GitHub Actions CI build artifacts instead of building locally. Covers finding compatible binaries, verifying PR and merge-commit provenance, selecting a candidate runtime or build, comparing unchanged regression tests, and restoring the baseline.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Code Oss LogsFind and read timestamped process logs from Code OSS dev builds, including main.log, renderer.log, extension host logs, and agenthost.log. For bundles produced by Export Agent Host Debug Logs, use agent-host-logs.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Code ReviewReview code changes for correctness, regressions, and unintended scope. Use when reviewing a pull request, branch, commit, patch, or local diff, including when invoked with /code-review.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Code ReviewPerform a code review of the current session's changes. Use when the user requests a code review via the Run Code Review button in the Changes toolbar.microsoft/vscode193,558
- CommitCommit staged or unstaged changes with an AI-generated commit message that matches the repository's existing commit style. Use when the user asks to 'commit', 'commit changes', 'create a commit', 'save my work', or 'check in code'.microsoft/vscode193,558
- ComponentHelp author a component specification for an agent.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Component FixturesUse when creating or updating component fixtures for screenshot testing or their shared infrastructure, or when designing UI components to be fixture-friendly. Covers fixture file structure, theming, service setup, CSS scoping, async rendering, validation, and common pitfalls.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Cpu Profile AnalysisAnalyze V8/Chrome CPU profiles (.cpuprofile) and DevTools trace files (Trace-*.json). Use when: profiling performance, investigating slow functions, comparing code paths, finding bottlenecks, analyzing timeToRequest, understanding call trees from sampling profiler data, analyzing layout/paint/rendering, investigating user timing marks.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create AgentCreate a custom agent (.agent.md) for a specific job.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create CanvasCreate a project Copilot extension canvas for the current workspace.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create Draft PrCreate a draft pull request for the current session. Use when the user wants to open a draft PR with the session's changes.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create HookCreate a hook (.json) to enforce policy or automate agent lifecycle events.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create InstructionsCreate an instructions file (.instructions.md) for a project rule or convention.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create PrCreate a pull request for the current session. Use when the user wants to open a PR with the session's changes.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create PromptCreate a reusable prompt file (.prompt.md) for a common task.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Create SkillCreate a reusable skill (SKILL.md) that packages a workflow.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Customizations In The Agent HostArchitecture and hard-won debugging lessons for customization enablement (plugins, MCP servers, agents, skills, instructions) in the agent host. Use when changing how customizations are discovered, published, enabled/disabled, or handed to a provider SDK; when a customization shows the wrong enabled state in the UI; or when a disabled MCP server or plugin is still reaching the model.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Design PhilosophyThe VS Code design philosophy — a shared Values→Principles→Moves vocabulary for reasoning about UI in design terms instead of raw pixels. Use when designing, building, reviewing, or giving feedback on any visual surface; when deciding a radius, spacing, type role, icon size, border, color, or motion; or when translating a "this feels off" observation into a concrete, principled fix.microsoft/vscode193,558
- ExperimentsUse when adding, changing, or reviewing a VS Code A/B experiment, either an experiment-controlled setting or a treatment read with the assignment service, and when deciding whether and where to log an `experimentTrigger` event for a triggered ExP scorecard.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Feature TryoutsUse when adding, reviewing, or troubleshooting an interactive release-note Try This experience, including commands, views, editor samples, Chat drafts, guided spotlights, prerequisites, scoped targets, or Agents-window handoff.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Feedback LearningClassify and record explicit corrective feedback without turning skills or instructions into append-only knowledge dumps.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Fix CiFix the failed CI checks for the current session. Use when the user requests a CI fix via the Fix Checks button in the Changes toolbar.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Fix Ci FailuresInvestigate and fix CI failures on a pull request. Use when CI checks fail on a PR branch — covers finding the PR, identifying failed checks, downloading logs and artifacts, extracting the failure cause, and iterating on a fix. Requires the `gh` CLI.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Flaky Smoke TestsDiagnose intermittent VS Code Electron smoke-test failures from the Azure DevOps Flaky Smoke Tests pipeline (definition 700). Covers finding failed iterations, downloading task logs and platform artifacts with Azure CLI, correlating cumulative runner logs, tracing the introducing commit, and queueing focused validation runs.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Generate Run CommandsGenerate or modify run commands for the current session. Use when the user wants to set up or update run commands that appear in the session's Run button.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Get Search View ResultsGet the current search results from the Search view in VS Codemicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Github Copilot UpgraderUse this to update the Github Copilot CLI/SDKmicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Heap Snapshot AnalysisAnalyze V8 heap snapshots to investigate memory leaks and retention issues. Use when given .heapsnapshot files, asked to compare before/after snapshots, asked to find what retains objects, or investigating why objects survive GC. Provides snapshot parsing, comparison, retainer-path helpers, and scratchpad scripts.microsoft/vscode193,558
- InitGenerate or update chat customization files for AI coding agentsmicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Install Vscode ExtensionHow to install a VS Code extension from an extension ID. Useful when the user wants to add new capabilities to their VS Code environment by installing extensions.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Integrated BrowserUse this when working on the VS Code integrated browser ("browserView") to understand its architecture and mental model. Covers the embedded Chromium browser, its editor tab, navigation, overlay/layout, sessions, and agent browser tools under `src/vs/platform/browserView` and `src/vs/workbench/contrib/browserView`.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Integration TestsUse when running integration tests in the VS Code repo. Covers scripts/test-integration.sh (macOS/Linux) and scripts/test-integration.bat (Windows), their supported arguments for filtering, and the difference between node.js integration tests and extension host tests.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Issue GroupingGroup similar issues.microsoft/vscode193,558
- LaunchLaunch Code OSS (VS Code from sources) into an isolated throwaway profile with unique debug ports so you can drive it with @playwright/cli AND attach a Node debugger via dap-cli in the same session. Use when working on VS Code itself and you want to interact with the running workbench, automate chat or UI flows, test UI features, take screenshots, set breakpoints in the renderer / extension host / main process, or combine UI driving with debugging.microsoft/vscode193,558
- LaunchLaunch and automate VS Code Insiders with the Copilot Chat extension using @playwright/cli via Chrome DevTools Protocol. Use when you need to interact with the VS Code UI, automate the chat panel, test the extension UI, or take screenshots. Triggers include 'automate VS Code', 'interact with chat', 'test the UI', 'take a screenshot', 'launch with debugging'.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Memory Leak AuditAudit code for memory leaks and disposable issues. Use when reviewing event listeners, DOM handlers, lifecycle callbacks, or fixing leak reports. Covers addDisposableListener, Event.once, MutableDisposable, DisposableStore, and onWillDispose patterns.microsoft/vscode193,558
- MergeMerge changes from the topic branch to the merge base branch. Use when the user wants to merge their session's work back to the base branch.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Migrate CustomizationsGuide a safe, reversible migration of VS Code local agent customizations when launched from the Agent Customizations Migrations page with VS Code-generated migration context.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Migrate Issuesmigrate GitHub issues from one repository to anothermicrosoft/vscode193,558
- OtelOpenTelemetry guidance for VS Code agent experiences. Use when changing Agent Host telemetry, local Copilot Chat telemetry, provider-native spans or metrics, OTel settings and managed policy, trace persistence/export, or monitoring documentation.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Policy And Managed SettingsUse whenever adding, modifying, or reviewing any Copilot, agent, LLM, AI, tool, permission, sandbox, MCP, model, telemetry, feature-gate, setting, configuration, or enterprise control—especially anything an organization or administrator may need to manage. Start here to decide whether it belongs in runtime managed settings, a typed SDK contract, VS Code configuration policy, extension policy, or a split implementation. Run on every new Copilot/agent/LLM control and ANY change that adds a `policymicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Project Setup Info Context7Comprehensive setup steps to help the user create complete project structures in a VS Code workspace. This tool is designed for full project initialization and scaffolding, not for creating individual files. When to use this tool: when the user wants to create a new complete project from scratch; when setting up entire project frameworks (TypeScript projects, React apps, Node.js servers, etc.); when initializing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers with full structure; when creating VS Code extemicrosoft/vscode193,558
- Project Setup Info LocalComprehensive setup steps to help the user create complete project structures in a VS Code workspace; this tool is designed for full project initialization and scaffolding, not for creating individual files. When to use this tool: user wants to create a new complete project from scratch; setting up entire project frameworks (TypeScript projects, React apps, Node.js servers, etc.); initializing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers with full structure; creating VS Code extensions with proper scaffmicrosoft/vscode193,558
- SessionsCore principles and workflow router for changes to the Agents Window under src/vs/sessions.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Smoke TestsUse when running VS Code smoke tests or working on smoke-test CI steps. Covers npm run smoketest / smoketest-no-compile, grep filtering tests, and a temporary repeat-loop technique for tracking down flaky smoke tests in CI.microsoft/vscode193,558
- Sweeper ImplementImplement a VS Code Sweeper agent-ready issue — fetch the sweeper's review record from its state repo, implement the change in the current vscode checkout from the review's brief (an implement-ready record) or from an approved sweeper-plan file, validate the diff against it, and — after the maintainer has reviewed the changes in their editor — open a draft PR. Use ONLY when the request explicitly asks for the sweeper — "sweeper-implement", "sweeper", "vscodesweeper", a sweeper record, an agent-rmicrosoft/vscode193,558