From e0852973a32168fac74681083b4228ee0a8b4f27 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Doug Horner Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2026 10:28:25 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] docs: clarify how repo resource types differ in README The "What's in this repo" table described every resource type as a generic piece of configuration, which gave newcomers no way to tell them apart or decide which one to reach for. - Add a "When it loads" column. Load timing is the axis that actually separates these: agents/instructions/skills are context, hooks and workflows are execution, plugins are packaging. - Add the missing hooks and workflows rows. The tagline promises six resource types; the table only listed four. - Describe skills as loading in two stages, since only the frontmatter description is resident until the agent opens the file. - Correct the agents row: model is optional, not pinned. - Correct the plugins row: install time is when the package arrives, not when its contents reach the model. --- README.md | 18 +++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 9c735c9f86..e0f90d7e89 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -16,13 +16,17 @@ New to GitHub Copilot customization? The **[Learning Hub](https://awesome-copilo ## What's in this repo -| Resource | Description | Browse | -|----------|-------------|--------| -| 🤖 [Agents](docs/README.agents.md) | Specialized Copilot agents that integrate with MCP servers | [All agents →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/agents) | -| 📋 [Instructions](docs/README.instructions.md) | Coding standards applied automatically by file pattern | [All instructions →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/instructions) | -| 🎯 [Skills](docs/README.skills.md) | Self-contained folders with instructions and bundled assets | [All skills →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/skills) | -| 🔌 [Plugins](docs/README.plugins.md) | Curated bundles of agents and skills for specific workflows | [All plugins →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/plugins) | -| 🍳 [Cookbook](cookbook/README.md) | Copy-paste-ready recipes for working with Copilot APIs | — | +New here? The quickest way to tell these apart is *when* each one reaches Copilot. + +| Resource | Description | When it loads | Browse | +|----------|-------------|---------------|--------| +| 🤖 [Agents](docs/README.agents.md) | A specialist persona: system prompt + allowed tools/MCP servers + an optional pinned model | When **you** pick it for a conversation | [All agents →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/agents) | +| 📋 [Instructions](docs/README.instructions.md) | Coding standards and repo conventions — prose only, no tools | **Automatically**, when a file matches its `applyTo` pattern | [All instructions →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/instructions) | +| 🎯 [Skills](docs/README.skills.md) | Task procedures plus bundled scripts, templates, and reference data | **In two stages** — only the frontmatter `description` sits in context; the body and assets load when the agent opens the file | [All skills →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/skills) | +| 🪝 [Hooks](docs/README.hooks.md) | Shell commands wired to coding-agent lifecycle events like `sessionStart` or `preToolUse` | Never — hooks *run*, they don't enter the context window | [Browse hooks →](hooks/) | +| ⚙️ [Workflows](docs/README.workflows.md) | Agentic workflows that run Copilot in GitHub Actions on a schedule or repo event | Not in your editor — these execute in CI | [Browse workflows →](workflows/) | +| 🔌 [Plugins](docs/README.plugins.md) | Installable bundles of related agents and skills — packaging, not a new capability | **At install time only** — the bundled agents and skills then load by their own rules above | [All plugins →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/plugins) | +| 🍳 [Cookbook](cookbook/README.md) | Copy-paste-ready recipes for building *with* the Copilot SDK | Never — these are docs for you, not for Copilot | — | ## Install a Plugin From 35adf4c4dd66c1aaa0d33985a0079fe894327918 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Doug Horner Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2026 09:54:23 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Potential fix for pull request finding Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --- README.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index e0f90d7e89..c77af1f518 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ New here? The quickest way to tell these apart is *when* each one reaches Copilo | Resource | Description | When it loads | Browse | |----------|-------------|---------------|--------| -| 🤖 [Agents](docs/README.agents.md) | A specialist persona: system prompt + allowed tools/MCP servers + an optional pinned model | When **you** pick it for a conversation | [All agents →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/agents) | +| 🤖 [Agents](docs/README.agents.md) | A specialist persona: system prompt + allowed tools/MCP servers + an optional pinned model | When you select or assign it, or another agent delegates work to it | [All agents →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/agents) | | 📋 [Instructions](docs/README.instructions.md) | Coding standards and repo conventions — prose only, no tools | **Automatically**, when a file matches its `applyTo` pattern | [All instructions →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/instructions) | | 🎯 [Skills](docs/README.skills.md) | Task procedures plus bundled scripts, templates, and reference data | **In two stages** — only the frontmatter `description` sits in context; the body and assets load when the agent opens the file | [All skills →](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/skills) | | 🪝 [Hooks](docs/README.hooks.md) | Shell commands wired to coding-agent lifecycle events like `sessionStart` or `preToolUse` | Never — hooks *run*, they don't enter the context window | [Browse hooks →](hooks/) |