Skill: sync-to-copilot
Sync Claude Code knowledge to GitHub Copilot instructions. Two-tier output: project-specific + common protocol.
Quick Summary
Purpose: Keep Copilot instructions in sync with Claude Code workflows, dev rules, and project-reference docs.
Architecture (Two-Tier):
.github/copilot-instructions.md— Project-specific (always loaded by Copilot)
- TL;DR golden rules, decision table - Project-reference docs index with READ prompts - Key file locations, dev commands
.github/instructions/common-protocol.instructions.md— Generic protocols (applyTo:**/*)
- Prompt protocol, before-editing rules - Workflow catalog (from workflows.json) - Workflow execution protocol - Development rules (from development-rules.md)
.github/instructions/{group}.instructions.md— Per-group (applyTo: file patterns)
- Enhanced summaries per doc with READ prompts - Groups: backend, frontend, styling, testing, project
What gets synced:
- Workflow catalog (from workflows.json) — SCRIPT-GENERATED
- Dev rules (from development-rules.md) — SCRIPT-GENERATED
- Project-reference summaries (from copilot-registry.json) — SCRIPT-GENERATED
- Enriched section headings and key patterns — AI-GENERATED (this skill)
Usage:
/sync-to-copilotScript: .claude/scripts/sync-copilot-workflows.cjs
Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).
When to Use This Skill
Trigger this skill when:
- Workflows added/modified — After editing
.claude/workflows.json - Development rules changed — After editing
.claude/docs/development-rules.md - Project-reference docs updated — After modifying files in
docs/project-reference/ - Registry entries changed — After editing
docs/copilot-registry.json - Regular maintenance — Quarterly sync to ensure Copilot parity
- Copilot setup — First-time Copilot instructions creation
Workflow
Phase 1: Script Generation (Automated)
node .claude/scripts/sync-copilot-workflows.cjsThis generates:
.github/copilot-instructions.md— project-specific with registry summaries.github/instructions/common-protocol.instructions.md— generic protocols.github/instructions/{group}.instructions.md— per-group instruction files- Removes old
.github/common.copilot-instructions.mdif it exists
Phase 2: AI Enrichment (This Skill)
After the script runs, the AI MUST ATTENTION enrich the generated instruction files:
- For each per-group instruction file in
.github/instructions/:
- Read the corresponding docs/project-reference/*.md source file - Extract the ## section headings from the source file - Add a "Key Sections" list under each doc entry showing the headings - Keep it concise — headings only, no content duplication
- For
.github/copilot-instructions.md:
- Verify the TL;DR golden rules in docs/copilot-registry.json → projectInstructions.goldenRules still match CLAUDE.md - Check if any new project-reference files exist but are missing from docs/copilot-registry.json - If missing entries found, add them to the registry and re-run the script
- For
docs/copilot-registry.json:
- Verify each summary field accurately describes the current file content - Update stale summaries based on actual file content - Add entries for any new docs/project-reference/*.md files
Phase 3: Verification
Check that:
.github/copilot-instructions.mdcontains project-specific content.github/instructions/common-protocol.instructions.mdcontains protocols + workflow catalog- Per-group instruction files contain READ prompts
- No old
common.copilot-instructions.mdfile remains - Workflow count matches workflows.json
- All project-reference files are represented in the registry
AI Enrichment Protocol
When enriching per-group instruction files, follow this pattern for each doc entry:
## [Doc Title](relative/path)
**Summary:** One-line summary from registry.
**Key Sections:**
- Section 1 Name
- Section 2 Name
- Section 3 Name
- ...
> **READ** `docs/project-reference/filename.md` when: trigger descriptionRules:
- Extract ONLY
##level headings from the source file (not###or deeper) - Do NOT copy content — just list heading names
- Keep the READ prompt from the registry
whenToReadfield - If a file is very large (>30KB), note the file size:
(~59KB - read relevant sections)
Output Files
| File | Type | Content |
|---|---|---|
.github/copilot-instructions.md | Project-specific | TL;DR + project-reference index + READ prompts |
.github/instructions/common-protocol.instructions.md | Generic (applyTo: **/*) | Prompt protocol + workflow catalog + dev rules |
.github/instructions/backend-csharp.instructions.md | Backend (applyTo: **/*.cs) | Backend doc summaries + READ prompts |
.github/instructions/frontend-angular.instructions.md | Frontend (applyTo: **/*.ts,**/*.html) | Frontend doc summaries + READ prompts |
.github/instructions/styling-scss.instructions.md | Styling (applyTo: **/*.scss,**/*.css) | Styling doc summaries + READ prompts |
.github/instructions/testing.instructions.md | Testing (applyTo: **/*Test*/**,...) | Testing doc summaries + READ prompts |
.github/instructions/project-reference.instructions.md | Cross-cutting (applyTo: **/*) | General project doc summaries + READ prompts |
Copilot Limitations
Copilot can't enforce protocols like Claude Code hooks:
- No blocking operations (edit-enforcement, search-before-code)
- Relies on LLM instruction-following (not guaranteed)
- Protocols are advisory, not enforced
- No runtime context injection — all context must be in instruction files
Benefits:
- Consistent guidance across AI tools
- Same workflow detection for Claude and Copilot users
- READ prompts enable on-demand context loading
- Automated sync reduces configuration drift
Troubleshooting
Issue: "workflows.json not found"
Solution: Ensure you're running from project root
Issue: Missing project-reference files in registry
Solution: Add entries to docs/copilot-registry.json, then re-run script
Issue: Stale summaries
Solution: Run this skill — AI will read files and update summaries
Related Skills
/ai-dev-tools-sync— Broader Claude/Copilot sync (skills, prompts, agents)/sync-copilot-workflows— Workflow-only sync (subset of this skill)
References
- Script:
.claude/scripts/sync-copilot-workflows.cjs - Registry:
docs/copilot-registry.json - Sources:
.claude/workflows.json,.claude/docs/development-rules.md - Main output:
.github/copilot-instructions.md - Instruction files:
.github/instructions/*.instructions.md
Closing Reminders
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using
TaskCreateBEFORE starting - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite
file:lineevidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act) - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality