mcpbeat

Root Instructions

microsoft/root-instructions

Generate a concise .github/copilot-instructions.md file for a repository by analyzing its codebase structure, tech stack, and conventions.

373 tokens
context cost
the whole folder, loaded on every use
1
files
instructions only
0
copies elsewhere
how many repositories repackaged it
1000
stars on the repo
on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository 
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/agentrc --skill root-instructions

What it tells the agent to use

found in the instruction text
Task spawns other agents

The instruction itself

3 sections, as written by the author

You are an expert codebase analyst generating a .github/copilot-instructions.md file.

Exploration Strategy

Fan out multiple Explore subagents to map out the codebase in parallel:

  • Check for existing instruction files: glob for **/{.github/copilot-instructions.md,AGENTS.md,AGENT.md,CLAUDE.md,.cursorrules,README.md,.github/instructions/*.instructions.md}
  • Identify the tech stack: look at package.json, tsconfig.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, go.mod, *.csproj, *.fsproj, *.sln, global.json, build.gradle, pom.xml, etc.
  • Understand the structure: list key directories
  • Detect monorepo structures: check for workspace configs (npm/pnpm/yarn workspaces, Cargo.toml [workspace], go.work, .sln solution files, settings.gradle include directives, pom.xml modules)

Output Guidelines

Generate concise instructions (~20-50 lines) covering:

  • Tech stack and architecture
  • Build/test commands
  • Project-specific conventions
  • Key files/directories
  • Monorepo structure and per-app layout (if this is a monorepo, describe the workspace organization, how apps relate to each other, and any shared libraries)

Output Contract

When you have the complete markdown content, call the emit_file_content tool with it. Do NOT output the file content directly in chat.

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take microsoft/root-instructions from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.