GitHub Copilot

Set up pair with GitHub Copilot — configure .github/agents, copilot-instructions.md, and follow the bridge pattern.

Prerequisites

GitHub Copilot with agent mode enabled
VS Code or compatible editor with Copilot extension
A pair-enabled project (pair-cli init completed, .pair/ directory exists)
Node.js 18+

Configure Agent File

GitHub Copilot in agent mode reads project instructions from .github/ at the repository root. pair generates these bridge files during pair-cli init.

.github/agents/

pair creates role-specific agent files that define different working modes:

your-project/
├── .github/
│   ├── agents/
│   │   ├── product-manager.agent.md    ← planning & strategy
│   │   ├── staff-engineer.agent.md     ← architecture & review
│   │   └── product-engineer.agent.md   ← implementation & tasks
│   ├── copilot-instructions.md         ← general Copilot context
│   └── skills/                         ← symlinks to .claude/skills/
├── .pair/
│   ├── knowledge/
│   └── adoption/
└── ...

Each agent file includes:

A YAML header with description and tools access list
Core responsibilities mapped to specific how-to guides
Skills that the agent can invoke
Success criteria for the role

copilot-instructions.md

General project instructions that Copilot reads for all interactions. Contains the same quick-start context as AGENTS.md — essential commands, key references, and coding conventions.

The Bridge Pattern

.github/agents/ and copilot-instructions.md point to .pair/ — the single source of truth:

.github/agents/          ──→ .pair/knowledge/how-to/  (process guides)
copilot-instructions.md  ──→ .pair/adoption/          (your decisions)
                         ──→ .pair/knowledge/         (guidelines)

Use Skills

Skills are available in .github/skills/ as symlinks to the canonical copies in .claude/skills/. In agent mode, reference a skill by pointing Copilot to the SKILL.md file:

@workspace Follow .github/skills/pair-process-implement/SKILL.md to implement story #42

Agent Modes

The three agent files provide different working contexts:

Agent	Use When
`product-manager`	Planning initiatives, creating stories, refining requirements
`staff-engineer`	Architecture decisions, code review, project setup
`product-engineer`	Implementing tasks, writing code, creating PRs

Common Skills

Skill	Purpose
`pair-next`	Determine next action based on project state
`pair-process-implement`	Implement a story task by task
`pair-process-review`	Structured code review
`pair-process-refine-story`	Refine a story with acceptance criteria

For the full catalog, see Skills Catalog.

Workflow Tips

Choosing the Right Agent

Start with product-engineer for most development work. Switch to product-manager when planning or refining stories, and staff-engineer for architecture decisions or code review.

The .github/agents/ structure is already in your repository. Team members using Copilot get role-specific context automatically. Members using other AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor) get equivalent context through their own bridge files.

Skills as Symlinks

Skills in .github/skills/ are symlinks to .claude/skills/, keeping all tools in sync. pair-cli update refreshes everything at once.

Verify It Works

Open VS Code with Copilot agent mode in your pair-enabled project. Select the product-engineer agent and ask:

Read the pair adoption files and tell me what project I'm working on

Expected output: Copilot reads .github/agents/product-engineer.agent.md, follows the references to .pair/adoption/, and describes your project context. If it doesn't find the agent files, check that pair-cli init completed successfully.