prompts/docs/copilot.md

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Copilot MCP Mechanics

Purpose

This page explains how GitHub Copilot in VS Code consumes native skill resources and prompts from personal-mcp.

Capability Lanes

Copilot interacts with MCP servers through independently exposed lanes:

1. tools invoked during execution
2. resources attached as read-only context
3. server-provided prompts

This server publishes skills as native skill:// resources and prompts as native MCP prompt objects.

Native Skill Resources

For every skill, Copilot can discover:

1. skill://<name>/SKILL.md
2. skill://<name>/_manifest
3. skill://<name>/{path*} supporting-file template

The main resource description comes from SKILL.md. The manifest discloses supporting paths, sizes, and SHA256 hashes. This is the only skill discovery contract; there is no parallel skill catalog.

Resource Picker Availability

MCP Resources... in Add Context requires both:

1. a connected server advertising resource capability
2. a chat surface that exposes MCP resource attachment

A successful resources/list response does not guarantee the picker appears in every session type. Use MCP: Browse Resources to distinguish server availability from chat UI availability.

Recommended Workflow

1. browse the server's resources
2. attach one relevant skill://<name>/SKILL.md
3. attach _manifest only if supporting detail may be needed
4. attach only selected supporting files

Prompt Examples

Resource attachment:

Use the attached personal-mcp skill as guidance, then reconcile it with the repository before proposing changes.

Direct loading:

Read skill://async-fastapi-sqlmodel/SKILL.md and apply only the sections relevant to this repository.

Supporting material:

Read skill://pytesting/_manifest, select the one reference relevant to async test lifecycle, and use that file with the main skill instructions.

Repository Instruction Pattern

A repo-level instruction should name the native retrieval order and context budget:

When a task matches a personal-mcp skill:

1. Prefer an already attached native skill resource.
2. Otherwise browse MCP resources and select one `skill://<name>/SKILL.md` resource by description.
3. Read `_manifest` only when supporting material is needed.
4. Load at most two candidate main files and only the relevant supporting paths.
5. Reconcile guidance with the current repository before editing.

Instructions steer behavior but do not force VS Code to attach resources automatically.

Prompt Objects

Prompt modules remain separate from skills. When the client supports MCP prompt APIs, use prompt listing and get_prompt for parameterized workflows. Authored PROMPT.md remains the source of truth for each prompt.

Troubleshooting

1. Use MCP: List Servers to confirm the server is enabled.
2. Use MCP: Browse Resources to confirm native skill resources exist.
3. Restart the MCP server after changing skill files because production uses reload=False.
4. Reload the VS Code window if the server is healthy but the resource picker remains stale.

Further Reading

1. FastMCP Skills Provider
2. Add and manage MCP servers
3. MCP configuration reference
4. Manage context for AI
5. Skill Usage Mechanics