Learn Customization Course

learn/customizations/1-why-customization-matter.md

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+---
+ContentId: b1c2d3e4-f5a6-7b8c-9d0e-1f2a3b4c5d6e
+DateApproved: 04/17/2026
+MetaDescription: Learn why customization matters for getting the most out of GitHub Copilot in VS Code.
+MetaSocialImage: ../images/shared/agent-first-development-social.png
+---
+
+# Why customization matters
+
+Introduction to the Customization
+
+<!-- IMAGE PLACEHOLDER - YouTube thumbnail embed showing the Customization UI -->
+
+Most developers are using VS Code the same way: open chat, type something, and hope for a good result. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
+
+But here's the problem. They never configure it.
+
+VS Code is no longer just an editor. It's an environment where you can define how AI works across your entire workflow. And if you're not doing that, you're essentially starting from scratch every time.
+
+This guide covers what customization is, why it matters, and how to use the Customization UI in VS Code.
+
+Before you start: you'll need VS Code Insiders installed and the GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions set up and signed in.
+
+## What is Customization?
+
+Customization in VS Code Copilot Chat lets you define how the AI behaves, responds, and operates within your workflow.
+
+Instead of relying on one-off prompts, you can create reusable building blocks:
+
+- **Agents** - specialized modes for different tasks
+- **Skills** - domain-specific capabilities and workflows
+- **Instructions** - persistent rules and coding conventions
+- **Prompts** - reusable prompt templates
+- **Hooks** - automated actions triggered by events
+
+We'll cover the above in depth in later guides, but for now, just note that together these allow you to shape Copilot into a context-aware assistant that follows your standards, understands your project, and automates repetitive work.
+
+## Why Customization Matters
+
+You may ask yourself: Is customization really needed? Why not just jump into doing the work without it? Without customization, every interaction looks like this:
+
+- You restate context
+- You restate expectations
+- You restate how you want things done
+
+This leads to:
+
+- Inconsistent results
+- More effort
+- More trial and error
+
+Customization changes that. It allows you to:
+
+- Define behavior once
+- Reuse it across your workflow
+- Get consistent, higher-quality outputs
+
+Instead of prompting better, you're building a system that works for you.
+
+## The Customization UI
+
+VS Code provides a single place to manage all customization features.
+
+To get started:
+
+1. Open Copilot Chat (click the Chat icon).
+2. Click the Configure (gear) icon in the Chat panel header.
+
+<!-- IMAGE PLACEHOLDER - Chat screenshot -->
+![Chat icon with gear](../images/customizations/chat-icon-gear.png)
+
+This opens the Customization UI.
+
+<!-- IMAGE PLACEHOLDER - Customization UI screenshot -->
+![Chat customizations UI](../images/customizations/chat-customizations.png)
+From here, you can create and manage:
+
+- Agents
+- Skills
+- Custom instructions
+- Prompt files
+- Hooks
+
+Instead of searching across folders, everything is centralized for easier discovery and management.
+
+The Customization UI brings everything into one place. It makes it easier to define how your development environment behaves, not just what it generates. That's the shift.
+
+Instead of interacting with AI one prompt at a time, you're building a system that consistently works the way you want.
+
+## What's Next
+
+You now understand what customization is and how the Customization UI brings it all together.
+
+To learn more about each customization type and how to use them effectively, continue with the customization guides and videos in this series.
+
+## Learn more
+- [Download VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
+- Set up GitHub Copilot in VS Code
+- Copilot Chat panel docs
+- Choosing an AI model for Copilot Chat

learn/customizations/2-prompt-files.md

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+---
+ContentId: c2d3e4f5-a6b7-8c9d-0e1f-2a3b4c5d6e7f
+DateApproved: 04/17/2026
+MetaDescription: Learn how to use prompt files to customize GitHub Copilot in VS Code.
+MetaSocialImage: ../images/shared/agent-first-development-social.png
+---
+
+# **Introduction to Prompt Files**
+
+IMAGE PLACEHOLDER — YouTube thumbnail embed showing Prompt Files UI
+
+If you’re constantly repeating prompts, you’re doing too much.
+
+Most developers still rely on typing instructions over and over in chat. It works sometimes, but it’s inefficient and inconsistent. There’s a better way to handle repeatable workflows.
+
+This guide covers what prompt files are, why they matter, and how to use them effectively in VS Code.
+
+---
+
+## **What Are Prompt Files?**
+
+[Prompt files](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/prompt-files) are reusable markdown files that define instructions or context for chat sessions.
+
+Instead of rewriting the same prompt repeatedly, you create it once and reference it whenever needed. This allows you to standardize workflows across projects or even across teams.
+
+They act as reusable building blocks for common tasks you perform during development.
+
+---
+
+## **Why Prompt Files Matter**
+
+Without prompt files, every interaction looks the same:
+
+- You restate the task
+- You restate the context
+- You restate how you want it done
+
+This leads to:
+
+- repetitive work
+- inconsistent outputs
+- slower workflows
+
+Prompt files solve this by letting you define instructions once and reuse them whenever needed.
+
+Instead of prompting better, you’re building a system that works for you.
+
+---
+
+## **Example: Quiz Your Codebase**
+
+One practical use of prompt files is learning or reviewing code.
+
+In this example, a prompt file was created to quiz you on the currently open files in your project.
+
+![chat customizations](../images/customizations/chat-customizations.png)
+This prompt filet:
+
+- analyzes the current code context
+- generates multiple choice questions
+- helps reinforce understanding of unfamiliar code
+
+Once created, you can trigger it directly from chat using `/quiz-open-files`.
+
+![prompt file from chat](../images/customizations/ep%202.2%20prompt%20file%20from%20chat.png)
+
+Instead of manually writing a long prompt every time, the logic is already defined and ready to reuse.
+
+---
+
+## **When Prompt Files Make Sense**
+
+Prompt files are most useful when:
+
+- you repeat the same task multiple times
+- the prompt contains detailed instructions
+- you want consistent results across files or projects
+
+If something is only done once, a prompt file may not be necessary.
+
+But for repeated workflows, they become extremely valuable.
+
+---
+
+## **Creating a Prompt File**
+
+You can create prompt files directly from the chat interface.
+
+![prompt to create](../images/customizations/ep%202.3%20prompt%20to%20create.png)
+
+Start by triggering the create command and defining your intent.
+
+For example, you might create a prompt to:
+
+- simplify and reduce bloated code
+- explain what changes were made
+- apply only to open files
+
+Once created, the prompt file is stored and can be reused instantly.
+
+You can review and modify it at any time from the Customization UI.
+
+---
+
+## **Workspace vs User-Level Prompts**
+
+By default, prompt files may be created at the workspace level.
+
+This means they are tied to a specific project.
+
+If you want to reuse them across multiple projects, move them to the user level instead.
+
+This allows you to build a personal library of reusable AI workflows.
+
+![workspace vs user](../images/customizations/ep%202.4%20workspace%20v%20user.png)
+
+---
+
+## **Example: Refactoring Code**
+
+A prompt file can also be used to improve code quality.
+
+For example:
+
+- reduce bloated code
+- simplify logic
+- explain optimizations
+
+When executed, the AI not only updates the code but also explains what was changed and why.
+
+This makes it easier to evaluate different models and approaches based on efficiency and clarity.
+
+---
+
+## **The Bigger Shift**
+
+The real value of prompt files is not just convenience.
+
+It’s the shift from:
+
+**one-off prompting → reusable systems**
+
+Instead of rewriting instructions every time, you define them once and reuse them across your workflow.
+
+This leads to faster development and more consistent AI behavior.
+
+---
+
+## **What’s Next**
+
+Prompt files are just one part of the customization system.
+
+If you want even more control over how AI behaves, the next step is exploring custom instructions.
+
+---
+
+## **Learn more**
+
+- [Download VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
+- [Set up GitHub Copilot in VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/setup)
+- [Copilot Chat panel docs](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/copilot-chat)
+- [Choosing an AI model for Copilot Chat](https://docs.github.com/copilot/using-github-copilot/ai-models/changing-the-ai-model-for-copilot-chat)