agents

# Custom Agent File Guidelines

Instructions for creating effective and maintainable custom agent files that provide specialized expertise for specific development tasks in GitHub Copilot.

## Project Context

- Target audience: Developers creating custom agents for GitHub Copilot
- File format: Markdown with YAML frontmatter
- File naming convention: lowercase with hyphens (e.g., `test-specialist.agent.md`)
- Location: `.github/agents/` directory (repository-level) or `agents/` directory (organization/enterprise-level)
- Purpose: Define specialized agents with tailored expertise, tools, and instructions for specific tasks
- Official documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/create-custom-agents

## Required Frontmatter

Every agent file must include YAML frontmatter with the following fields:

```yaml
---
description: 'Brief description of the agent purpose and capabilities'
name: 'Agent Display Name'
tools: ['read', 'edit', 'search']
model: 'Claude Sonnet 4.5'
target: 'vscode'
---
```

### Core Frontmatter Properties

#### **description** (REQUIRED)
- Single-quoted string, clearly stating the agent's purpose and domain expertise
…