What this prompt does
This prompt configures GitHub Copilot Enterprise's knowledge-base integration so suggestions draw on your internal documentation instead of guessing at your conventions. It identifies which repositories in [repo_list] to index for maximum suggestion quality, structures your [doc_type] documentation so Copilot can search and reference it during code generation, and creates Architecture Decision Records in [adr_format] that Copilot uses to enforce approved patterns. These indexing features are part of Copilot Enterprise specifically, not the lower tiers.
The structure works because Copilot Enterprise suggestion quality lives or dies on how well the knowledge base is organized for retrieval. It writes runbook templates Copilot references when developers ask about [operational_topics], a coding-standards document covering [standard_topics] formatted so Copilot treats it as authoritative, and indexing priorities so that [priority_repos] are indexed first and refreshed frequently. It also produces onboarding documentation new developers can query through Copilot chat to ramp up on [onboarding_topics], and defines [metric_count] metrics to track whether the knowledge base actually improves suggestion acceptance rates. Wiring ADRs, runbooks, and coding standards into context is what makes Copilot enforce your patterns instead of inventing its own.
When to use it
- You have Copilot Enterprise and want it to enforce your patterns instead of guessing.
- Your internal docs exist but are not structured for Copilot to search effectively.
- You want ADRs, runbooks, and coding standards wired into the suggestion context.
- You need indexing priorities so your most important repos stay freshest.
- You want new developers to ramp up by querying onboarding docs through Copilot chat.
- You want metrics to judge whether the knowledge base is paying off.
Example output
Expect an organizational blueprint rather than code. You get a prioritized list of repos to index from [repo_list], structural guidance for your [doc_type] docs, ADR templates in [adr_format], runbook templates for your operational topics, an authoritative coding-standards document, an indexing-priority scheme highlighting [priority_repos], queryable onboarding docs, and a set of effectiveness metrics. The deliverable is a plan for how to shape and prioritize your documentation so Copilot can actually retrieve the right context when it generates code.
Pro tips
- Choose
[repo_list]for signal rather than volume, since indexing noisy or dead repos can drag suggestion quality down. - Structure
[doc_type]docs with clear headings and consistent terminology so Copilot can retrieve the right passage instead of a near miss. - Write ADRs in
[adr_format], such as MADR, with explicit decisions and consequences so Copilot enforces patterns rather than opinions. - Refresh
[priority_repos]frequently, because stale indexed context produces confidently outdated suggestions. - Keep
[metric_count]metrics simple and honest, treating acceptance rate as a signal rather than exact proof of value. - Remember this applies to Copilot Enterprise specifically, since the knowledge-base indexing features are not present in the lower tiers.
