---
title: Support for different types of custom instructions
shortTitle: Custom instructions support
intro: 'Find out which environments support which types of custom instructions.'
versions:
  feature: copilot
contentType: reference
category:
  - Learn about Copilot
---

This reference article provides details of which types of custom instructions are supported in various environments. For more information about the various types of custom instructions for {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot %}, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/concepts/prompting/response-customization).

## {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}

{% comment %}
WRITING NOTE: The following tables have been written using HTML rather than Markdown due to the poor column width rendering of Markdown tables. In Markdown the columns have equal width, resulting in the first column being too wide, and the second column being too narrow for the text it contains.
{% endcomment %}

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-personal %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-organization %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_cloud_agent %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-organization %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-only %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-organization %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-only %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_cloud_agent %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>



## {% data variables.product.prodname_vs %}

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## JetBrains IDEs

In JetBrains IDEs, you can manage supported customizations from the Agent Customizations editor. In the {% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat %} panel, click the settings icon in the top-right, then click **Customizations**.

The editor lets you work with workspace customizations for the current project or personal customizations that follow you across projects. You can use it to view and edit {% data variables.copilot.custom_agents_short %}, manage reusable skills and prompt files, and configure instructions. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-instructions-in-your-ide/add-repository-instructions-in-your-ide) and [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/cloud-agent/create-custom-agents-in-your-ide).

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-personal %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_cloud_agent %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Eclipse

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_cloud_agent %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          <li style="text-indent: -1.6em;">Custom instructions are currently not supported.</li>
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Xcode

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 25%">{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} feature</th>
      <th>Types of custom instructions supported</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} </td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_cloud_agent %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>{% data variables.copilot.copilot_code-review_short %}</td>
      <td>
        <ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
          {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## {% data variables.copilot.copilot_cli_short %}

<ul style="list-style: none; padding-left: 1.5em; margin-left: 0;">
  {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-repository %}
  {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-path %}
  {% data reusables.copilot.ci-support-agents-all %}
  <li style="text-indent: -1.6em;"><span aria-hidden="true">👤</span> &nbsp;<strong>Personal</strong> instructions (using <code>~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md</code> or <code>~/.copilot/instructions/**/*.instructions.md</code> files).</li>
</ul>

## Further reading

* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions)
* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-personal-instructions)
* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions/add-organization-instructions)