title	description	author	ms.date	ms.topic	keywords	estimated_reading_time
GitHub Copilot Custom Agents	Specialized AI agents for planning, research, prompt engineering, documentation, and code review workflows	HVE Core Team	2026-01-18	guide	copilot custom agents ai assistants task planning code review	6

Specialized GitHub Copilot behaviors for common development workflows. Each custom agent is optimized for specific tasks with custom instructions and context.

Quick Start

1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat view (Ctrl+Alt+I or Cmd+Alt+I)
2. Click the agent picker dropdown at the top of the chat panel
3. Select the desired agent from the list
4. Enter your request and press Enter

Example:

• Select "task-planner" from the dropdown
• Type: "Create a plan to add Docker SHA validation"
• Press Enter

Requirements: GitHub Copilot subscription, VS Code with Copilot extension, proper workspace configuration (see Getting Started)

Available Agents

Select from the agent picker dropdown in the Chat view:

RPI Workflow Agents

The Research-Plan-Implement (RPI) workflow provides a structured approach to complex development tasks.

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
rpi-agent	Autonomous agent with subagent delegation for complex tasks	Requires runSubagent tool enabled
task-researcher	Produces research documents with evidence-based recommendations	Research-only; never plans or implements
task-planner	Creates 3-file plan sets (plan, details, prompt)	Requires research first; never implements code
task-implementor	Executes implementation plans with subagent delegation	Requires completed plan files

Documentation and Planning Agents

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
prd-builder	Creates Product Requirements Documents through guided Q&A	Iterative questioning; state-tracked sessions
brd-builder	Creates Business Requirements Documents with reference integration	Solution-agnostic requirements focus
adr-creation	Interactive ADR coaching with guided discovery	Socratic coaching approach
security-plan-creator	Creates comprehensive cloud security plans from blueprints	Blueprint-driven threat modeling

Code and Review Agents

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
pr-review	4-phase PR review with tracking artifacts	Review-only; never modifies code
prompt-builder	Engineers and validates instruction/prompt files	Dual-persona system with auto-testing

Generator Agents

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
gen-jupyter-notebook	Creates structured EDA notebooks from data sources	Requires data dictionaries
gen-streamlit-dashboard	Develops multi-page Streamlit dashboards	Uses Context7 for documentation
gen-data-spec	Generates data dictionaries and profiles	Produces JSON and markdown artifacts
arch-diagram-builder	Builds ASCII block diagrams from Azure IaC	Parses Terraform, Bicep, ARM scripts

Platform Integration Agents

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
github-issue-manager	Interactive GitHub issue filing and navigation	Uses MCP GitHub tools
ado-prd-to-wit	Analyzes PRDs and plans Azure DevOps work item hierarchies	Planning-only; does not create work items
hve-core-installer	Decision-driven HVE-Core installation with 6 methods	Environment detection and validation

Testing Agents

Agent	Purpose	Key Constraint
test-streamlit-dashboard	Automated Streamlit testing with Playwright	Requires running Streamlit application

Agent Details

rpi-agent

Creates: Subagent research artifacts when needed:

• .copilot-tracking/subagent/YYYY-MM-DD/topic-research.md

Workflow: Understand → Implement → Verify → Continue or Complete

Critical: Requires runSubagent tool enabled. Delegates MCP tools, heavy terminal commands, and complex research to subagents. Provides autonomous execution with loop guard for detecting stuck states.

task-researcher

Creates: Single authoritative research document:

• .copilot-tracking/research/YYYYMMDD-topic-research.md
• .copilot-tracking/subagent/YYYYMMDD/task-research.md

Workflow: Deep tool-based research → Document findings → Consolidate to one approach → Hand off to planner

Critical: Research-only specialist. Uses runSubagent tool. Continuously refines document. Never plans or implements.

task-planner

Creates: Three interconnected files per task:

• .copilot-tracking/plans/YYYYMMDD-task-plan.instructions.md
• .copilot-tracking/details/YYYYMMDD-task-details.md
• .copilot-tracking/prompts/implement-task.prompt.md

Workflow: Validates research → Creates plan files → User implements separately

Critical: Automatically calls task-researcher if research is missing. Treats all user input as planning requests. Never implements actual code.

task-implementor

Creates: Change tracking logs:

• .copilot-tracking/changes/YYYYMMDD-task-changes.md

Workflow: Analyze plan → Dispatch subagents per phase → Track progress → Validate

Critical: Requires completed plan files. Uses subagent architecture for parallel phase execution. Updates tracking artifacts after each phase.

prompt-builder

Creates: Instruction files and prompt files:

• .github/instructions/*.instructions.md
• .copilot-tracking/prompts/*.prompt.md

Workflow: Research sources → Draft → Auto-validate with Prompt Tester → Iterate (up to 3 cycles)

Critical: Dual-persona system with execution and evaluation subagents. Uses sandbox environment for testing. Links to authoritative sources.

pr-review

Creates: Review tracking files in normalized branch folders:

• .copilot-tracking/pr/review/{normalized-branch}/in-progress-review.md
• .copilot-tracking/pr/review/{normalized-branch}/pr-reference.xml
• .copilot-tracking/pr/review/{normalized-branch}/handoff.md

Workflow: 4 phases (Initialize → Analyze → Collaborative Review → Finalize)

Critical: Review-only. Never modifies code. Evaluates 8 dimensions: functional correctness, design, idioms, reusability, performance, reliability, security, documentation.

prd-builder

Creates: Product requirements documents with session state:

• docs/prds/<kebab-case-name>.md
• .copilot-tracking/prd-sessions/<kebab-case-name>.state.json

Workflow: Assess → Discover → Create → Build → Integrate → Validate → Finalize

Critical: Iterative questioning with refinement checklists. Maintains session state for continuity. Integrates user-provided references automatically.

brd-builder

Creates: Business requirements documents with session state:

• docs/brds/<kebab-case-name>-brd.md
• .copilot-tracking/brd-sessions/<kebab-case-name>.state.json

Workflow: Assess → Discover → Create → Elicit → Integrate → Validate → Finalize

Critical: Solution-agnostic requirements focus. Links every requirement to business objectives. Supports session resume after context summarization.

adr-creation

Creates: Architecture Decision Records:

• .copilot-tracking/adrs/{{topic-name}}-draft.md (working draft)
• docs/decisions/YYYY-MM-DD-{{topic}}.md (final location)

Workflow: Discovery → Research → Analysis → Documentation

Critical: Uses Socratic coaching methods. Guides users through decision-making process. Adapts coaching style to experience level.

security-plan-creator

Creates: Security plans and implementation artifacts:

• security-plan-outputs/security-plan-{blueprint-name}.md
• .copilot-tracking/plans/security-plan-{blueprint-name}.plan.md

Workflow: Blueprint Selection → Architecture Analysis → Threat Assessment → Plan Generation → Validation

Critical: Requires blueprint infrastructure (Terraform or Bicep). Maps threats to specific system components. Generates iteratively with user feedback per section.

gen-jupyter-notebook

Creates: Exploratory data analysis notebooks:

• notebooks/*.ipynb

Workflow: Context Gathering → Notebook Generation → Validation

Critical: Follows standard section layout with 13 required sections. Uses Plotly Express for interactive visualizations. References existing data dictionaries.

gen-streamlit-dashboard

Creates: Multi-page Streamlit applications:

• Dashboard pages and components

Workflow: Project Setup → Core Dashboard Development → Advanced Features → Refinement

Critical: Uses Context7 for current Streamlit documentation. Supports AutoGen chat integration when reference scripts exist.

gen-data-spec

Creates: Data documentation artifacts:

• outputs/data-dictionary-[dataset]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md
• outputs/data-profile-[dataset]-[YYYY-MM-DD].json
• outputs/data-objectives-[dataset]-[YYYY-MM-DD].json
• outputs/data-summary-[dataset]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md

Workflow: Confirm Scope → Discover Data → Sample & Infer Schema → Profile → Clarify → Emit Artifacts

Critical: Produces machine-readable profiles for downstream consumption. Follows strict JSON schemas. Minimal clarifying questions.

arch-diagram-builder

Creates: ASCII architecture diagrams in markdown:

• Inline diagrams with legend and key relationships

Workflow: Discovery → Parsing → Relationship Mapping → Generation

Critical: Parses Terraform, Bicep, ARM, or shell scripts. Uses pure ASCII for consistent alignment. Groups by network boundary.

github-issue-manager

Creates: Issue tracking artifacts:

• .copilot-tracking/github-issues/issue-{number}.md
• .copilot-tracking/github-issues/session-state.md

Workflow: Issue Creation | Issue Navigation | Issue Search

Critical: Uses MCP GitHub tools. Translates natural language to GitHub search syntax. Maintains session context across turns.

ado-prd-to-wit

Creates: Work item planning files:

• .copilot-tracking/workitems/prds/<artifact-normalized-name>/planning-log.md
• .copilot-tracking/workitems/prds/<artifact-normalized-name>/work-items.md
• .copilot-tracking/workitems/prds/<artifact-normalized-name>/handoff.md

Workflow: Analyze PRD → Discover Codebase → Discover Related Work Items → Refine → Finalize Handoff

Critical: Planning-only. Uses ADO MCP tools for work item discovery. Supports Epics, Features, and User Stories.

hve-core-installer

Creates: Installation configuration and tracking:

• .hve-tracking.json (for agent copy tracking)
• Settings updates in .vscode/settings.json

Workflow: Environment Detection → Decision Matrix → Installation → Validation → Agent Customization

Critical: Supports 6 installation methods plus extension quick install. Detects environment type automatically. Validates installation before reporting success.

test-streamlit-dashboard

Creates: Test reports and issue documentation:

• Test results summary
• Issue registry with reproduction steps

Workflow: Environment Setup → Functional Testing → Data Validation → Performance Assessment → Issue Reporting

Critical: Uses Playwright for browser automation. Requires running Streamlit application. Categorizes issues by severity.

Common Workflows

Autonomous Task Completion

1. Select rpi-agent from agent picker
2. Provide your request
3. Agent autonomously researches, implements, and verifies
4. Review results; agent continues if more work remains
5. Requires runSubagent tool enabled in settings

Planning a Feature

1. Select task-researcher from agent picker and create research document
2. Review research and provide decisions on approach
3. Clear context or start new chat
4. Select task-planner from agent picker and attach research doc
5. Generate 3-file plan set
6. Use /task-implement to execute the plan (automatically switches to task-implementor)

Code Review

1. Select pr-review from agent picker
2. Automatically runs 4-phase protocol
3. Collaborate during Phase 3 (review items)
4. Receive handoff.md with final PR comments

Creating Instructions

1. Select prompt-builder from agent picker
2. Draft instruction file with conventions
3. Auto-validates with Prompt Tester persona
4. Iterates up to 3 times for quality
5. Delivered to .github/instructions/

Creating Documentation

1. Select prd-builder or brd-builder from agent picker
2. Answer guided questions about the product or business initiative
3. Provide references and supporting materials
4. Review and refine iteratively
5. Finalize when quality gates pass

Important Notes

• Linting Exemption: Files in .copilot-tracking/** are exempt from repository linting rules
• Agent Switching: Clear context or start a new chat when switching between specialized agents
• Research First: Task planner requires completed research; will automatically invoke researcher if missing
• No Implementation: Task planner and researcher never implement actual project code—they create planning artifacts only
• Subagent Requirements: Several agents require the runSubagent tool enabled in Copilot settings

Tips

• Be specific in your requests for better results
• Provide context about what you're working on
• Review generated outputs before using
• Chain agents together for complex tasks
• Use the RPI workflow (Researcher → Planner → Implementor) for substantial features

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🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.