GitHub Node for Visual Studio
Download this extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace
or get the CI build.
Adds a GitHub node to Solution Explorer that displays the contents of your repository's .github folder. Quickly access and manage GitHub-specific files like workflows, Copilot instructions, agents, and more — all without leaving Visual Studio.
Features
GitHub Node in Solution Explorer
The extension adds a dedicated GitHub node directly under your solution, providing easy access to the .github folder contents:
- Automatically detects the
.github folder in your repository
- Displays files and subfolders with appropriate icons
- Live updates when files are added, removed, or modified
- Double-click any file to open it in the editor
Context Menu Commands
Right-click on the GitHub node or any subfolder to quickly create new files:
Copilot Customization
- Add Copilot Instructions — Create a
copilot-instructions.md file with project-specific guidance for GitHub Copilot
- Add Agent — Create a custom Copilot agent (
.agent.md) in the Agents folder
- Add Prompt — Create a reusable prompt file (
.prompt.md) in the Prompts folder
- Add Skill — Create an agent skill folder with
skill.md in the Skills folder
GitHub Configuration
- Add Workflow — Create a new GitHub Actions workflow (
.yml) in the Workflows folder
- Add Dependabot Config — Create a
dependabot.yml for automated dependency updates
- Add Issue Template — Create an issue template in the
ISSUE_TEMPLATE folder
- Add Pull Request Template — Create a
PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md file
Utilities
- Open in File Explorer — Open the folder location in Windows File Explorer
File Templates
All created files come with helpful starter templates that follow best practices:
- Copilot Instructions — Sections for project overview, coding standards, architecture, and testing
- Agents — YAML frontmatter with name/description, plus sections for role, capabilities, and instructions
- Prompts — YAML frontmatter with mode and description, plus context and task sections
- Skills — YAML frontmatter with structured sections for purpose, instructions, and examples
- Workflows — Basic GitHub Actions workflow with common triggers and job structure
- Issue Templates — YAML frontmatter with description fields and standard issue sections
Requirements
- Visual Studio 2022 (17.0 or later)
- A solution with a
.github folder in the repository root
How It Works
The extension uses Visual Studio's Solution Explorer extensibility to add an attached collection node. It monitors the .github folder using a FileSystemWatcher to keep the display in sync with the file system.
Contribute
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