Overview
Shadow Pilot is a Visual Studio extension designed to work as a shadow agent alongside GitHub Copilot, enabling developers to apply predefined agent instructions on demand without disrupting their normal workflow.
The extension allows you to maintain a set of agent instruction files (plain text or prompt-style files) in a configurable folder. Each instruction file is automatically discovered and exposed as a Visual Studio menu command, making it easy to apply specific guidance, rules, or analysis prompts to GitHub Copilot with a single click.
Shadow Pilot does not replace GitHub Copilot. Instead, it complements it by providing a structured, repeatable way to inject contextual instructions when needed — such as coding standards, architectural rules, review prompts, or domain-specific guidance.
Key Capabilities
Dynamic menu generation
Menu items are automatically created based on agent instruction files found in a configured folder.
On-demand instruction injection
Agent instructions are injected into GitHub Copilot only when explicitly triggered by the user.
Configurable agent location
The agent instruction folder can be configured via:
Tools → Options → ShadowPilot → General → AgentsPath
Non-intrusive workflow
No background automation or continuous interception — actions occur only on user intent.
Extensible by design
New agents can be added simply by dropping new instruction files into the configured location.
Typical Use Cases
- Enforcing coding or architectural guidelines
- Applying domain- or project-specific instructions
- Running structured review or analysis prompts
- Providing reusable AI guidance across teams
Design Philosophy
Shadow Pilot is built with a clear separation of concerns:
- GitHub Copilot remains the primary AI assistant
- Shadow Pilot provides controlled, explicit instruction injection
- Developers stay in full control of when and how instructions are applied
This approach makes Shadow Pilot suitable for enterprise, team-based, and regulated environments where predictability and transparency matter.
Configuring Agents Path
Shadow Pilot uses agent instruction files stored on disk to dynamically generate menu actions in Visual Studio.
The location of these agent files can be configured using the Agents Path setting.
- Open Visual Studio
- Go to Tools → Options
- Navigate to ShadowPilot → General
- Set the AgentsPath to the folder containing your agent instruction files
- Click OK to save the configuration
Agents Path Requirements
- The path must point to a valid directory
- Each agent must be defined as a separate instruction file
- File names are used to generate menu entries automatically
- Changes take effect immediately or after reopening Visual Studio
Example Directory Structure
C:\ShadowPilot\Agents\
├── CodeReview.md
├── ArchitectureGuidelines.md
├── SecurityChecklist.md
