Clarify startup message "No copilot-instructions.md found" to specify it means the repo-scoped file

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Avaliação

Dificuldade
1/5
Tempo estimado
1-3 horas
Facilidade para iniciantes
72/100
Tipo de issue
Funcionalidade
Clareza
Razoavelmente clara
Status de atividade
Pouca atividade
Stack de tecnologia
shell
Domínio
cli

Direção de pesquisa

Comece pelo caminho de início de sessão da CLI que emite "No copilot-instructions.md found." e rastreie como as instruções com escopo de repositório são verificadas. Atualize o texto para identificar o arquivo com escopo de repositório ausente, preservando o comportamento do escopo de usuário e de outras fontes de instruções; verifique o resultado durante a inicialização e com /env ou /instructions.

Escrita pelo modelo de indexação a partir do texto da issue.

Descrição

area:context-memory
Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve

On session start, the CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found." This wording is ambiguous.

Proposed solution

On session start, the CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found." This wording is ambiguous — it reads as though NO custom instructions were loaded at all, when in fact it only means the repository-scoped file (.github/copilot-instructions.md in the git root/cwd) is absent.

A user-scope file at $HOME/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md (and other supported sources like AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, $HOME/.copilot/instructions/**) may still be fully loaded and active. The current message caused me to believe none of my instructions were in effect, when my user-scope instructions actually were loaded.

Requested change / proposed solution: reword the message to name the specific missing file/scope, e.g. "No repository-scoped .github/copilot-instructions.md found" — and ideally note that user-scope or other instruction sources may still be active.

Benefits to GitHub Copilot CLI and its users:

  • Removes a misleading signal that makes users think their instructions aren't loaded.
  • Reduces confusion and wasted time spent debugging a non-issue.
  • Sets accurate expectations about which instruction scope is missing vs. active.
  • Encourages correct use of layered instruction sources (repo-scoped vs. user-scoped).
Example prompts or workflows
  1. User has a populated $HOME/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md with personal workflows.
  2. User starts a session in a repo that has no .github/copilot-instructions.md.
  3. CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found."
  4. User reasonably concludes NONE of their instructions loaded — but the user-scope file is active.
  5. Running /env confirms the user-scope instructions ARE loaded, contradicting the startup message.

Suggested improved message:
"No repository-scoped .github/copilot-instructions.md found. (User-scope and other instruction sources, if present, are still active — see /env or /instructions.)"

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14h 16min
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