/copilot-spaces

name: copilot-spaces
description: 'Use Copilot Spaces to provide project-specific context to conversations. Use this skill when users mention a "Copilot space", want to load context from a shared knowledge base, discover available spaces, or ask questions grounded in curated project documentation, code, and instructions.'

Copilot Spaces

Use Copilot Spaces to bring curated, project-specific context into conversations. A Space is a shared collection of repositories, files, documentation, and instructions that grounds Copilot responses in your team's actual code and knowledge.

Available Tools

MCP Tools (Read-only)

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | `mcp__github__list_copilot_spaces` | List all spaces accessible to the current user | | `mcp__github__get_copilot_space` | Load a space's full context by owner and name |

REST API via `gh api` (Full CRUD)

The Spaces REST API supports creating, updating, deleting spaces, and managing collaborators. The MCP server only exposes read operations, so use `gh api` for writes.

**User Spaces:**

| Method | Endpoint | Purpose | |--------|----------|---------| | `POST` | `/users/{username}/copilot-spaces` | Create a space | | `GET` | `/users/{username}/copilot-spaces` | List spaces | | `GET` | `/users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number}` | Get a space | | `PUT` | `/users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number}` | Update a space | | `DELETE` | `/users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number}` | Delete a space |

**Organization Spaces:** Same pattern under `/orgs/{org}/copilot-spaces/...`

**Collaborators:** Add, list, update, and remove collaborators at `.../collaborators`

**Scope requirements:** PAT needs `read:user` for reads, `user` for writes. Add with `gh auth refresh -h github.com -s user`.

**Note:** This API is functional but not yet in the public REST API docs. It may require the `copilot_spaces_api` feature flag.

When to Use Spaces

• User mentions "Copilot space" or asks to "load a space"
• User wants answers grounded in specific project docs, code, or standards
• User asks "what spaces are available?" or "find a space for X"
• User needs onboarding context, architecture docs, or team-specific guidance
• User wants to follow a structured workflow defined in a Space (templates, checklists, multi-step processes)

Workflow

1. Discover Spaces

When a user asks what spaces are available or you need to find the right space:

Call mcp__github__list_copilot_spaces

This returns all spaces the user can access, each with a `name` and `owner_login`. Present relevant matches to the user.

To filter for a specific user's spaces, match `owner_login` against the username (e.g., "show me my spaces").

2. Load a Space

When a user names a specific space or you've identified the right one:

Call mcp__github__get_copilot_space with:
  owner: "org-or-user"    (the owner_login from the list)
  name: "Space Name"      (exact space name, case-sensitive)

This returns the space's full content: attached documentation, code context, custom instructions, and any other curated materials. Use this context to inform your responses.

3. Follow the Breadcrumbs

Space content often references external resources: GitHub issues, dashboards, repos, discussions, or other tools. Proactively fetch these using other MCP tools to gather complete context. For example:

• A space references an initiative tracking issue. Use `issue_read` to get the latest comments.
• A space links to a project board. Use project tools to check current status.
• A space mentions a repo's masterplan. Use `get_file_contents` to read it.

4. Answer or Execute

Once loaded, use the space content based on what it contains:

**If the space contains reference material** (docs, code, standards):

• Answer questions about the project's architecture, patterns, or standards
• Generate code that follows the team's conventions
• Debug issues using project-specific knowledge

**If the space contains workflow instructions** (templates, step-by-step processes):

• Follow the workflow as defined, step by step
• Gather data from the sources the workflow specifies
• Produce output in the format the workflow defines
• Show progress after each step so the user can steer

5. Manage Spaces (via `gh api`)

When a user wants to create, update, or delete a space, use `gh api`. First, find the space number from the list endpoint.

**Update a space's instructions:**

gh api users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number} \
  -X PUT \
  -f general_instructions="New instructions here"

**Update name, description, or instructions together:**

gh api users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number} \
  -X PUT \
  -f name="Updated Name" \
  -f description="Updated description" \
  -f general_instructions="Updated instructions"

**Create a new space:**

gh api users/{username}/copilot-spaces \
  -X POST \
  -f name="My New Space" \
  -f general_instructions="Help me with..." \
  -f visibility="private"

**Attach resources (replaces entire resource list):**

{
  "resources_attributes": [
    { "resource_type": "free_text", "metadata": { "name": "Notes", "text": "Content here" } },
    { "resource_type": "github_issue", "metadata": { "repository_id": 12345, "number": 42 } },
    { "resource_type": "github_file", "metadata": { "repository_id": 12345, "file_path": "docs/guide.md" } }
  ]
}

**Delete a space:**

gh api users/{username}/copilot-spaces/{number} -X DELETE

**Updatable fields:** `name`, `description`, `general_instructions`, `icon_type`, `icon_color`, `visibility` ("private"/"public"), `base_role` ("no_access"/"reader"), `resources_attributes`

Examples

Example 1: User Asks for a Space

**User**: "Load the Accessibility copilot space"

**Action**: 1. Call `mcp__github__get_copilot_space` with owner `"github"`, name `"Accessibility"` 2. Use the returned context to answer questions about accessibility standards, MAS grades, c