Copilot Spaces
Load curated GitHub Copilot Space context—repos, docs, and instructions—so agent conversations stay grounded in your real project knowledge.
Overview
Copilot Spaces is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Grow) that lists, loads, and manages GitHub Copilot Spaces so conversations use curated project documentation and code context.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill copilot-spacesWhat is this skill?
- List and load Copilot Spaces via MCP read tools (list_copilot_spaces, get_copilot_space)
- Full Space CRUD and collaborator management through GitHub REST API with gh api
- Grounds answers in team-curated repositories, files, documentation, and instructions
- Supports user-owned and organization Copilot Spaces endpoints
- Use when users mention a Copilot space or ask for project-specific shared context
- 2 MCP read tools for listing and loading spaces
- REST CRUD endpoints documented for user and organization spaces
Adoption & trust: 4.1k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 2/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
Your agent answers from generic knowledge because it cannot see the curated repos, docs, and instructions your team already collected in GitHub.
Who is it for?
GitHub-centric solo builders and small teams already using Copilot who maintain a Space with repos, docs, and coding instructions.
Skip if: Projects hosted entirely off GitHub with no Copilot subscription, or workflows that only need a single local AGENTS.md file.
When should I use this skill?
Users mention a Copilot space, want shared knowledge-base context, need to discover spaces, or ask questions grounded in curated project documentation and code.
What do I get? / Deliverables
The agent loads the right Copilot Space context—or creates and updates spaces via gh api—so replies reference your shared project knowledge base.
- Loaded Space context in the active conversation
- Space listings or CRUD outcomes via documented API paths
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Build is canonical because Spaces are primarily about equipping the agent with project-specific context while you implement features and maintain docs. Agent-tooling subphase reflects Copilot Spaces as shared knowledge infrastructure for coding agents, not a standalone product feature.
Where it fits
Load the team Space before implementing an API change so the agent sees architecture docs and example handlers.
Pull Space context during a PR review so security and style guidance match the curated instructions.
Reference the Space that holds customer-facing doc sources when drafting changelog or help-center updates.
How it compares
Integration skill for GitHub Copilot Spaces shared context—not a generic RAG pipeline or MCP server you self-host.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is copilot-spaces for?
Builders on GitHub Copilot who want agents to discover, load, or administrate Copilot Spaces for grounded, project-specific assistance.
When should I use copilot-spaces?
Use in Build while coding against team docs, in Ship during review threads that need the canonical space, and in Grow when support or content docs live in a shared Space.
Is copilot-spaces safe to install?
It can list and read Space contents and call GitHub APIs when configured; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and scope tokens to least privilege.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Copilot Spaces
# 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 w