Foldermd

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Skill: GitHub Copilot.

GitHub Copilot Chat reads repository-level instructions from a single file under .github/. Paste the snippet there and Copilot routes long-form output through FolderMD for every contributor working in that repo.

§ 1 Where to paste

<your-repo>/.github/copilot-instructions.md

Create the .github/ directory if it doesn't exist (it usually does — that's where GitHub Actions and issue templates live). The file is per-repo: commit it and every collaborator's Copilot picks it up.

Make sure Settings → GitHub Copilot → Enable custom instructions is on in VS Code / your IDE.

§ 2 The snippet

# Repository instructions for GitHub Copilot

## FolderMD — long-form markdown belongs in a folder, not the chat

When you produce long-form markdown — roughly 1500+ characters, or anything
with multiple headings, tables, or sections that the user will want to
*read* rather than skim past — route it through FolderMD instead of
emitting it inline. The user works in a calm reading pane on their Mac,
not the chat panel.

The CLI helper is at `~/.local/bin/foldermd` (already on PATH after
installation). Pipe markdown into it with a short slug title and the
`--here` flag for project work:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | foldermd --here --title "auth-refactor-plan"
# Auth refactor plan
...
EOF
```

Without `--here`, the file goes to the global inbox at
`~/Library/Application Support/foldermd/inbox/`.

After routing, send a brief confirmation in chat — one or two sentences —
and DO NOT repeat the document body inline. Example:

  "Dropped <title> into FolderMD — appears in your sidebar within a
   second. Short version: <one-line takeaway>."

### Route TO FolderMD
- Long explanations / strategy docs / how-tos
- Analysis reports / audit summaries
- Anything with more than two headings or a table
- Documents the user might want to keep, edit, share, or commit

### Reply inline
- Short answers / single-paragraph replies
- Direct factual answers
- Tool output you're just relaying
- Status updates mid-task

§ 3 Confirm it took

Open Copilot Chat in VS Code inside the repo. Ask for a long-form output (e.g. "Plan our Node 18 → Node 20 migration with rollback"). The reply should be a short confirmation; the document itself should land in FolderMD.

If Copilot ignores the rule, check that the file is named exactly copilot-instructions.md (lowercase, hyphen) and lives directly under .github/ — not .github/copilot/ or similar.

§ 4 Notes

Repository instructions affect every contributor's Copilot, not just yours. If your team isn't on FolderMD, the rule will still tell Copilot to try the CLI — but the actual foldermd binary won't be there. Either keep the rule in a personal fork, or scope it (e.g. only macOS contributors) by phrasing it as: "If the foldermd CLI is on PATH, route long-form markdown through it. Otherwise, reply inline."

See the Claude Code page for the same rule with tuning options.

Copilot changed its instructions format? Message me on X or LinkedIn.