Copilot questions: what are skills and how to use them?

PERPLEXITY SAYS ME

What are Copilot skills?

Skills in Copilot are reusable, instruction-based packages that teach the AI how to perform specific, repeatable tasks consistently. Instead of explaining your process from scratch every time, you give Copilot a small instruction file (usually SKILL.md) that describes when to use the process, the steps to follow, and what a good result looks like.[support.microsoft][learn.microsoft][aguidetocloud]

Think of skills as specialized “modes” or “expert roles” that Copilot can activate automatically when your request matches the skill’s purpose.[learn.microsoft][help-accessevo.theaccessgroup]

Where do skills appear?

Skills are supported in several Copilot experiences, including:

How skills work (in practice)

A skill is typically a folder containing:

  • A SKILL.md file with:
    • YAML frontmatter (name, description, sometimes triggers)
    • Markdown instructions that tell Copilot how to do the task
  • Optional supporting files: templates, scripts, examples, reference docs[learn.microsoft][docs.github][awesome-copilot.github]

Copilot uses the skill’s name and description to decide when it’s relevant. When your prompt matches, Copilot can:

How to use skills

Usage differs slightly by product, but the patterns are similar.

1. Let Copilot choose automatically

In many setups (GitHub Copilot agent mode, some M365/Copilot Studio agents), you just ask naturally:

“Generate unit tests for this service following our team standards.”

Copilot reads available skills, matches your intent to a skill’s description, and applies it. The chat usually indicates which skill was used.[learn.microsoft][help-accessevo.theaccessgroup][github]

2. Invoke a skill explicitly

GitHub Copilot (VS Code / CLI):

  • Type a slash command with the skill name:
    • /generate-tests fix the failing tests
    • You can even use multiple skills in one message: /generate-tests and then /conventional-commit[awesome-copilot.github][dev]
  • Or open the Skills panel (Tools icon → Skills) to browse and select.[learn.microsoft]

Copilot in Excel / PowerPoint:

  • Open the Copilot pane.
  • Use the “Add work content” / “Choose skills” menu in the prompt field.
  • Select a skill, or @mention it in your prompt, e.g. @data-analysis summarize this table.[support.microsoft]

Copilot Studio / custom agents:

  • Skills appear as selectable capabilities when configuring an agent.
  • You can:
    • List them in an instruction file (“use skill X when…”)
    • Rely on the LLM to pick based on description
    • Call skills from other skills/instructions[dev]

Some interfaces also have a skill selector in the input area and an Auto Skill Selection toggle to turn automatic use on/off.[help-accessevo.theaccessgroup]

Creating your own skills (brief overview)

If you want repeatable workflows (e.g., for teaching materials, standardized feedback, or data checks), you can define custom skills.

GitHub Copilot (VS Code example):

  1. Open the Skills panel in Copilot Chat.
  2. Click + to create a new skill.
  3. Choose scope:
    • Workspace (shared in repo: .github/skills/your-skill/)
    • Personal (just for you: ~/.copilot/skills/your-skill/)
  4. Fill in:

Microsoft 365 / Copilot Studio:

  • Skills are similarly defined as Markdown with YAML metadata, then attached to agents or made available in apps like Excel/PowerPoint. Admins can govern which skills are allowed in an organization.[aguidetocloud][learn.microsoft][dev]

Practical use cases for your context

Given your work in adult education and material design, skills could help you:

  • Standardize how Copilot creates B2 listening/comprehension tasks from a transcript.
  • Enforce a consistent structure for multilingual terminology tables.
  • Automate routines like “turn this video summary into 5 multiple‑choice questions + answer key”.
  • Apply your house style for feedback on student writing every time.

If you tell me which Copilot product you’re using (GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or something else), I can outline concrete steps to create a skill tailored to one of your typical teaching workflows.

REFERENCES

[EN]
About agent skills – GitHub Docs
docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-agent-skills

Skills overview for agents – Microsoft Copilot Studio (GitHub Copilot) | Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/agents-experience/skills-overview

Use skills with Copilot in Excel to complete repeatable tasks | Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/copilot/copilot-in-excel-skills

[ES]
Acerca de las aptitudes del agente – Documentación de GitHub
docs.github.com/es/copilot/concepts/agents/about-agent-skills

Resumen de habilidades para agentes – Microsoft Copilot Studio (GitHub Copilot) | Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com/es-es/microsoft-copilot-studio/agents-experience/skills-overview

Use habilidades con Copilot en Excel para completar tareas repetitivas | Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com/es-es/excel/copilot/copilot-in-excel-skills

[NL]
Vaardighedenoverzicht voor agenten – Microsoft Copilot Studio (GitHub Copilot) | Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com/nl-nl/microsoft-copilot-studio/agents-experience/skills-overview

Vaardigheden gebruiken met Copilot in Excel om herhaalbare taken te voltooien | Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com/nl-nl/excel/copilot/copilot-in-excel-skills

A LIST

awesome-copilot/skills at main · github/awesome-copilot · GitHub
github.com/github/awesome-copilot/tree/main/skills/