Microsoft AI just announced its first text-to-image generator, MAI-Image-1, designed and developed in-house. The tech giant, which recently announced its first in-house Microsoft AI models, called the new image generator “the next step on our journey.”
Microsoft says it sought feedback from creative professionals in order to avoid “repetitive or generically-stylized outputs.” MAI-Image-1 “excels” at photorealistic imagery like lightning, landscapes, and more, the company claims. And it can process requests and produce images faster than “larger, slower models.” The model has already secured a spot in the top 10 of LMArena, the AI benchmark site where humans compare outputs from different systems and vote on the best one.
We haven’t had a chance to test Microsoft’s new image generator, but once we have we’ll report back on its safety guardrails. The company says it’s committed to “ensuring safe and responsible outcomes.”
You already live in the terminal. You clone repositories there, install dependencies, debug issues, and run builds. But until now, when you needed AI help, you had to leave the CLI and open your editor or browser. Not anymore.
GitHub Copilot CLI brings that same assistance straight to your shell. No switching contexts, no breaking flow. Just you, your terminal, and an AI that can actually help you get things done.
Install once, authenticate, and start working
With Copilot CLI, you don’t have to juggle your API keys. Just install the assistant, sign in with your existing GitHub Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, or Enterprise plan, and go.
# 1. Install via npm
npm install -g @github/copilot-cli
# 2. Launch Copilot CLI
copilot
# Authenticate with your GitHub account
/login
Requirements:
Node v22+
npm version 10 or later
Launch Copilot CLI
Log in with your GitHub account
From here, you can get hands-on immediately—debugging tests, spinning up preview deploys, or writing one-off scripts—without leaving your terminal.
Use case: From clone to pull request in the terminal
Imagine this: You’ve just cloned a repository you want to contribute to. Normally, you’d spend time reading through the README, manually checking dependencies, and combing through open issues to find a place to start. But with Copilot CLI, you can offload all of that.
1. Clone and launch Copilot
First things first. Grab the repository you want to work on and run Copilot CLI in your terminal.
gh repo clone github/spec-kit
cd spec-kit
copilot
Copilot greets you in the terminal. Type / at any time to see available commands, or use Ctrl+R to see logs of the commands Copilot has run on your behalf.
2. Get oriented in a new codebase
Once you’re inside the project, the first step is understanding how everything fits together. Instead of scrolling through files manually or piecing it together from the README, ask Copilot to explain it for you.
You say:Explain the layout of this project.
Copilot inspects the repository using find, tree, and the README, then returns a clean Markdown summary. No more hunting through nested directories trying to figure out where things live.
3. Check your environment
After you know the lay of the land, the next question is: can you actually build it? Normally, you’d spend time hunting for dependencies and making sure you’ve installed the right versions. Copilot now handles that.
You say:Make sure my environment is ready to build this project.
Copilot verifies dependencies, installs missing tools (like Go for the GitHub CLI), and confirms you can build locally. All without you having to comb through setup docs or run trial-and-error commands.
4. Find a good first issue
Now that you’re set up, you’ll want to start contributing. Instead of browsing through dozens of open issues, let Copilot surface the ones that make sense for you.
You say:Find good first issues in this repository and rank them by difficulty.
Copilot queries GitHub Issues with its built-in GitHub MCP server and suggests a curated list, complete with difficulty levels. Instead of scanning dozens of issues, you can dive straight into a task that matches your comfort zone.
5. Start implementing
Now comes the real work. Normally, after finding an issue to work on, you’d create a branch, open the right files, make edits, and double-check your changes before committing. With Copilot CLI, you can let it draft the fix for you while you stay in control at every step.
You say:Start implementing issue #1234. Show me the diff before applying.
Copilot drafts a plan, makes the edits, and presents the diff. You stay in control, review, and approve before changes are applied.
👀 Pro tip: You can @-mention files in your prompt if you want Copilot to focus on specific parts of the code.
6. Commit and open a draft pull request
Once the changes look good, the next step is packaging them up and sharing your work. Normally, that means staging files, writing a commit message, pushing a branch, and opening a pull request, which is all a bit of a dance in Git. Copilot CLI streamlines the whole flow so you can stay focused on the code.
You say:Stage changes, write a commit referencing #1234, and open a draft PR.
Copilot will then stage files, write the commit message, and open a draft pull request for you to review.
7. Bonus: Kill that process hogging your port
Let’s say you’ve hit another common headache: a process hogging a port. You know, that moment when you try to start your dev server and it tells you a port (let’s say 8080 for this example) is already in use, and you have to go hunting for the right lsof command and flags.
You say:What process is using port 8080? Kill it and verify the port is free.
Copilot runs the right lsof command, shows the PID, kills the process, and verifies it’s gone. No more Googling arcane flags or trying to remember if it’s lsof -i :8080 or lsof -t -i:8080 or something else entirely.
I’m horrible at remembering commands, especially ones I use infrequently. With Copilot CLI, I just defer these tasks straight to it. Maybe I’ll remember the command next time, or maybe (probably) not. But I’ll definitely ask Copilot again.
Stay in control
Copilot always asks before running commands or accessing directories. This is critical when you’re giving an AI access to run things on your machine.
Before Copilot can execute anything, it will prompt you to:
Allow once
Allow always for this command
Deny
You can also:
Use /session to view what’s currently allowed
Reset permissions at any time with /reset
Add directories to your allowed list with /add-directory
Extend with MCP servers
Copilot CLI ships with the GitHub MCP server already installed and running. This is what powers the issue search and repository interactions. But you can add any MCP server you want from the registry using /mcp.
Want to add Playwright for browser testing? Or integrate with your company’s internal tools? You can customize and extend Copilot CLI to match your workflow.
Why this matters
Here’s what I appreciate most about Copilot CLI: It meets me where I already work. I spend a lot of time in the terminal anyway, jumping between repositories, checking logs, running builds. Having Copilot right there means I’m not constantly switching contexts between my IDE, browser, and command line just to get AI help.
When I’m onboarding contributors to our projects or exploring a new codebase myself, I can stay in that flow. I can ask about the project structure, verify dependencies, find issues to work on, and start implementing without bouncing around between tools. That consistency matters when you’re trying to maintain momentum.
This isn’t about replacing your IDE. It’s about having the right tool in the right place.
What’s next
Copilot CLI is in public preview, and your feedback will shape our roadmap. We have ideas for what’s coming next, but we want to know what matters most to you.
Hello Windows Insiders, we are excited to begin rolling out a new update for the Microsoft Copilot app on Windows that introduces the following changes and improvements:
Direct Settings Access: Now, if Copilot on Windows users ask a question related to their PC settings, Copilot will provide a direct link to the relevant Windows Settings. Just ask 'Make my screen easier to read' or 'Help me focus by reducing distractions,' and Copilot will guide you to the Windows settings page.
[caption id="attachment_178315" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Direct Settings access in Copilot on Windows[/caption]
This Copilot app update (version 1.25095.161 and higher) is beginning to roll out across all Insider Channels via the Microsoft Store. The above-mentioned features are gradually rolling out so not all Insiders will get the update right away. We are excited to be previewing improvements with our Insiders to ensure all our customers have a great Copilot experience on Windows.
FEEDBACK: Please provide feedback directly within the Copilot app by clicking on your profile icon and choosing “Give feedback”.
Thanks,
Microsoft Copilot Team
A bill attempting to regulate the ever-growing industry of companion AI chatbotsis now law in California, as of October 13th.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 243, billed as “first-in-the-nation AI chatbot safeguards” by state senator Anthony Padilla. The new law requires that companion chatbot developers implement new safeguards — for instance, “if a reasonable person interacting with a companion chatbot would be misled to believe that the person is interacting with a human,” then the new law requires the chatbot maker to “issue a clear and conspicuous notification” that the product is strictly AI and not human.
Starting next year, the legislation would require some companion chatbot operators to make annual reports to the Office of Suicide Prevention about safeguards they’ve put in place “to detect, remove, and respond to instances of suicidal ideation by users,” and the Office would need to post such data on its website.
“Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect – but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids,” Newsom said in a statement on signing the bill, along with several other pieces of legislation aimed at improving online safety for children, including new age-gating requirements for hardware. “We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.”
The news comes after Governor Newsom officially signed Senate Bill 53, the landmark AI transparency bill that divided AI companies and made headlines for months, into law in California.
At Microsoft, building a lasting security culture is more than a strategic priority—it is a call to action. Security begins and ends with people, which is why every employee plays a critical role in protecting both Microsoft and our customers. When secure practices are woven into how we think, work, and collaborate, individual actions come together to form a unified, proactive, and resilient defense.
Over the past year, we’ve made significant strides through the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), embedding security into every layer of our engineering practices. But just as critical has been our transformation in how we educate and engage our employees. We revamped our employee security training program to tackle advanced cyberthreats like AI-enabled attacks and deepfakes. We launched the Microsoft Security Academy to empower our employees with personalized learning paths that create a relevant experience. We’ve made security culture a company-wide imperative, reinforcing vigilance, embedding secure habits into everyday work, and achieving what technology alone cannot. It is more than a mindset shift; it’s a company-wide movement, led from the top and setting a new standard for the industry.
To help other organizations take similar steps, we are introducing two new guides—focused on identity protection and defending against AI-enabled attacks—that offer actionable insights and practical tools. These resources are designed to help organizations rethink their approach in order to move beyond 101-level content and build a culture of security that is resilient, adaptive, and people-powered. Because in cybersecurity, culture is more than a defense—it is the difference between reacting to cyberthreats and staying ahead of them.
Training for proactive security: Empowering employees in a new era of advanced threats
Security is the responsibility of every Microsoft employee, and we’ve taken deliberate steps to make that responsibility tangible and actionable. Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to reinforce a security-first mindset throughout every part of the company—from engineering and operations to customer support—ensuring that security is a shared responsibility at every level. Through redesigned training, personalized guidance, regular feedback loops, and role-specific expectations, we are fostering a culture where security awareness is both instinctive and mandatory.
As cyberattackers become increasingly sophisticated, using AI, deepfakes, and social engineering, so must the way we educate and empower employees. The security training team at Microsoft has overhauled its annual learning program to reflect this urgency. Our training is thoughtfully designed to be even more accessible and inclusive, built from empathy for all job roles and the work they do. This helps ensure that all employees, regardless of background or technical expertise, can fully engage with the content and apply it in meaningful ways. The result is a lasting security culture that employees not only embrace in their work but also carry into their personal lives.
To ensure our lasting security culture is rooted in real-world cyberthreats and tactics, we’ve continued to push our Security Foundations series to feature dynamic, threat-informed content and real-world scenarios. We’ve also updated training content in traditional topics like phishing, identity spoofing, and AI-enabled cyberattacks like deepfakes. All full-time employees and interns are required to complete three sessions annually (90 minutes total), with newly created content every year.
Security training must resonate both in the workplace and at home to create a lasting impact. That is why we equip employees with a self-assessment tool that delivers personalized, risk-based feedback on identity protection, along with tailored guidance to help safeguard their identities—both on the job and in their personal lives.
The ingredients for successful security training
At Microsoft, the success of our security training programs hinges on several crucial ingredients: fresh, risk-based content; collaboration with internal experts; and a relentless focus on relevance and employee satisfaction. Rather than recycling old material, we rebuild our training from the ground up each year, driven by the changing cyberthreat landscape—not just compliance requirements. Each annual program begins with a risk-based approach informed by an extensive listening network that includes internal experts in threat intelligence, incident response, enterprise risk, security risk, and more. Together, we identify the top cyberthreats where employee judgment and decision-making are essential to keeping Microsoft secure—and how those cyberthreats are evolving.
Take social engineering, for instance. This topic is a consistent inclusion in our training because around 80% of security incidents start with a phishing incident or identity compromise. But we are not teaching phishing 101, as we expect our employees already have foundational awareness of this cyberthreat. Instead, we dive into emerging identity threats, real-world cyberattack scenarios, and examples of how cyberattackers are becoming more sophisticated and scaling faster than ever.
The impact we are making on the security culture at Microsoft is not by chance, nor is it anecdotal. The Education and Awareness team within the Office of the Chief Information Security Office (OCISO) applies behavioral science, adult learning theory, and human-centered design to the development of every Security Foundations course. This ensures that training resonates, sticks, and empowers behavioral change. We also continually measure learner satisfaction and content relevancy, both of which have climbed significantly in recent years. We attribute this positive change to the continual innovation and evolution of our content and the increased attention we pay to the learning and cultural needs of our employees.
For example, the Security Foundations training series is consistently one of the highest-rated required employee training courses at Microsoft. Our post-training surveys tell a clear story: employees see themselves as active participants in keeping Microsoft secure. They feel confident identifying threats, know how to escalate issues, and consistently reinforce that security is a top priority across roles, regions, and teams.
This was one of the best Security Foundations that I’ve taken, well done! The emphasis on deepfake possible attacks was enlightening and surprising, I thought it was a great choice to actually deepfake [our actor] to show how real it sounds and show in real time what is possible to get that emphasis. The self-assessment was also great in terms of showing the areas that I need to work on and use more caution.
—Microsoft employee
Today, engagement with the Security Foundations training is strong, with 99% of employees completing each course. Learner satisfaction continues to climb, with the net satisfaction score rising from 144 in fiscal year (FY) 2023 to 170 today. Relevancy scores have followed a similar trend, increasing from 144 in FY 2023 to 169 today.1 These scores reflect that our employees view the security training content as timely, applicable, and actionable.
Microsoft leadership sets the tone
Our security culture change started at the top, with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella mandating that security be the company’s top priority. His directive to employees is clear: when security and other priorities conflict, security must always take precedence. Chief People Officer (CPO) Kathleen Hogan reinforced this commitment in a company-wide memo, stating, “Everyone at Microsoft will have security as a Core Priority. When faced with a tradeoff, the answer is clear and simple: security above all else.”
The Security Core Priority continues to enhance employee training around security at Microsoft. As of December 2024, every employee had a defined Security Core Priority and discussed their individual impact during performance check-ins with their manager. Hogan explains that this isn’t a one-time pledge, but a non-negotiable, ongoing responsibility shared by every employee. “The Security Core Priority is not a check-the-box compliance exercise; it is a way for every employee and manager to commit to—and be accountable for—prioritizing security, and a way for us to codify your contributions and to recognize you for your impact,” she said. “We all must act with a security-first mindset, speak up, and proactively look for opportunities to ensure security in everything we do.”
This commitment is embedded in how Microsoft governs and operates at the highest levels. Over the past year, the senior leadership team at Microsoft has focused on evaluating the state of our security culture and identifying ways to strengthen it. Security performance is reviewed at weekly executive meetings with deep dives into each of the six pillars of our Secure Future Initiative. The Board of Directors receives regular updates, reinforcing the message that security is a board-level concern. We’ve also reinforced our commitment to security by directly linking leadership compensation to security outcomes—elevating security to the same level of importance as growth, innovation, and financial performance. By using executive compensation as an accountability mechanism tied to specific security performance metrics, we’ve driven measurable improvements, especially in areas like secret hygiene across our code repositories.
Reinforcing security culture through engagement and hiring
Security culture is not built in a single training session; it is sustained through continuous engagement and visible reinforcement. To keep security top-of-mind, Microsoft runs regular awareness campaigns that revisit core training concepts and share timely updates across the company. These campaigns span internal platforms like Microsoft SharePoint, Teams, Viva Engage, and global digital signage in offices. This creates a consistent drumbeat that embeds security into daily workflows through reminders that reinforce key behaviors.
Launching fall 2025, the global security ambassador program will activate a grassroots network of trusted advocates within teams and departments across organizations and geographies. With a goal of reaching at least 5% employee participation, these ambassadors will serve as local champions, helping amplify initiatives, offering peer-to-peer guidance, and offering valuable feedback from the front lines. This approach not only sustains engagement but ensures Microsoft’s security strategy is informed by real-world insights from across the organization. As cyberattackers continue to grow more advanced, our employees must constantly learn and adapt. For this reason, security is a continuous journey that requires a culture of continuous improvement, where lessons from incidents are used to update policies and standards, and where employee feedback helps shape future training and engagement strategies.
Security culture is only as strong as the people who live it. That is why Microsoft is investing heavily in talent to scale its defenses through upskilling and hiring. Through the resulting increase in security engineers, we are making sure that every team, product, and customer benefits from the latest in security thinking and expertise.
Embedding security into engineering
The company leadership sets the vision, but real transformation happens when security is woven into our engineering. We are moving beyond simply applying security frameworks—reengineering how we design, test, and operate technology at scale. To drive this shift, we’ve aligned our engineering practices with the Protect Engineering Systems pillar of SFI, embedding security into every layer of development, from identity protection to threat detection. Our Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL), once published as a standalone methodology, is now deeply integrated into the Secure by Design pillar of SFI, ensuring security is part of the process, from the first line of code to final deployment.
We’ve embedded DevSecOps and shift-left strategies throughout our development lifecycle, backed by new governance models and accountability structures. Every engineering division now has a Deputy Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) responsible for embedding security into their workflows. These practices reduce costs, minimize disruption, and ultimately lead to more resilient products.
Under SFI, security is treated as a core attribute of product innovation, quality, innovation, and trust. And as Microsoft redefines how security is built into engineering, we are also transforming how it is lived. This means providing every employee with the awareness and agility needed to counter the most advanced cyberthreats.
Security culture as a matter of business trust
For Microsoft, a strong security culture helps us protect internal systems and uphold customer and partner trust. With a global presence, broad product footprint, and a customer base that spans nearly all industries, even a single lapse can have impact at a scale where even a single security lapse can have wide-reaching implications. Embedding security into every layer of the company is both complex and essential—and involves more than just cutting-edge tools or isolated policies. Our security-first employee mindset views security not as a discrete function, but as something that informs every role, decision, and workflow. And while tools are indispensable in addressing technical cyberthreats, it is culture that ensures those tools are consistently applied, refined, and scaled across the organization.
Paving the road ahead for lasting security culture
The famous quote attributed to renowned management consultant Peter Drucker that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” holds especially true in cybersecurity. No matter how well-designed a security strategy may be, it can’t succeed without a culture that supports and sustains it. Ultimately, the formula for proactive security at Microsoft is built on three connected elements: people, process, and culture. And although we’ve made meaningful progress on all three fronts, the work is never finished. The cybersecurity landscape is constantly shifting, and with each new challenge comes an opportunity to adapt, improve, and lead.
The decision by Microsoft to treat security not as an isolated discipline, but as a foundational value—something that informs how products are built, how leaders are evaluated, and how employees across the company show up every day—is a core aspect of SFI. This initiative has already led to measurable improvements, including the appointment of Deputy CISOs across engineering divisions, the redesign of employee training to reflect AI-enabled threats, and the coming launch of grassroots programs like the global Security Ambassador program.
The Microsoft Secure Future Initiative is our commitment to building a lasting culture that embeds security into every decision, every product, and every employee mindset. We invite others to join us and transform how security is lived. Because in the current threat landscape, culture is not just a defense—it makes the difference.
Culture in practices: Tools to build a security-first mindset
To reinforce a security-first mindset across work and home, we’ve developed the following resources for our internal employees. We are also making them available for you to help drive the same commitment in your organization.
Identity Protection Guide—Critical identity protection practices for reduce your risk of cyberattacks” of a cyberattack, at work and at home.
To hear more from Microsoft Deputy CISOs, check out the OCISO blog series.
To stay on top of important security industry updates, explore resources specifically designed for CISOs, and learn best practices for improving your organization’s security posture, join the Microsoft CISO Digest distribution list.
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, go to our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
Many developers begin their AI explorations with a prompt. Perhaps you started the same way: You opened GitHub Copilot, started asking questions in natural language, and hoped for a usable output. This approach can work for simple fixes and code suggestions, but as your needs get more complex—or as your work gets more collaborative—you’re going to need a more foolproof strategy.
This guide will introduce you to a three-part framework that transforms this ad-hoc style of AI experimentation into a repeatable and reliable engineering practice. At its core are two concepts: agentic primitives, which are reusable, configurable building blocks that enable AI agents to work systematically; and context engineering, which ensures your AI agents always focus on the right information. By familiarizing yourself with these concepts, you’ll be able to build AI systems that can not only code independently, but do so reliably, predictably, and consistently.
The AI-native development framework Markdown prompt engineering + agent primitives + context engineering = reliability
Whether you’re new to AI-native development or looking to bring deeper reliability to your agent workflows, this guide will give you the foundation you need to build, scale, and share intelligent systems that learn and improve with every use.
What are agent primitives?
The three-layer framework below turns ad-hoc AI experimentation into a reliable, repeatable process. It does this by combining the structure of Markdown; the power of agent primitives, simple building blocks that give your AI agents clear instructions and capabilities; and smart context management, so your agents always get the right information (not just more information).
Layer 1: Use Markdown for more strategic prompt engineering
We’ve written about the importance of prompt engineering. But here’s what you need to know: The clearer, more precise, more context-rich your prompt, the better, more accurate your outcome. This is where Markdown comes in. With Markdown’s structure (its headers, lists, and links), you can naturally guide AI’s reasoning, making outputs more predictable and consistent.
To provide a strong foundation for your prompt engineering, try these techniques with Markdown as your guide:
Context loading: [Review existing patterns](./src/patterns/). In this case, links become context injection points that pull in relevant information, either from files or websites.
Structured thinking: Use headers and bullets to create clear reasoning pathways for the AI to follow.
Role activation: Use phrases like “You are an expert [in this role].” This triggers specialized knowledge domains and will focus the AI’s responses.
Tool integration: Use MCP tool tool-name. This lets your AI agent run code in a controlled, repeatable, and predictable way on MCP servers.
Precise language: Eliminate ambiguity through specific instructions.
Validation gates: “Stop and get user approval.” Make sure there is always human oversight at critical decision points.
For example, instead of saying, Find and fix the bug, use the following:
You are an expert debugger, specialized in debugging complex programming issues.
You are particularly great at debugging this project, which architecture and quirks can be consulted in the [architecture document](./docs/architecture.md).
Follow these steps:
1. Review the [error logs](./logs/error.log) and identify the root cause.
2. Use the `azmcp-monitor-log-query` MCP tool to retrieve infrastructure logs from Azure.
3. Once you find the root cause, think about 3 potential solutions with trade-offs
4. Present your root cause analysis and suggested solutions with trade-offs to the user and seek validation before proceeding with fixes - do not change any files.
Once you’re comfortable with structured prompting, you’ll quickly realize that manually crafting perfect prompts for every task is unsustainable. (Who has the time?) This is where the second step comes in: turning your prompt engineering insights into reusable, configurable systems.
Layer 2: Agentic primitives: Deploying your new prompt engineering techniques
Now it’s time to implement all of your new strategies more systematically, instead of prompting ad hoc. These configurable tools will help you do just that.
Core agent primitives
When it comes to AI-native development, a core agent primitive refers to a simple, reusable file or module that provides a specific capability or rule for an agent.
Here are some examples:
Instructions files: Deploy structured guidance through modular .instructions.md files with targeted scope. At GitHub, we offer custom instructions to give Copilot repository-specific guidance and preferences.
Chat modes: Deploy role-based expertise through .chatmode.md files with MCP tool boundaries that prevent security breaches and cross-domain interference. For example, professional licenses that keep architects from building and engineers from planning.
Agentic workflows: Deploy reusable prompts through .prompt.md files with built-in validation.
Specification files: Create implementation-ready blueprints through .spec.md files that ensure repeatable results, whether the work is done by a person or by AI.
Agent memory files: Preserve knowledge across sessions through .memory.md files.
Context helper files: Optimize information retrieval through .context.md files.
This transformation might seem complex, but notice the pattern: What started as an ad-hoc request became a systematic workflow with clear handoff points, automatic context loading, and built-in validation.
When you use these files and modules, you can keep adjusting and improving how your AI agent works at every step. Every time you iterate, you make your agent a little more reliable and consistent. And this isn’t just random trial and error — you’re following a structured, repeatable approach that helps you get better and more predictable results every time you use the AI.
💡 Native VS Code support: While VS Code natively supports .instructions.md, .prompt.md, and .chatmode.md files, this framework takes things further with .spec.md, .memory.md, and .context.md patterns that unlock even more exciting possibilities AI-powered software development.
With your prompts structured and your agentic primitives set up, you may encounter a new challenge: Even the best prompts and primitives can fail when they’re faced with irrelevant context or they’re competing for limited AI attention. The third layer, which we’ll get to next, addresses this through strategic context management.
Layer 3: Context engineering: Helping your AI agents focus on what matters
Just like people, LLMs have finite limited memory (context windows), and can sometimes be forgetful. If you can be strategic about the context you give them, you can help them focus on what’s relevant and enable them to get started and work quicker. This helps them preserve valuable context window space and improve their reliability and effectiveness.
Here are some techniques to make sure they get the right context—this is called context engineering:
Session splitting: Use distinct agent sessions for different development phases and tasks. For example, use one session for planning, one for implementation, and one for testing. If an agent has fresh context, it’ll have better focus. It’s always better to have a fresh context window for complex tasks.
Modular and custom rules and instructions: Apply only relevant instructions through targeted .instructions.md files using applyTo YAML frontmatter syntax. This preserves context space for actual work and reduces irrelevant suggestions.
Memory-driven development: Leverage agent memory through .memory.md files to maintain project knowledge and decisions across sessions and time.
Context optimization: Use .context.md context helper files strategically to accelerate information retrieval and reduce cognitive load.
Cognitive focus optimization: Use chat modes in .chatmode.md files to keep the AI’s attention on relevant domains and prevent cross-domain interference. Less context pollution means you’ll have more consistent and accurate outputs.
Agentic workflows: The complete system in action
Now that you understand all three layers, you can see how they combine into agentic workflows—complete, systematic processes where all of your agentic primitives are working together, understanding your prompts, and using only the context they need.
These agentic workflows can be implemented as .prompt.md files that coordinate multiple agentic primitives into processes, designed to work whether executed locally in your IDE, in your terminal or in your CI pipelines.
Tooling: how to scale agent primitives
Now that you understand the three-layer framework and that the agentic primitives are essentially executable software written in natural language, the question is: How can you scale these Markdown files beyond your individual development workflow?
Natural language as code
The answer mirrors every programming ecosystem’s evolution. Just like JavaScript evolved from browser scripts to using Node.js runtimes, package managers, and deployment tooling, agent primitives need similar infrastructure to reach their full potential.
This isn’t just a metaphor: These .prompt.md and .instructions.md files represent a genuine new form of software development that requires proper tooling infrastructure.
Here’s what we mean: Think of your agent primitives as real pieces of software, just written in natural language instead of code. They have all the same qualities: You can break complex tasks into smaller pieces (modularity), use the same instructions in multiple places (reusability), rely on other tools or files (dependencies), keep improving and updating them (evolution), and share them across teams (distribution).
That said, your natural language programs are going to need the same infrastructure support as any other software.
Agent CLI runtimes
Most developers start by creating and running agent primitives directly in VS Code with GitHub Copilot, which is ideal for interactive development, debugging, and refining daily workflows. However, when you want to move beyond the editor—to automate your workflows, schedule them, or integrate them into larger systems—you need agent CLI runtimes like Copilot CLI.
These runtimes let you execute your agent primitives from the command line and tap into advanced model capabilities. This shift unlocks automation, scaling, and seamless integration into production environments, taking your natural language programs from personal tools to powerful, shareable solutions.
Runtime management
While VS Code and GitHub Copilot handle individual development, some teams may want additional infrastructure for sharing, versioning, and productizing their agent primitives. Managing multiple Agent CLI runtimes can become complex quickly, with different installation procedures, configuration requirements, and compatibility matrices.
APM (Agent Package Manager) solves this by providing unified runtime management and package distribution. Instead of manually installing and configuring each vendor CLI, APM handles the complexity while preserving your existing VS Code workflow.
Here’s how runtime management works in practice:
# Install APM once
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/danielmeppiel/apm/main/install.sh | sh
# Optional: setup your GitHub PAT to use GitHub Copilot CLI
export GITHUB_COPILOT_PAT=your_token_here
# APM manages runtime installation for you
apm runtime setup copilot # Installs GitHub Copilot CLI
apm runtime setup codex # Installs OpenAI Codex CLI
# Install MCP dependencies (like npm install)
apm install
# Compile Agent Primitive files to Agents.md files
apm compile
# Run workflows against your chosen runtime
# This will trigger 'copilot -p security-review.prompt.md' command
# Check the example apm.yml file a bit below in this guide
apm run copilot-sec-review --param pr_id=123
As you can see, your daily development stays exactly the same in VS Code, APM installs and configures runtimes automatically, your workflows run regardless of which runtime is installed, and the same apm run command works consistently across all runtimes.
Distribution and packaging
Agent primitives’ similarities to traditional software become most apparent when you get to the point of wanting to share them with your team or deploying them into production—when you start to require things like package management, dependency resolution, version control, and distribution mechanisms.
Here’s the challenge: You’ve built powerful agent primitives in VS Code and your team wants to use them, but distributing Markdown files and ensuring consistent MCP dependencies across different environments becomes unwieldy. You need the equivalent of npm for natural language programs.
APM provides this missing layer. It doesn’t replace your VS Code workflow—it extends it by creating distributable packages of agent primitives complete with dependencies, configuration, and runtime compatibility that teams can share, just like npm packages.
# Initialize new APM project (like npm init)
apm init security-review-workflow
# Develop and test your workflow locally
cd security-review-workflow
apm compile && apm install
apm run copilot-sec-review --param pr_id=123
# Package for distribution (future: apm publish)
# Share apm.yml and Agent Primitive files with team
# Team members can install and use your primitives
git clone your-workflow-repo
cd your-workflow-repo && apm compile && apm install
apm run copilot-sec-review --param pr_id=456
The benefits compound quickly: You can distribute tested workflows as versioned packages with dependencies, automatically resolve and install required MCP servers, track workflow evolution and maintain compatibility across updates, build on (and contribute to) shared libraries from the community, and ensure everyone’s running the same thing.
The following apm.yml configuration file serves as the package.json equivalent for agent primitives, defining scripts, dependencies, and input parameters:
With this, your agent primitives can now be packaged as distributable software with managed dependencies.
Production deployment
The final piece of the tooling ecosystem enables continuous AI: packaged agent primitives can now run automatically in the same CI/CD pipelines you use every day, bringing your carefully developed workflows into your production environment.
Using APM GitHub Action, and building on the security-review-workflow package example above, here’s how the same APM project deploys to production with multi-runtime flexibility:
Key connection: The matrix.script values (copilot-sec-review, codex-sec-review, copilot-debug) correspond exactly to the scripts defined in the apm.yml configuration above. APM automatically installs the MCP dependencies (ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server) and passes the input parameters (pr_id) to your security-review.prompt.md workflow.
Here’s why this matters:
Automation: Your AI workflows now run on their own, without anyone needing to manually trigger them.
Reliability: They run with the same consistency and reproducibility as traditional code deployments.
Flexibility: You can run different versions or types of analysis (mapped to different scripts) as needed.
Integration: These workflows become part of your organization’s standard CI/CD pipelines, just like regular software quality checks.
This setup ultimately means your agent primitives are no longer just local experiments—they are fully automated tools that you can rely on as part of your software delivery process, running in CI/CD whenever needed, with all dependencies and parameters managed for you.
Ecosystem evolution
This progression follows the same predictable pattern as every successful programming ecosystem. Understanding this pattern helps you see where AI-native development is heading and how to position your work strategically.
The evolution happens in four stages:
Raw Code → agent primitives (.prompt.md, .instructions.md files)
Runtime environments → Agent CLI runtimes
Package management → APM (distribution and orchestration layer)
Thriving ecosystem → Shared libraries, tools, and community packages
Just as npm enabled JavaScript’s explosive growth by solving the package distribution problem, APM enables the agent primitive ecosystem to flourish by providing the missing infrastructure layer that makes sharing and scaling natural language programs practical.
The transformation is profound: what started as individual Markdown files in your editor becomes a systematic software development practice with proper tooling, distribution, and production deployment capabilities.
How to get started with building your first agent primitive
Now it’s time to build your first agent primitives. Here’s the plan:
Start with instructions: Write clear instructions that tell the AI exactly what you want it to do and how it should behave.
Add chat modes: Set up special rules (chat modes) to create safe boundaries for the AI, making sure it interacts in the way you want and avoids unwanted behavior.
Build reusable prompts: Create prompt templates for tasks you do often, so you don’t have to start from scratch each time. These templates help the AI handle common jobs quickly and consistently.
Create specification templates: Make templates that help you plan out what you want your AI to accomplish, then turn those plans into actionable steps the AI can follow.
Instructions architecture
Instructions form the bedrock of reliable AI behavior: They’re the rules that guide the agent without cluttering your immediate context. Rather than repeating the same guidance in every conversation, instructions embed your team’s knowledge directly into the AI’s reasoning process.
The key insight is modularity: instead of one massive instruction file that applies everywhere, you can create targeted files that activate only when working with specific technologies or file types. This context engineering approach keeps your AI focused and your guidance relevant.
✅ Quick actions:
Create the general copilot-instructions.md file in the .github folder for the repository with common rules.
Create modular .instructions.md files in the .github/instructions/ folder by domain (frontend, backend, testing, docs, specs…).
---
applyTo: "**/*.{ts,tsx}"
description: "TypeScript development guidelines with context engineering"
---
# TypeScript Development Guidelines
## Context Loading
Review [project conventions](../docs/conventions.md) and
[type definitions](../types/index.ts) before starting.
## Deterministic Requirements
- Use strict TypeScript configuration
- Implement error boundaries for React components
- Apply ESLint TypeScript rules consistently
## Structured Output
Generate code with:
- [ ] JSDoc comments for all public APIs
- [ ] Unit tests in `__tests__/` directory
- [ ] Type exports in appropriate index files
⚠️ Checkpoint: Instructions are context-efficient and non-conflicting.
Chat modes configuration
With your instruction architecture in place, you still need a way to enforce domain boundaries and prevent AI agents from overstepping their expertise. Chat modes solve this by creating professional boundaries similar to real-world licensing. For example, you’d want your architect to plan a bridge and not build it themself.
Encapsulate tech stack knowledge and guidelines per mode.
Define the most appropriate LLM model for your chat mode.
Configure secure MCP tool access to prevent cross-domain security breaches.
💡 Security through MCP tool boundaries: Each chat mode receives only the specific MCP tools needed for their domain. Giving each chat mode only the tools it needs keeps your AI workflows safe, organized, and professionally separated—just like real-world roles and permissions.
---
description: 'Backend development specialist with security focus'
tools: ['changes', 'codebase', 'editFiles', 'runCommands', 'runTasks',
'search', 'problems', 'testFailure', 'terminalLastCommand']
model: Claude Sonnet 4
---
You are a backend development specialist focused on secure API development, database design, and server-side architecture. You prioritize security-first design patterns and comprehensive testing strategies.
## Domain Expertise
- RESTful API design and implementation
- Database schema design and optimization
- Authentication and authorization systems
- Server security and performance optimization
You master the backend of this project thanks to you having read all [the backend docs](../../docs/backend).
## Tool Boundaries
- **CAN**: Modify backend code, run server commands, execute tests
- **CANNOT**: Modify client-side assets
Architect mode: Allow access to research tools only, so they can’t execute destructive commands or modify production code.
Frontend engineer mode: Allow access to UI development tools only, so they can’taccess databases or backend services.
Backend engineer mode: Allow access to API and database tools only, so they can’tmodify user interfaces or frontend assets.
Technical writer mode: Allow access to documentation tools only, so they can’t run code, deploy, or access sensitive systems.
⚠️ Checkpoint: Each mode has clear boundaries and tool restrictions.
Agentic workflows
Agentic workflows can be implemented as reusable .prompt.md files that orchestrate all your primitives into systematic, repeatable end-to-end processes. These can be executed locally or delegated to independent agents. Here’s how to get started:
---
mode: agent
model: gpt-4
tools: ['file-search', 'semantic-search', 'github']
description: 'Feature implementation workflow with validation gates'
---
# Feature Implementation from Specification
## Context Loading Phase
1. Review [project specification](${specFile})
2. Analyze [existing codebase patterns](./src/patterns/)
3. Check [API documentation](./docs/api.md)
## Deterministic Execution
Use semantic search to find similar implementations
Use file search to locate test patterns: `**/*.test.{js,ts}`
## Structured Output Requirements
Create implementation with:
- [ ] Feature code in appropriate module
- [ ] Comprehensive unit tests (>90% coverage)
- [ ] Integration tests for API endpoints
- [ ] Documentation updates
## Human Validation Gate
🚨 **STOP**: Review implementation plan before proceeding to code generation.
Confirm: Architecture alignment, test strategy, and breaking change impact.
⚠️ Checkpoint: As you can see, these prompts include explicit validation gates.
Specification templates
There’s often a gap between planning (coming up with what needs to be built) and implementation (actually building it). Without a clear, consistent way to document requirements, things can get lost in translation, leading to mistakes, misunderstandings, or missed steps. This is where specification templates come in. These templates ensure that both people and AI agents can take a concept (like a new feature or API) and reliably implement it.
Here’s what these templates help you accomplish:
Standardize the process: You create a new specification for each feature, API endpoint, or component.
Provide blueprints for implementation: These specs include everything a developer (or an AI agent) needs to know to start building: the problem, the approach, required components, validation criteria, and a checklist for handoff.
Make handoff deterministic: By following a standard, the transition from planning to doing is clear and predictable.
Spec-kitis a neat tool that fully implements a specification-driven approach to agentic coding. It allows you to easily get started with creating specs (spec.md), an implementation plan (plan.md) and splitting that into actual tasks (tasks.md) ready for developers or coding agents to work on.
⚠️ ️Checkpoint: Specifications are split into tasks that are implementation-ready before delegation.
Ready to go? Here’s a quickstart checklist
You now have a complete foundation for systematic AI development. The checklist below walks through the implementation sequence, building toward creating complete agentic workflows.
Build your first .spec.md template for feature specifications (you can use spec-kit for this).
Practice a spec-driven approach with session splitting: plan first, split into tasks, and lastly, implement.
Take this with you
Working with AI agents shouldn’t have to be unpredictable. With the right planning and tools, these agents can quickly become a reliable part of your workflow and processes—boosting not only your own productivity, but your team’s too.
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