Prompts (.prompt.md)

Reusable task templates triggered on-demand in chat. Single focused task with parameterized inputs.

Locations

Path	Scope
`.github/prompts/*.prompt.md`	Workspace
`<profile>/prompts/*.prompt.md`	User profile

Frontmatter

---
description: "<required>"    # Prompt description for discovery
name: "Prompt Name"          # Optional, defaults to filename
agent: "agent"               # Optional: ask, edit, agent, or custom agent
tools: ["search", "web"]     # Optional: built-in, MCP (<server>/*), extension
model: "Claude Sonnet 4"     # Optional, uses picker default
---

Template

---
description: "Generate test cases for selected code"
agent: "agent"
---
Generate comprehensive test cases for the provided code:
- Include edge cases and error scenarios
- Follow existing test patterns in the codebase
- Use descriptive test names

Context references: Use Markdown links for files ([config](./config.json)) and #tool:<name> for tools.

Invocation

Chat: Type / → select prompt
Command: Chat: Run Prompt...
Editor: Open prompt file → play button

Tip: Use chat.promptFilesRecommendations to show prompts as actions when starting a new chat.

When to Use

Generate test cases for specific code
Create READMEs from specs
Summarize metrics with custom parameters
One-off generation tasks

Core Principles

Single task focus: One prompt = one well-defined task
Output examples: Show expected format when quality depends on structure
Reuse over duplication: Reference instruction files instead of copying

Anti-patterns

Multi-task prompts: "create and test and deploy" in one prompt
Vague descriptions: Descriptions that don't help users understand when to use
Over-tooling: Many tools when the task only needs search or file access

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