Custom Instructions

Note

Custom instructions do not apply to code completions.

Positron Assistant supports both automatic workspace instructions and custom instructions files to tailor AI behavior to your project’s needs.

Automatic workspace instructions

Add project-wide custom instructions by creating one or more of these files in your workspace root directory:

  • agent.md
  • agents.md
  • positron.md
  • claude.md
  • gemini.md
  • llms.txt

Positron Assistant automatically appends the content from these files to all chat interactions. This allows you to:

  • Add project-specific coding standards or conventions
  • Include domain-specific terminology or context
  • Define preferred libraries or frameworks for your project

Note that Positron Assistant does not guarantee the order in which it appends these files. Follow issue #10571 for updates.

Custom instructions files

Create .instructions.md files that specify glob patterns for when the instructions should apply.

Positron Assistant automatically uses these instructions when you work with files that match the specified patterns. This allows you to:

  • Enforce coding standards for specific file types (e.g., *.py for Python scripts)
  • Provide context-specific guidelines for different parts of your project (e.g., src/data/**/* for data processing scripts)
  • Apply instructions workspace-wide using broad patterns (e.g., **/* for all files)

Creating and managing custom instructions files

  1. Run the command Chat: New Instructions File… and follow the prompts to create a new instructions file
  2. Edit the newly created .instructions.md file to specify the applyTo file glob pattern and the instructions you want to apply
  3. To manage existing files, run the command Chat: Configure Instructions…

To learn more about the format of custom instructions files, see the following VS Code documentation: