Promptception – Improve Prompts with Copilot

Sometimes, the best GitHub Copilot output starts with a better prompt. What if GitHub Copilot could help you write those prompts too? That’s what I call Promptception—using GitHub Copilot Chat, Edit, or Agent Mode to create, refine, or optimize the prompts you’ll use to get better results. Let’s break it down!

Use Copilot to Help You Shape Smarter Prompts Before You Use Them
Promptception isn’t magic—it’s a smart way to guide your workflow. Ask Copilot to help you generate, revise, or improve a prompt before you run it in Chat, Edit, or Agent Mode.

Promptception in Action (Across Copilot Modes):

1️⃣ Chat Mode: Prompt to Build a Prompt
# I want to test a checkout flow using Playwright. Help me write a Copilot Chat prompt to generate this test.
Use it in Copilot Chat to craft a clear, structured prompt you can reuse.

2️⃣ Edit Mode: Prompt Rewrite Assistance
// Rewrite the comment above to be a more specific Copilot Edit instruction that includes a retry step and network mock
Perfect for refining prompts directly in code using Copilot Edit.

3️⃣ Agent Mode: Meta-Prompt to Set Intent
Act as a GitHub Copilot Agent. Write a prompt I can use to create a custom action in Agent Mode that validates PR titles.
Useful when crafting task descriptions or goals for GitHub Copilot Agents.

4️⃣ Chat Mode: Style-Guided Prompt
# Suggest a prompt that tells Copilot Chat to generate test code that uses async/await and avoids callbacks
Great for setting the tone or style of generated output.

5️⃣ Chat or Edit Mode: Prompt for Visual Review
# Help me write a prompt I can use to review this code block for clarity, structure, and comments
Use this when preparing prompts to ask for code reviews or summaries.

6️⃣ Chat Mode: Document Review Promptception
# Create a short prompt for me to send back to you. I want you to review a document. Make sure it's grammatically correct, doesn't duplicate any details, and follows a good flow.
Use this to generate a polished review prompt before uploading or pasting the content.

Not too much at all—great addition! Here’s your final Promptception example for the set:

7️⃣ Chat Mode: README Promptception
# Create a prompt for me to send back to you. I want to generate a README.md file that summarizes what this project does, including its purpose, domain, tech stack, and overall functionality.
📘 Perfect for getting a structured, detailed README prompt ready before Copilot fills it in.

Quick Takeaway
Promptception isn’t just clever—it’s practical. Ask GitHub Copilot to help you build the right prompt first, then run that prompt in Chat, Edit, or Agent Mode. It’s a simple trick that can make a big difference.