GitHub Copilot Integration

Quick Setup for VS Code

1. Create VS Code settings directory

mkdir -p .vscode

2. Add to settings.json

Add this to your .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "github.copilot.advanced": {
    "customInstructions": "Do not use emojis in code, documentation, console output, CLI tools, logging, or commit messages."
  }
}

3. Restart VS Code

Reload Copilot: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Copilot: Reload"

Copilot Chat Instructions

For Copilot Chat, create a .github/copilot-instructions.md file:

# Copilot Instructions

## Emoji Usage Rules

Do not use emojis in any generated content including:
- Documentation and markdown files
- Console output (console.log, console.error, etc.)
- CLI tool output
- Application logs and error messages
- Code comments
- Git commit messages

Use clear, professional language without emoji decoration.

Source: nomoji.dev

Project vs Global Settings

Workspace Settings (Recommended)

Create .vscode/settings.json in your project

Benefits:

Team-wide consistency
Version controlled
Project-specific rules

Global Settings

Open VS Code Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)

Search for "Copilot Instructions" and add rules

Benefits:

Apply to all projects
Personal defaults

JetBrains IDEs Setup

For IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.:

Go to Settings → Tools → GitHub Copilot
Add custom instructions
Paste nomoji.dev rules
Apply changes

Presets

Get rules directly from nomoji.dev API:

Strict Mode

No emojis anywhere

curl https://nomoji.dev/api/template/strict-user/copilot

Moderate Mode

Limited emojis, balanced approach

curl https://nomoji.dev/api/template/moderate-user/copilot

Relaxed Mode

Emojis in UI only

curl https://nomoji.dev/api/template/relaxed-user/copilot

Troubleshooting

Rules Not Applied?

Restart VS Code
Reload Copilot: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Copilot: Reload"
Check Copilot status in bottom bar
Verify custom instructions are saved

Partial Working?

If rules work inconsistently:

Make instructions more explicit
Increase severity to "strict" for all contexts
Add specific examples of what to avoid
Update to latest Copilot version

Team Setup

Share configuration with your team:

Create .vscode/settings.json with Copilot instructions
Commit to version control:
git add .vscode/settings.json && git commit -m "Add Copilot nomoji rules"
Team members pull and restart VS Code