copilot plugin for clion not using top level repo instructions

[johnbrydon]

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Copilot Feature Area

JetBrains & Xcode

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I have a repo where we have custom copilot instructions in the top level .github folder e.g. /.github/copilot-instructions.md. When I select a piece of code and use the right click context menu → code review, it does a code review but is not using the top level repo instructions. If I create the same file in the workspace folder e.g. /.clwb/.github/copilot-instructions.md it does work. I don't want to have to recreate the top level instructions in the workspace folder. Is it possible to have the code review use the top level ones rather than workspace files?

As an example to prove the issue, create copilot-instructions.md in the top level repo .github e.g. /.github/copilot-instructions.md. In that file put something simple like:

If raw new is detected anywhere, explicitly print:

CPP VERIFICATION TRIGGER

Do not omit or paraphrase this phrase.

in a cpp file, write something like:

void f()
{
new int[4];
}

and then select it, right click→code review and observe a code review that does not contain CPP VERIFICATION TRIGGER.

Now, take the same instructions file and put it into the workspace folder e.g. /.clwb/.github/copilot-instructions.md with the same contents as above. Run the code review option on the same code and notice that it contains CPP VERIFICATION TRIGGER which implies it is only working when the instructions are in the workspace location.

I originally opened a ticket with jetbrains but they are saying that I need to speak with github about it as it's your plugin. Is it possible to have the copilot plugin use the top level instructions like I have explained above?

[midiakiasat]

What you’re observing is consistent with how the JetBrains Copilot plugin scopes context.

In CLion/JetBrains, the plugin uses the IDE project root (workspace root) as the context boundary, not necessarily the VCS repo root. If your .github/copilot-instructions.md is outside the IDE project root, it will not be included in the prompt construction.

That explains why:

• /.github/copilot-instructions.md at repo root → ignored
• /.clwb/.github/copilot-instructions.md inside workspace root → respected

This is not a Copilot “model” issue; it’s a plugin context-resolution issue.

Current behavior:

• Instructions must be inside the IDE-recognized project root.
• The plugin does not traverse upward to discover repo-level instruction files outside that root.

Workarounds:

1. Ensure the JetBrains project root = repo root (open the repository root folder directly in CLion).
2. Keep instructions inside the IDE workspace root.
3. Use .copilot or other supported instruction mechanisms if/when officially documented for JetBrains.

There is currently no documented way to force the JetBrains plugin to load instruction files from outside the IDE workspace root. This would require a change in the Copilot JetBrains plugin’s context resolution logic.

[johnbrydon]

Thanks, i'll probably write a little script to automate the duplication of instructions into the workspace folder.

[Sky28702]

nah... currently the Copilot JetBrains plugin only reads instructions from the workspace-level .clwb/.github/copilot-instructions.md, not the repo root .github/ folder for code review.**

so...

• /.github/copilot-instructions.md ignored for Code Review
• /.clwb/.github/copilot-instructions.md works

Right now there’s no setting to force it to use the top-level repo file for the right-click Code Review feature.

so wat options r left

• Keep a synced copy in .clwb/.github/
• Use a script/symlink to mirror the file
• Open a GitHub feature request (this is plugin behavior, not JetBrains)

So this isn’t misconfiguration... it iz a current limitation of the plugin...