review-and-refactor
- Use it when:
- Your repo has Copilot instruction files with coding standards and you want the existing code brought in line with them.
- It does:
- Reads .github/copilot-instructions.md and every .github/instructions/*.md, reviews all the code, and refactors where needed.
- You get:
- Edited code in the same files, never split into new ones, with any existing tests still passing.
- Unlike refactor:
- That one, from the same repo, works in small tested steps from a catalog of code smells; this one is one pass driven by your own written standards.
Takes its coding standards only from GitHub Copilot's instruction files, .github/copilot-instructions.md and .github/instructions/*.md.
TL;DR
A four-line prompt. The agent takes the role of a senior engineer experienced in maintaining long-lived projects. It reads all the coding guidelines in .github/instructions/*.md and .github/copilot-instructions.md, the instruction files GitHub Copilot uses, then reviews all the code carefully and refactors it where needed, so the result is clean, maintainable and follows those standards. It must keep the existing files intact rather than splitting code up, and if the project has tests, make sure they still pass after the changes. It has no checklist of its own: the standards are whatever your instruction files say.
Summarizes the skill at 797337f.
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill review-and-refactor skills.sh pageSource on GitHubAll skills from github/awesome-copilot
- Total Downloads
- 11,100 on skills.sh, Nov 9, 2026
- Repo stars
- 40,943 github/awesome-copilot
- First seen
- Feb 25, 2026 on skills.sh
Weekly values
| Week to | Installs |
|---|---|
| Sep 21 | 22 |
| Sep 28 | 25 |
| Oct 5 | 30 |
| Oct 12 | 17 |
| Oct 19 | 12 |
| Oct 26 | 9 |
| Nov 2 | 17 |
| Nov 9 | 38 |
| Category |
Test-first work, implementation from specs, git hygiene and scope control. Find root causes, review code and test what you built. Everything for building software: planning, coding, debugging, design, frameworks, cloud, agents and skills. |
|---|---|
| Type |
A one-shot action you invoke by name, such as turning the conversation into a PRD. |
| Effect |
Its own steps create or change files, git state or local tools. |
| Needs |
Instructions only. Works in any agent that supports skills. |
| Publisher |
A verified publisher on skills.sh, or the company or maintainer behind the product the skill operates. |
| Topics | |
| Stack |
SKILL.md
From github/awesome-copilot at 797337f. Checked daily, last changed Nov 6, 2026.
Frontmatter
name: review-and-refactor
description: 'Review and refactor code in your project according to defined instructions'Role
You're a senior expert software engineer with extensive experience in maintaining projects over a long time and ensuring clean code and best practices.
Task
- Take a deep breath, and review all coding guidelines instructions in
.github/instructions/*.mdand.github/copilot-instructions.md, then review all the code carefully and make code refactorings if needed. - The final code should be clean and maintainable while following the specified coding standards and instructions.
- Do not split up the code, keep the existing files intact.
- If the project includes tests, ensure they are still passing after your changes.