From 8ccd06afb17f4f361288eddcb0aab997624f4df6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "github-actions[bot]"
<41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 00:32:57 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] chore: publish from staged
---
docs/README.instructions.md | 1 +
.../exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md | 190 ++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 191 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 instructions/exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md
diff --git a/docs/README.instructions.md b/docs/README.instructions.md
index f31a6e3d..13a70136 100644
--- a/docs/README.instructions.md
+++ b/docs/README.instructions.md
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ See [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md#adding-instructions) for guidelines on
| [DevOps Core Principles](../instructions/devops-core-principles.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdevops-core-principles.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdevops-core-principles.instructions.md) | Foundational instructions covering core DevOps principles, culture (CALMS), and key metrics (DORA) to guide GitHub Copilot in understanding and promoting effective software delivery. |
| [Dotnet Wpf](../instructions/dotnet-wpf.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdotnet-wpf.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdotnet-wpf.instructions.md) | .NET WPF component and application patterns |
| [draw.io Diagram Standards](../instructions/draw-io.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdraw-io.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fdraw-io.instructions.md) | Use when creating, editing, or reviewing draw.io diagrams and mxGraph XML in .drawio, .drawio.svg, or .drawio.png files. |
+| [Exclude Prompt Data](../instructions/exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fexclude-prompt-data.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fexclude-prompt-data.instructions.md) | Write only the resulting content into files. Never echo prompt instructions, rationale, or meta-commentary into documentation, comments, or code being produced from a prompt. |
| [Fedora Administration Guidelines](../instructions/fedora-linux.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Ffedora-linux.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Ffedora-linux.instructions.md) | Guidance for Fedora (Red Hat family) systems, dnf workflows, SELinux, and modern systemd practices. |
| [Genaiscript](../instructions/genaiscript.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fgenaiscript.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fgenaiscript.instructions.md) | AI-powered script generation guidelines |
| [Generate Modern Terraform Code For Azure](../instructions/generate-modern-terraform-code-for-azure.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fgenerate-modern-terraform-code-for-azure.instructions.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/instructions?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-instructions%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Finstructions%2Fgenerate-modern-terraform-code-for-azure.instructions.md) | Guidelines for generating modern Terraform code for Azure |
diff --git a/instructions/exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md b/instructions/exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7b4674b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/instructions/exclude-prompt-data.instructions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+---
+description: "Write only the resulting content into files. Never echo prompt instructions, rationale, or meta-commentary into documentation, comments, or code being produced from a prompt."
+applyTo: '**'
+---
+
+# Exclude Prompt Data
+
+When a prompt contains instructional or contextual data used to guide a change,
+that data must not appear in the file being updated. The output must reflect
+only the *result* of the instruction — not the instruction itself, the
+reasoning behind it, or any acknowledgment that it was applied.
+
+## Core Rule
+
+> **Never echo prompt content into the file being changed.**
+>
+> Only write the outcome. Strip any meta-commentary, rationale, or framing that
+> originated in the prompt.
+
+## What Counts as Prompt Data
+
+Prompt data is any content the user provides as instruction or context rather
+than as intended file content:
+
+- Descriptions of what to add or change (`"add a --verbose flag that..."`)
+- Inline rationale or motivation (`"because the old behavior caused..."`)
+- References to the prompt itself (`"as requested"`, `"per the prompt"`,
+ `"the new feature has been added as"`)
+- Meta-commentary about the update
+ (`"This section has been updated to reflect..."`)
+- Code comments that narrate a change rather than describe the code
+ (`"// Added email validation as requested"`,
+ `"// Now validates the input per the new requirement"`)
+- Structural scaffold labels used as section markers or template slots
+ (the word `this` in `## this Title` is scaffolding, not heading text)
+
+## What Belongs in the Output
+
+The output file should contain only:
+
+- The feature, fix, or content the prompt requested — written as if it always
+ belonged there
+- Documentation or code that a reader would find useful independent of how the
+ change was requested
+- Generic, cliche placeholder data in examples (e.g., `Jane Doe`,
+ `jane.doe@example.com`, `Acme Corp`, `example.com`) — never real names,
+ emails, domains, or organization identifiers pulled from the prompt or local
+ configuration
+- Language formatting applied to terms in the prompt carries through to the
+ output — if the prompt wraps a term in backticks or uses a specific syntax
+ convention, follow that same convention in the output
+
+## Output Quality
+
+The prompt's writing quality does not set the bar for the output. Regardless
+of how a prompt is phrased, the result must be polished and production-ready:
+
+- Correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation throughout
+- No draft-quality prose or casually written sections
+- Informal or sloppy phrasing in the prompt must not carry into the output
+
+## Use Cases
+
+### Adding a Feature Flag to Documentation
+
+**Prompt**
+
+```text
+Update file.ext with new feature --new-opt , documenting the new
+feature in features.md
+```
+
+**Acceptable result — `features.md`**
+
+```text
+### --new-opt
+
+Enables extended output. Requires a value argument. Example:
+
+ ```bash
+ file --new-opt foo
+ ```
+```
+
+**Unacceptable result — `features.md`**
+
+```text
+### --new-opt
+
+The new feature `--new-opt` requiring an argument has now been added as
+requested. The feature is documented as such.
+
+Enables extended output. Requires a value argument. Example:
+
+ ```bash
+ file --new-opt foo
+ ```
+```
+
+The unacceptable version echoes the prompt's framing
+(`"has now been added as requested"`, `"The feature is documented as such"`).
+That language belongs in the prompt, not the file.
+
+---
+
+### Updating a Code File
+
+**Prompt**
+
+```text
+Add input validation to the createUser function — email must be a valid format.
+```
+
+**Acceptable result**
+
+```js
+function createUser(name, email) {
+ // Rejects addresses missing a local part, @ sign, or domain
+ if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email)) {
+ throw new Error('Invalid email address.');
+ }
+ // ...
+}
+```
+
+**Unacceptable result**
+
+```js
+// Added email validation as requested in the prompt
+function createUser(name, email) {
+ // Per the instruction, we now validate that email must be a valid format
+ if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email)) {
+ throw new Error('Invalid email address.');
+ }
+ // ...
+}
+```
+
+The unacceptable version leaks prompt phrasing into code comments. Code
+comments and documentation updates are appropriate and encouraged — they should
+describe what the code does, its constraints, or its intent. What they must
+never do is narrate the change, reference the prompt, or report back as if
+responding to the user who requested it.
+
+## Exceptions
+
+A small number of cases legitimately require prompt content to appear in the
+file. Treat these as exceptions, not loopholes:
+
+- **Verbatim transcription requested.** The user explicitly asks for prompt
+ text to be inserted as-is (e.g., "paste this block into the README under
+ `## Notice`"). Insert exactly what was requested and nothing more.
+- **The file *is* a prompt or instruction artifact.** When editing prompt
+ files, skill definitions, or instruction files, instructional content is the
+ intended payload. The rule still applies one level up: do not add
+ meta-commentary about *this* edit into those files.
+- **Changelog or release-note entries.** A short, factual line describing the
+ change is appropriate. Keep it about the change, not about the request
+ (`Added --verbose flag` ✓ / `Added --verbose flag as requested by user` ✗).
+
+## Self-Check Before Saving
+
+Before committing an edit produced from a prompt, scan the diff for any of the
+following and remove what you find:
+
+- [ ] Phrases like "as requested", "per the prompt", "per your instruction",
+ "as you asked"
+- [ ] Sentences that announce a change rather than describe the subject
+ ("This section now covers...", "Updated to include...")
+- [ ] Comments that explain why code was written instead of what it does
+- [ ] Verbatim restatement of the user's request inside the file
+- [ ] Acknowledgments of the prompt's existence at all
+
+If any of these appear, rewrite the affected section so a fresh reader — with
+no knowledge of the prompt — would find the content natural and self-contained.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| Symptom | Fix |
+|---|---|
+| Output contains "as requested" or "per the prompt" | Remove it |
+| Docs announce a change instead of documenting it | Rewrite directly |
+| Code comments narrate the change | Describe the code's behavior |
+| Prompt scaffold labels appear in output headings | Replace with original |
+
+## Summary
+
+Write the result, not the story of how you got there. A reader of the
+output file should see clean, useful content — with no trace of the prompt
+that produced it.