refactor: move agentic-workflow-designer skill to static instruction file

.github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md → .github/aw/designer.md

@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
----
-name: agentic-workflow-designer
-description: Conversational skill that interviews users to design new agentic workflows
-disable-model-invocation: true
----
-
 # Workflow Designer
 
 Use this skill to run a structured interview with users who know their goal but not the workflow syntax yet, then generate one complete workflow `.md` file.
@@ -12,7 +6,7 @@ Use this skill to run a structured interview with users who know their goal but
 
 Use this before `.github/aw/create-agentic-workflow.md` when requirements are unclear or incomplete.
 
-- Use `skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md` to discover and confirm requirements.
+- Use `.github/aw/designer.md` to discover and confirm requirements.
 - Use `.github/aw/create-agentic-workflow.md` once requirements are clear and ready for implementation.
 - Use `.github/aw/agentic-chat.md` when the user wants a specification/pseudo-code instead of a runnable workflow file.
 

.github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Load these files from `github/gh-aw` (they are not available locally).
 - `.github/aw/debug-agentic-workflow.md`
 - `.github/aw/dependabot.md`
 - `.github/aw/deployment-status.md`
+- `.github/aw/designer.md`
 - `.github/aw/experiments.md`
 - `.github/aw/github-agentic-workflows.md`
 - `.github/aw/github-mcp-server.md`
@@ -70,9 +71,8 @@ Load these files from `github/gh-aw` (they are not available locally).
 - `.github/aw/workflow-editing.md`
 - `.github/aw/workflow-patterns.md`
 
-- `.github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md`
 After loading the matching workflow prompt or skill, follow it directly:
-- Design workflows from scratch via interview: `skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md`
+- Design workflows from scratch via interview: `.github/aw/designer.md`
 - Create new workflows: `.github/aw/create-agentic-workflow.md`
 - Update existing workflows: `.github/aw/update-agentic-workflow.md`
 - Debug, audit, or investigate workflows: `.github/aw/debug-agentic-workflow.md`

.github/workflows/designer-drift-audit.md

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ steps:
   - name: Extract designer file metadata
     run: |
       # Skill file
-      SKILL=".github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md"
+      SKILL=".github/aw/designer.md"
       if [ -f "$SKILL" ]; then
         {
           echo "=== SKILL.md ==="
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ steps:
 
       # Commits in the last 7 days that touched designer files
       git log --oneline --since="7 days ago" -- \
-        .github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md \
+        .github/aw/designer.md \
         .github/agents/interactive-agent-designer.agent.md \
         > /tmp/gh-aw/data/recent-designer-commits.txt 2>/dev/null || true
 

docs/src/content/docs/setup/cli.md

@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Commands are organized by workflow lifecycle: creating, building, testing, monit
 
 #### `init`
 
-Initialize repository for agentic workflows. Configures `.gitattributes`, creates the dispatcher skill file (`.github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md`), the workflow designer skill (`.github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md`), creates the Agentic Workflows custom agent (`.github/agents/agentic-workflows.md`), and performs non-interactive setup. Enables MCP server integration by default (use `--no-mcp` to skip). Use `--no-skill` or `--no-agent` to skip either artifact, or `--engine` to select a non-Copilot engine and skip Copilot-specific artifacts.
+Initialize repository for agentic workflows. Configures `.gitattributes`, creates the dispatcher skill file (`.github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md`), creates the Agentic Workflows custom agent (`.github/agents/agentic-workflows.md`), and performs non-interactive setup. Enables MCP server integration by default (use `--no-mcp` to skip). Use `--no-skill` or `--no-agent` to skip either artifact, or `--engine` to select a non-Copilot engine and skip Copilot-specific artifacts.
 
 ```bash wrap
 gh aw init                              # Initialize repository with defaults (non-interactive)

pkg/cli/copilot_agents.go

@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ var agenticWorkflowsSkillTemplate string
 //go:embed data/agentic_workflows_fallback_aw_files.json
 var agenticWorkflowsFallbackAWFiles string
 
-//go:embed data/agentic_workflow_designer_skill.md
-var agenticWorkflowDesignerSkillTemplate string
-
 var listAgenticWorkflowsMarkdownFiles = fetchAgenticWorkflowsMarkdownFiles
 
 // ensureAgenticWorkflowsDispatcher ensures that .github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md
@@ -104,63 +101,6 @@ func ensureAgenticWorkflowsDispatcher(verbose bool, skipInstructions bool) error
 	return nil
 }
 
-// ensureAgenticWorkflowDesignerSkill ensures that
-// .github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md exists and matches the
-// bundled workflow designer skill content.
-func ensureAgenticWorkflowDesignerSkill(verbose bool, skipInstructions bool) error {
-	copilotAgentsLog.Print("Ensuring agentic workflow designer skill")
-
-	if skipInstructions {
-		copilotAgentsLog.Print("Skipping skill creation: instructions disabled")
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	gitRoot, err := gitutil.FindGitRoot()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err // Not in a git repository, skip
-	}
-
-	targetDir := filepath.Join(gitRoot, ".github", "skills", "agentic-workflow-designer")
-	targetPath := filepath.Join(targetDir, "SKILL.md")
-
-	if err := fileutil.EnsureParentDir(targetPath, constants.DirPermPublic); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create .github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer directory: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	existingContent := ""
-	if content, err := os.ReadFile(targetPath); err == nil {
-		existingContent = string(content)
-	}
-
-	expectedContent := strings.TrimSpace(agenticWorkflowDesignerSkillTemplate)
-	if strings.TrimSpace(existingContent) == expectedContent {
-		copilotAgentsLog.Printf("Agentic workflow designer skill is up-to-date: %s", targetPath)
-		if verbose {
-			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatInfoMessage("Agentic workflow designer skill is up-to-date: "+targetPath))
-		}
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	if err := os.WriteFile(targetPath, []byte(agenticWorkflowDesignerSkillTemplate), constants.FilePermPublic); err != nil {
-		copilotAgentsLog.Printf("Failed to write agentic workflow designer skill: %s, error: %v", targetPath, err)
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write agentic workflow designer skill: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if existingContent == "" {
-		copilotAgentsLog.Printf("Created agentic workflow designer skill: %s", targetPath)
-		if verbose {
-			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatSuccessMessage("Created agentic workflow designer skill: "+targetPath))
-		}
-	} else {
-		copilotAgentsLog.Printf("Updated agentic workflow designer skill: %s", targetPath)
-		if verbose {
-			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatSuccessMessage("Updated agentic workflow designer skill: "+targetPath))
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // ensureAgenticWorkflowsAgent ensures that .github/agents/agentic-workflows.md contains the custom agent.
 func ensureAgenticWorkflowsAgent(verbose bool) error {
 	copilotAgentsLog.Print("Ensuring agentic workflows custom agent")
@@ -323,6 +263,31 @@ func cleanupOldPromptFile(promptFileName string, verbose bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// deleteAgenticWorkflowDesignerSkillDir removes the legacy
+// .github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/ directory if it exists.
+// The designer instructions are now bundled inside the agentic-workflows skill
+// at .github/aw/designer.md (loaded on demand from
+// github/gh-aw) and no longer need to be written to user repositories.
+func deleteAgenticWorkflowDesignerSkillDir(verbose bool) error {
+	gitRoot, err := gitutil.FindGitRoot()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil // Not in a git repository, skip
+	}
+
+	designerDir := filepath.Join(gitRoot, ".github", "skills", "agentic-workflow-designer")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(designerDir); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil // Already removed, nothing to do
+	}
+
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(designerDir); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove legacy agentic-workflow-designer skill directory: %w", err)
+	}
+	if verbose {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatInfoMessage("Removed legacy skill directory: "+designerDir))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // deleteSetupAgenticWorkflowsAgent deletes the setup-agentic-workflows.agent.md file if it exists
 func deleteSetupAgenticWorkflowsAgent(verbose bool) error {
 	gitRoot, err := gitutil.FindGitRoot()

pkg/cli/copilot_agents_test.go

@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ func TestBuildAgenticWorkflowsSkillContent(t *testing.T) {
 	if strings.Contains(content, ".github/agents/agentic-workflows") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected generated skill content to avoid agent cross-references:\n%s", content)
 	}
-	assert.Contains(t, content, "Design workflows from scratch via interview: `skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md`")
+	assert.Contains(t, content, "Design workflows from scratch via interview: `.github/aw/designer.md`")
 }
 
 func TestBuildAgenticWorkflowsSkillContentWithoutAWDirectory(t *testing.T) {
@@ -372,24 +372,7 @@ func TestBuildAgenticWorkflowsSkillContentFallsBackToEmbeddedFileList(t *testing
 
 	assert.NotContains(t, content, agenticWorkflowsSkillFileListPlaceholder, "expected generated skill content to replace the file-list placeholder")
 	assert.Contains(t, content, "- `.github/aw/create-agentic-workflow.md`\n", "expected embedded fallback markdown file list to be used")
-	assert.Contains(t, content, "- `.github/skills/agentic-workflow-designer/SKILL.md`\n", "expected generated skill content to include agentic-workflow-designer skill")
-}
-
-func TestCheckedInAgenticWorkflowDesignerSkillMatchesEmbeddedTemplate(t *testing.T) {
-	_, file, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("Failed to locate test file")
-	}
-
-	gitRoot := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(file), "..", ".."))
-	actual, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(gitRoot, ".github", "skills", "agentic-workflow-designer", "SKILL.md"))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to read checked-in workflow designer skill file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if strings.TrimSpace(string(actual)) != strings.TrimSpace(agenticWorkflowDesignerSkillTemplate) {
-		t.Fatalf("Checked-in workflow designer skill file is out of sync with embedded template\nexpected:\n%s\nactual:\n%s", agenticWorkflowDesignerSkillTemplate, string(actual))
-	}
+	assert.Contains(t, content, "- `.github/aw/designer.md`\n", "expected generated skill content to include designer instruction file")
 }
 
 func TestCheckedInAgenticWorkflowsSkillMatchesGeneratedContent(t *testing.T) {