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How to update community health files with AI

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    Loc Truong
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How to update community health files with AI

Read the Docs to learn more about GitHub Copilot features or get started today.

---|---------| | README.md | Provides an overview, installation instructions, and usage guidance to help users get started. | | CONTRIBUTING.md | Outlines how contributors can participate, including coding standards and pull‑request procedures. | | LICENSE | States the legal terms under which the project can be used, modified, and distributed. | | Issue/Pull‑request templates | Standardizes the format and information required when submitting issues or pull requests. | | SECURITY.md | Explains how to report vulnerabilities and outlines the project’s security policy. | | GOVERNANCE.md | Describes how the project is managed, roles, responsibilities, and decision‑making processes. | | CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md | Sets behavioral standards for community engagement. | | SUPPORT.md | Provides guidance on how to seek help with the project. | | FUNDING.yml or README support for sponsors | Displays sponsorship options and visibility for funding. |

Honorable mention: the Copilot instructions file is an AI configuration that complements health docs. It uses other community health files as context and tells GitHub Copilot how to interact with the codebase, ensuring consistent, accurate assistance.

Starter kit: How to update community health files using GitHub Copilot

We’ve put together a starter kit that includes prompting best practices, a comprehensive checklist, and step‑by‑step tutorials for adding three essential files to your repository.

Part 1: Prompting

Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining existing documentation, GitHub Copilot can help you write clearer, more consistent community health files with just a few prompts.

  • Tip: LLMs powering Copilot are nondeterministic, so the same prompt can produce different outputs each time. Prompt engineering improves quality, but always verify the output—especially for legal files like LICENSE.

Part 2: Checklist

This checklist ensures that Copilot‑generated content is accurate, inclusive, secure, and aligned with your project’s goals.

🔍 Before you start

  • Have you reviewed existing community health files in similar or related repositories?
  • Do you have clear goals for each file’s message (onboarding, expectations, security reporting)?
  • Are you familiar with your organization’s GitHub usage policies and branding guidelines?

🧠 Prompting Copilot effectively

  • Are your prompts specific and contextual? (e.g., “Generate a CONTRIBUTING.md for a Python‑based open‑source project with a code style guide.”)
  • Have you included tone preferences? (e.g., “Use inclusive language and a welcoming tone.”)

🛡️ Security & privacy

  • Avoid prompts that include sensitive or proprietary information (credentials, private URLs).
  • Review your repository’s visibility settings (public vs. private) and ensure health files match the audience.
  • Know how Copilot’s privacy settings handle prompts and suggestions.
  • Will your SECURITY.md include:
    • A clear contact method for reporting vulnerabilities?
    • A brief explanation of how security issues are triaged?
    • Links to your responsible disclosure policy?

🧾 Reviewing Copilot output

  • Does the content reflect your project’s values and community standards?
  • Are there hallucinated links, names, or policies that don’t exist?
  • Are all external references accurate and up‑to‑date?

🧪 Testing & feedback

  • Have a teammate or contributor review the generated files?
  • Test setup steps in README.md or CONTRIBUTING.md.
  • Be open to iterating based on community feedback.

Part 3: Tutorial

Below are quick, practical steps to use Copilot for three key community health files.

📝 Create a README

Why? A clear README.md helps users and contributors quickly understand your project’s purpose and usage.

  1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat in your IDE (e.g., VS Code).
  2. Switch to agent mode for project‑aware assistance.
  3. Select your preferred model (e.g., Claude for strong writing support).
  4. Ensure the project is open in the IDE so Copilot can read its context (package.json, app.tsx, etc.).
  5. In the chat, ask:

    “Help me write a README.md for my project. Include installation instructions, an overview, and follow standard README practices.”

  6. Review the generated README.md.
  7. Verify installation or setup steps manually.
  8. If satisfied, click “Keep” to save the file.
  9. Commit the new README.md to your repository.

📄 Add a license

Why? A LICENSE file protects both your rights and those of users, clarifying how the code can be used, modified, and distributed.

  1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat in your IDE.
  2. Decide which license you want to add.
  3. Prompt:

    “Can you add the MIT license to my project?”

  4. Copilot will generate a LICENSE file.
  5. Review the license for accuracy (especially copyright holder names).
  6. Click “Keep” to save the file.
  7. Commit the `LICENSE
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