Startup hint "No copilot instructions found" is misleading when user-level instructions exist

[goergenj]

Summary

Startup hint "No copilot instructions found" is misleading when user-level instructions exist at ~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md

Environment

• Product/Service: GitHub Copilot CLI
• Version: v0.0.413-0
• OS: Windows 11

Reproduction Steps

1. Create user-level instructions at ~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md
2. Launch copilot from a directory that is not inside a git repository (e.g., $HOME — which is typically not git-tracked but is where user-level instructions live)
3. Observe startup output

Expected Behavior

The startup hint should either:

• Not appear when user-level instructions (~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md) are detected, OR
• Distinguish between project-level and user-level instructions (e.g., "No project instructions found. User-level instructions loaded from ~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md")

Actual Behavior

Displays:

💡 No copilot instructions found. Run /init to generate a copilot-instructions.md file for this project.

This message appears even though user-level instructions at ~/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md are being loaded and applied correctly. The hint creates unnecessary confusion — users believe their instructions are not working.

Impact

Low — Cosmetic/UX issue. Instructions load correctly, but the message undermines developer confidence in their setup and may lead to unnecessary troubleshooting.

Additional Context

• The CLI documentation confirms $HOME/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md is a supported instructions location
• The hint only checks for project-level instructions (.github/copilot-instructions.md in a git root) and ignores the user-level file
• Particularly confusing for users who primarily work from their home directory or non-repo folders
• The user home directory ($HOME / %USERPROFILE%) is typically not git-tracked, yet it is the standard location for user-level Copilot instructions — this makes the hint appear in the most common non-repo launch context