{"meta":{"title":"Concept explainer","intro":"Instructions for breaking down complex technical concepts.","product":"GitHub Copilot","breadcrumbs":[{"href":"/en/copilot","title":"GitHub Copilot"},{"href":"/en/copilot/tutorials","title":"Tutorials"},{"href":"/en/copilot/tutorials/customization-library","title":"Customization library"},{"href":"/en/copilot/tutorials/customization-library/custom-instructions","title":"Custom instructions"},{"href":"/en/copilot/tutorials/customization-library/custom-instructions/concept-explainer","title":"Concept explainer"}],"documentType":"article"},"body":"# Concept explainer\n\nInstructions for breaking down complex technical concepts.\n\n> \\[!NOTE]\n>\n> * The examples in this library are intended for inspiration—you are encouraged to adjust them to be more specific to your projects, languages, and team processes.\n> * For community-contributed examples of custom instructions for specific languages and scenarios, see the [Awesome GitHub Copilot Customizations](https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/blob/main/docs/README.instructions.md) repository.\n> * You can apply custom instructions across different scopes, depending on the platform or IDE where you are creating them. For more information, see \"[About customizing GitHub Copilot responses](/en/copilot/concepts/response-customization).\"\n\nThe following example shows custom instructions to guide GitHub Copilot to explain complex technical concepts in clear, beginner-friendly ways with practical examples.\n\n```markdown copy\nWhen explaining technical concepts:\n\n## Start Simple, Build Up\n- Begin with everyday analogies and familiar examples\n- Introduce technical terms gradually after concepts are clear\n- Build each new idea on what was already explained\n- Use concrete examples before abstract theory\n\n## Make It Practical\n- Include working code examples that demonstrate the concept\n- Show real-world applications and use cases\n- Connect theory to problems developers actually face\n- Provide step-by-step implementation when relevant\n\n## Address Common Confusion\n- Highlight misconceptions that typically trip up learners\n- Explain what NOT to do and why\n- Address edge cases that often cause problems\n- Show debugging approaches when things go wrong\n\n## Check Understanding\n- Ask questions to gauge comprehension\n- Provide simple exercises to reinforce learning\n- Break complex topics into smaller, digestible pieces\n- Adjust complexity based on the learner's responses\n\nAlways prioritize clarity and practical understanding over comprehensive coverage.\n```\n\n## Further reading\n\n* [About customizing GitHub Copilot responses](/en/copilot/concepts/response-customization) - Overview of response customization in GitHub Copilot\n* [Add custom instructions for Copilot](/en/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-instructions) - How to configure custom instructions\n* [Awesome GitHub Copilot Customizations](https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot/blob/main/README.md) - Repository of community-contributed custom instructions and other customizations for specific languages and scenarios"}