GitHub Copilot Prompt to Generate a Revision Plan

GitHub Copilot is not limited to code completion: it's an assistant capable of structuring complete revision plans for your software projects. Whether you are preparing a code review before a deployment, a major refactoring, or a security audit, a well-formulated prompt allows Copilot to produce a methodical plan covering every critical aspect. The challenge is to provide enough context on your codebase, your goals, and your constraints so that the generated plan is actionable and not generic. A good revision plan identifies risk areas, prioritizes checks, and proposes clear acceptance criteria. By using Copilot Chat in your IDE, you can quickly iterate on this plan by confronting it directly with the source code open in your editor. This approach transforms an often neglected task — structured revision planning — into a fast and reproducible process that improves overall code quality and reduces production regressions.

The prompt

GitHub Copilot

Act as a senior lead developer specialized in code review. Generate a structured and comprehensive revision plan for the following project:

Project Context: [describe the project, its technical stack and architecture]
Review Scope: [specify the files, modules or features concerned]
Main Objective: [e.g., pre-deployment, refactoring, security audit, onboarding]
Constraints: [deadline, reviewer experience level, internal standards]

The plan should include:

A checklist prioritized by criticality (blocker / important / minor)
Identified risk areas with justification
Specific checks per layer (business logic, API, database, UI)
Measurable acceptance criteria for each point
Time estimate per section
Recommended tools or commands to automate certain checks

Format the plan in Markdown with tables for the checklist and clearly separated sections.

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Why it works

This prompt works thanks to the assignment of an expert role that frames the response register, combined with contextual variables in square brackets that force the user to provide discriminating information. The numbered six-point structure acts as a format constraint that prevents Copilot from producing a vague response, while the request for prioritization by criticality leverages the model's ability to classify and prioritize information.

Expected result

You will obtain a structured Markdown document containing a review checklist sorted by criticality level, with for each point a precise acceptance criterion and a time estimate. The plan will also include an analysis of the risk zones specific to your architecture, as well as concrete commands (linters, tests, SQL verification queries) to automate repetitive checks.

Variants by level

FAQ

How to adapt this prompt for a project with a very large codebase?

For large codebases, break down the review by module or business domain rather than including everything. Specify in the prompt the specific files or directories concerned, and ask Copilot to generate a plan per batch. You can also open the target files in your IDE before using Copilot Chat: it will take into account the context of the open files to produce a more relevant plan. Remember to mention dependencies between modules so that the plan reflects the optimal review order.

Can Copilot automatically detect risk areas in my code?

Copilot Chat can analyze the code open in your editor and identify problematic patterns (non-parameterized SQL queries, missing error handling, outdated dependencies). However, it does not replace a dedicated static analysis tool like SonarQube or Semgrep. The recommended approach is to use the plan generated by Copilot as a structure, then supplement it with the results of SAST tools for automatable checks. The advanced prompt even includes recommendations for complementary tooling.

What is the difference between using this prompt in Copilot Chat and in a classic editor?

In Copilot Chat integrated into the IDE (VS Code, JetBrains), the model has access to the context of your open files and workspace, making the revision plan much more specific. In an external chat without code context, the plan will remain more generic. For optimal results, open the key files of the review scope before launching the prompt, and use the @workspace command so that Copilot takes the entire project into account.

How to use this prompt

Copy the prompt with the button above.
Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or your favorite AI assistant.
Replace the bracketed variables with your details, then refine the result.

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