Conversation Improvement Skill

Quick-trigger skill for analyzing conversations and improving AI behavior. This skill provides a streamlined version of the conversation-improver agent for immediate feedback and fixes.

When This Activates

This skill auto-activates when you:

• Say "improve", "improve chat", or "/improve"
• Ask about what went wrong
• Want to analyze conversation issues
• Need to fix AI behavior problems
• Ask for retrospective analysis

Quick Improvement Process

1. Identify the Issue (Ask if unclear)

Quick questions:

• What specific action didn't match your expectations?
• What should have happened instead?
• Is this recurring or one-time?
• Should the fix apply broadly or in specific contexts?

2. Analyze Root Cause

Quickly identify:

• Scope Creep - Did extra work
• Wrong Interpretation - Misunderstood request
• Missing Guardrail - No rule to prevent this
• Over-Caution - Too many questions
• Under-Caution - Acted without confirmation
• Tool Misuse - Wrong tool choice

3. Propose Fix

Target the right location:

• Skill → Domain-specific behavior (

  .github/skills/

  )
• Custom Instructions → Project-wide rules (

  .github/copilot-instructions.md

  )
• Agent → Workflow-specific (

  .github/agents/

  )

4. Present Solution

## Improvement Analysis

**Issue**: [What went wrong]
**Root Cause**: [Why it happened]
**Proposed Fix**: [Where and what to change]

### Target File
[Path to file that needs updating]

### Change

[Exact text to add/replace]

### Risk
Low/Medium/High - [Why]

Quality Checks

Before proposing changes, verify:

• ✓ Specific enough to prevent the issue?
• ✓ General enough for future cases?
• ✓ No conflicts with existing rules?
• ✓ Testable - can user verify?
• ✓ Minimal - smallest change?

Output Options

Based on user preference:

1. Analysis Only - Report without changes
2. Proposed Patch - Show changes for approval
3. Apply Changes - Make changes and summarize

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• ❌ Shotgun fixes (multiple files for one issue)
• ❌ Over-specification (too narrow rules)
• ❌ Vague language ("be careful", "consider")
• ❌ Rule duplication (same rule in multiple places)

Example Usage

User: "improve - you kept refactoring files I didn't ask you to touch"

Response:

### Issue: Scope Creep
AI modified files outside the requested scope.

### Root Cause
Instructions allow "fixing issues in vicinity" but "vicinity" is subjective.

### Proposed Fix
**Target**: `.github/copilot-instructions.md`

Add this rule:
> Only modify files explicitly mentioned in the request.
> Fix critical issues ONLY if they cause build/test failures.
> "Vicinity" means same function—never other files.

**Risk**: Low - Narrows behavior without blocking legitimate fixes.

Would you like me to apply this change?

For More Complex Analysis

For deeper investigation or complex issues, invoke the full conversation-improver agent:

/agent
> Select: conversation-improver

This provides comprehensive root cause analysis with full validation checks.

Remember

• Focus on patterns, not individual mistakes
• Prefer minimal, surgical changes
• Get user confirmation before applying
• Document why the change helps