How to Set Up the i‑have‑adhd Plugin for VS Code: Complete Installation Guide

To set up the i‑have‑adhd plugin for VS Code, install the Agent Skill via the Copilot CLI using npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd -a github-copilot, or manually clone the repository and copy the skill folder to ~/.copilot/skills/, then activate it in Copilot Chat with the /i-have-adhd slash command.

The i‑have‑adhd plugin from the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository is a GitHub Copilot Agent Skill designed to reshape AI-generated responses for ADHD-friendly readability. By integrating this skill into Visual Studio Code, you can ensure every Copilot interaction follows structured, actionable formatting that reduces cognitive load. This guide covers the complete setup process using both automated CLI and manual installation methods as documented in INSTALL.md.

Installation Methods

Install via Copilot CLI (Recommended)

The fastest way to set up the plugin is using the Copilot CLI (npx skills). According to the repository's INSTALL.md, you can install the skill either project-scoped or globally.

For project-specific installation (stored in .github/skills/):

npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd -a github-copilot

For global installation (available in all projects, stored in ~/.copilot/skills/):

npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd -a github-copilot -g

Manual Installation

If you prefer not to use the CLI, manually install the skill by cloning the repository and copying the skill definition to the appropriate Copilot skills directory.

For global manual installation:

git clone https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd
mkdir -p ~/.copilot/skills
cp -R i-have-adhd/skills/i-have-adhd ~/.copilot/skills/

For project-scoped manual installation:

mkdir -p .github/skills
cp -R i-have-adhd/skills/i-have-adhd .github/skills/

Verifying Your Installation

After installation, confirm that Copilot recognizes the skill by listing installed skills. Run the following commands to check both project and global scopes:

npx skills list           # List project-scoped skills

npx skills ls -g          # List globally-scoped skills

In VS Code, open the Copilot Chat pane and type / to browse available slash commands. You should see i-have-adhd in the list, indicating the skill is ready to use.

Making the Skill Always-On (Optional)

To automatically apply ADHD-friendly formatting to every Copilot interaction without manually invoking /i-have-adhd, create a .github/copilot-instructions.md file in your project root. Copilot automatically loads this file at the start of every chat session.

According to the skill definition in skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md, include the following content:

## Output style

The reader has ADHD. Shape every response so it can be acted on:

1. Lead with the answer or next action: command, path, or snippet first.
2. Number multi‑step work; one bounded action per step.
3. End with one next action doable in under two minutes.
4. Finish the current issue before raising a new one.
5. Restate progress each turn ("step 3 of 5 done").

When this file exists in .github/copilot-instructions.md, Copilot applies these constraints to all responses, eliminating the need to type the slash command for every query.

Understanding the Skill Architecture

The i‑have‑adhd skill logic is defined in skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md. This markdown file contains the core instructions that shape Copilot's output style. The repository also includes skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml for compatibility with Gemini agents, though the primary target implementation is GitHub Copilot in VS Code.

Summary

• Use the CLI for fastest setup: npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd -a github-copilot
• Install globally with the -g flag to use the skill across all projects via ~/.copilot/skills/
• Manual installation requires copying skills/i-have-adhd/ to ~/.copilot/skills/ (global) or .github/skills/ (project)
• Verify installation with npx skills list or the / command in Copilot Chat
• Enable always-on mode by creating .github/copilot-instructions.md with the output style rules from SKILL.md

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the i‑have‑adhd plugin for VS Code?

The i‑have‑adhd plugin is a GitHub Copilot Agent Skill from the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository that reformats AI responses to be more accessible for users with ADHD. It enforces structured output rules such as leading with actionable steps, numbering multi-step workflows, and limiting next actions to under two minutes. The skill is invoked via the /i-have-adhd slash command in Copilot Chat.

Where are Copilot skills stored on my system?

GitHub Copilot reads skills from two locations depending on scope. Project-scoped skills reside in .github/skills/ within your repository, while global skills are stored in ~/.copilot/skills/ in your home directory. When you run npx skills add with the -g flag, the CLI copies the skill files to the global directory.

How do I make the i‑have‑adhd skill activate automatically?

Create a file named .github/copilot-instructions.md at your project root and paste the markdown rules from the repository's skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md. Copilot automatically loads these instructions at the start of every chat session, applying ADHD-friendly formatting without requiring the /i-have-adhd command.

Can I use this skill outside of Visual Studio Code?

While primarily designed for VS Code's GitHub Copilot integration, the repository includes skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml for compatibility with Gemini agents. However, the slash command interface (/i-have-adhd) and CLI installation tools (npx skills) are specific to the GitHub Copilot ecosystem within VS Code.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}