[External Plugin]: copilot-cli-local-memory

[shankarnarayanb]

Plugin name

copilot-cli-local-memory

Short description

Provides an explicit, deterministic local lifecycle for durable Copilot CLI instructions, stored as user-owned Markdown files.

GitHub repository

shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory

Plugin path inside the repository

No response

Ref to review

v1.1.1

Commit SHA to review

46e45c28ae8bdb3271fffbbfe2c484dc6ac40aca

Version

1.1.1

License identifier

MIT

Author name

Shankar Balakrishna

Author URL

https://github.com/shankarnarayanb

Homepage URL

No response

Keywords

copilot-cli, memory, local-first, developer-tools

Additional notes for reviewers

How this differs from built-in Copilot Memory

Copilot Memory and this plugin address related but different workflows.

GitHub’s built-in Copilot Memory is a GitHub-managed, agent-driven service. It stores repository facts and user preferences across supported Copilot surfaces. In Copilot CLI, /memory currently controls whether that service is on or off and shows its status. Individual entries are reviewed or deleted through GitHub settings, and unused memories can expire after 28 days.

Copilot CLI Local Memory instead manages the CLI’s documented local modular-instruction files:

• /remember deterministically saves exactly the caveat requested by the user.
• /memories lists and searches locally stored entries.
• /forget removes a specific entry from the CLI.
• Each entry is an ordinary .instructions.md file that the user can read, edit, back up or delete.
• applyTo globs can restrict an instruction to relevant files.
• Entries remain until the user chooses to remove them.
• It can be used where GitHub-managed Memory is disabled but local plugins and custom instructions are permitted.

The plugin therefore complements Copilot Memory rather than replacing or bypassing it. Its specific value is local ownership, explicit capture and a deterministic lifecycle for durable instructions.

An open Copilot CLI feature request also identifies local, plain-Markdown memory as a separate requirement when remote Memory is unavailable. That proposal is broader and agent-initiated, whereas this plugin keeps capture explicit and user-controlled:

github/copilot-cli#2930

Why this exists

Developers often realise that something is worth preserving while they are already working:

• “Don’t touch production until you’ve shown me the dry run.”
• “When this access token expires, refresh it once before retrying.”
• “This generated directory is rebuilt automatically; don’t edit it by hand.”

These instructions can be maintained manually, but stopping to locate and edit an instruction file breaks the flow at the moment the rule is discovered. This plugin lets the user say “save this decision to local memory” and continue working.

The scope is deliberately small. It is not a transcript store, knowledge base or RAG system. It requires no PostgreSQL, SQLite, vector database, embedding model or background server. The installed runtime consists of two JavaScript files and uses only Node.js built-ins.

The documentation makes clear that storage is local, but applicable instructions may still be included in prompts sent to Copilot. It also warns users not to store secrets and states that the plugin does not bypass enterprise policy.

Extensions are currently experimental in Copilot CLI, so users must enable experimental features with copilot --experimental or /experimental on.

References

• Built-in Memory types, retention and cross-surface behaviour:
  https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-memory
• Native /memory controls and entry management:
  https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-26-copilot-memory-has-more-controls-for-deletion-scope-and-the-copilot-cli/
• Copilot CLI local modular instructions:
  https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions

Submission checklist

• The plugin lives in a public GitHub repository.
• The ref and/or sha I provided is immutable (release tag and/or full 40-character commit SHA), not a branch.
• This submission follows this repository's contribution, security, and responsible AI policies.
• This plugin is not already listed in the Awesome Copilot marketplace.

[github-actions]

✅ External plugin intake passed

This submission passed automated intake validation and quality checks and is ready for maintainer review.

• Plugin: copilot-cli-local-memory
• Repository: https://github.com/shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory
• Ref: v1.1.1
• SHA: 46e45c28ae8bdb3271fffbbfe2c484dc6ac40aca

Reviewer signals

These are non-blocking heuristics for maintainer review; they are not evidence of misconduct or low quality.

Signal	Result
Repository age	2 day(s)
Repository activity	repository is 2 day(s) old; 0 stars; 0 watchers; 0 forks
Repository counts	0 stars · 0 watchers · 0 forks · 0 open issues/PRs

Quality gate summary

Legend: ✅ pass · ⚠️ warning · 🛑 fail

Gate	Status
spec compliance (non-blocking)	✅ pass
vally lint	✅ pass
install smoke test	✅ pass
version match	✅ pass
ref/sha consistency	✅ pass
canvas structure	⚪ not_run

• spec compliance: pass
• vally lint: pass
• install smoke test: pass
• version match: pass
• ref/sha consistency: pass
• canvas structure: not_run
• overall: pass

spec compliance output (✅ pass)

Agent Plugins v1.0.0 manifest checks passed for plugin.json.

vally lint output (✅ pass)

0 skill(s) linted

install smoke test output (✅ pass)

Install smoke test succeeded. Verified /tmp/external-plugin-quality-P6j3JC/copilot-home/.copilot/installed-plugins/external-plugin-intake/copilot-cli-local-memory/plugin.json.

Version match output

- v1.1.1: matched version "1.1.1" at "plugin.json".
- 46e45c28ae8bdb3271fffbbfe2c484dc6ac40aca: matched version "1.1.1" at "plugin.json".

Ref/SHA consistency output

source.ref "v1.1.1" resolves to the same commit as source.sha "46e45c28ae8bdb3271fffbbfe2c484dc6ac40aca".

Canvas structure output

Canvas structure gate skipped because plugin is not tagged with "canvas".

Canonical external.json payload

{
  "name": "copilot-cli-local-memory",
  "description": "Provides an explicit, deterministic local lifecycle for durable Copilot CLI instructions, stored as user-owned Markdown files.",
  "version": "1.1.1",
  "author": {
    "name": "Shankar Balakrishna",
    "url": "https://github.com/shankarnarayanb"
  },
  "repository": "https://github.com/shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory",
  "license": "MIT",
  "keywords": [
    "copilot-cli",
    "memory",
    "local-first",
    "developer-tools"
  ],
  "source": {
    "source": "github",
    "repo": "shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory",
    "ref": "v1.1.1",
    "sha": "46e45c28ae8bdb3271fffbbfe2c484dc6ac40aca"
  }
}

View workflow run

[shankarnarayanb]

/rerun-intake

[aaronpowell]

/reject Copilot has built in memory.

[github-actions]

❌ External plugin rejected

A maintainer rejected copilot-cli-local-memory, and the submission issue has been closed.

Reason

Copilot has built in memory.

If you address the feedback, edit this issue with the updated details and have the issue author or a maintainer comment /rerun-intake to re-run automated intake.

[shankarnarayanb]

Thanks for reviewing this, @aaronpowell . I agree that Copilot CLI now has built-in Copilot Memory, and I would not want this accepted if it simply duplicated that feature.

After comparing the two more closely, though, I believe this plugin provides a distinct and complementary workflow.

Built-in Copilot Memory is GitHub-managed, works across supported Copilot surfaces, and lets Copilot retain repository facts and user preferences. In the CLI, /memory currently controls on, off, and show. Individual entries are reviewed or deleted through GitHub settings, and unused memories can expire after 28 days.

This plugin addresses a different need: explicit, local and user-managed memory for Copilot CLI.

• /remember deterministically saves the requested caveat as a plain .instructions.md file on the user’s machine.
• /memories provides local listing and search.
• /forget removes a specific entry from the CLI.
• Files can be read, edited, backed up or deleted with ordinary tools.
• applyTo globs allow instructions to be limited to relevant files.
• Entries remain until the user decides to remove them.
• It remains useful when an organization disables GitHub-managed Memory but still permits local plugins and custom instructions.

This is built on Copilot CLI’s documented modular-instruction mechanism, so it complements the platform instead of replacing or bypassing its native Memory service. The distinction is local ownership and a deterministic lifecycle, rather than whether Copilot can remember anything at all.

There is also an open Copilot CLI feature request for local, plain-Markdown memory when remote Memory is unavailable. That proposal is broader and agent-initiated, while this plugin deliberately keeps capture explicit and user-controlled, but it shows that local storage is a separate user requirement:
github/copilot-cli#2930

References:

• Built-in Memory types, retention and cross-surface behaviour:
  https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-memory
• Native /memory controls and entry management:
  https://github.blog/changelog/2026-05-26-copilot-memory-has-more-controls-for-deletion-scope-and-the-copilot-cli/
• Copilot CLI’s local modular instructions:
  https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/add-custom-instructions

Given those differences, would you be open to reconsidering the submission as a local, user-controlled complement to Copilot Memory? If that still falls outside the scope you want for Awesome Copilot, I’ll respect the decision.

[shankarnarayanb]

/rerun-intake