Add public API governance instructions - #68168
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Teach coding agents to stop before implementing unapproved public API changes and preserve the behavior with a Vally A/B evaluation harness. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: c6e15e01-fdd2-4645-8e63-a64375d7ea15
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Pull request overview
This PR strengthens repository-wide coding-agent governance around public/protected API changes by adding explicit guidance to stop implementation unless the linked issue is api-approved, and by adding Vally eval/experiment definitions to measure that behavior via an instructions-off vs instructions-on A/B.
Changes:
- Add a “Public API Changes” governance section to
.github/copilot-instructions.mdthat requiresapi-approvedbefore implementing public/protected API changes and clarifiesPublicAPI.Unshipped.txtsemantics. - Add a variant-neutral Vally eval spec that prompts for three representative unapproved API-change categories and grades for correct “stop and drive API review” behavior.
- Add an experiment YAML that injects the instructions overlay only for the
currentvariant, keeping the eval itself variant-neutral.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
eng/instructions-evals/instructions-vs-baseline.experiment.yaml |
Defines the baseline vs current experiment by varying /environment/files to toggle the repo instructions overlay. |
eng/instructions-evals/copilot-instructions/eval.vally.yaml |
Adds the variant-neutral eval spec with shared graders/rubric across three governance stimuli. |
.github/copilot-instructions.md |
Adds explicit public API governance instructions (api-approved gate, API review workflow, and Unshipped vs approval distinction). |
Copilot's findings
- Files reviewed: 3/3 changed files
- Comments generated: 0
kotlarmilos
reviewed
Aug 14, 2026
Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: c6e15e01-fdd2-4645-8e63-a64375d7ea15
Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: c6e15e01-fdd2-4645-8e63-a64375d7ea15
Member
|
@copilot resolve the merge conflicts in this pull request |
Co-authored-by: kotlarmilos <11523312+kotlarmilos@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: kotlarmilos <11523312+kotlarmilos@users.noreply.github.com>
Contributor
Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: c6e15e01-fdd2-4645-8e63-a64375d7ea15
leveyp94-hash
approved these changes
Aug 22, 2026
leveyp94-hash
approved these changes
Aug 22, 2026
wtgodbe
approved these changes
Aug 24, 2026
javiercn
reviewed
Sep 1, 2026
| ## Public API Changes | ||
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| * Treat any new or changed `public` or `protected` type, member, signature, default, or convention as a potential public API change. Before implementing it, verify that the linked issue is `api-approved`. | ||
| * If approval is missing, stop and explain the required [API review process](../docs/APIReviewProcess.md): an issue owner or champion drives an `api-suggestion` with the proposal in ref-assembly form, then applies `api-ready-for-review` and notifies `@dotnet/aspnet-api-review` when it is mature. Implementation starts only after `api-approved`. |
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FYI, this is not how we work and caused my agents to refuse doing any work.
I think it's important that we get more eyes on changes like these
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Summary
api-approvedbefore implementationPublicAPI.Unshipped.txtcompatibility tracking from API approval@dotnet/aspnet-api-reviewhandleValidation
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