diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index c0a4142db03986..be8c26eeadd623 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -50,15 +50,15 @@ Each extension follows the standard VS Code extension structure with `package.js
 
 ## Validating TypeScript changes
 
-MANDATORY: Always check the `VS Code - Build` watch task output via #runTasks/getTaskOutput for compilation errors before running ANY script or declaring work complete, then fix all compilation errors before moving forward.
+MANDATORY: Always check for compilation errors before running any tests or validation scripts, or declaring work complete, then fix all compilation errors before moving forward.
 
 - NEVER run tests if there are compilation errors
-- NEVER use `npm run compile` to compile TypeScript files but call #runTasks/getTaskOutput instead
+- NEVER use `npm run compile` to compile TypeScript files
 
 ### TypeScript compilation steps
-- Monitor the `VS Code - Build` task outputs for real-time compilation errors as you make changes
-- This task runs `Core - Build` and `Ext - Build` to incrementally compile VS Code TypeScript sources and built-in extensions
-- Start the task if it's not already running in the background
+- If the `#runTasks/getTaskOutput` tool is available, check the `VS Code - Build` watch task output for compilation errors. This task runs `Core - Build` and `Ext - Build` to incrementally compile VS Code TypeScript sources and built-in extensions. Start the task if it's not already running in the background.
+- If the tool is not available (e.g. in CLI environments) and you only changed code under `src/`, run `npm run compile-check-ts-native` after making changes to type-check the main VS Code sources (it validates `./src/tsconfig.json`).
+- If you changed built-in extensions under `extensions/` and the tool is not available, run the corresponding gulp task `gulp compile-extensions` instead so that TypeScript errors in extensions are also reported.
 - For TypeScript changes in the `build` folder, you can simply run `npm run typecheck` in the `build` folder.
 
 ### TypeScript validation steps