# microsoft/devsquad-copilot architecture

> Architecture diagram of the GitHub repository microsoft/devsquad-copilot, generated by GitDiagram from its file tree, README and a sample of source files (last updated 2026-09-28). It is an AI-made overview: check details against the source.

- Interactive diagram: https://gitdiagram.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot
- Repository: https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot

## Overview

DevSquad Copilot is a GitHub Copilot delivery framework, not a conventional application: its runtime is a collection of agent definitions and supporting skills, instructions, and hooks. The documented workflow starts with business intent, iterates through a thin spec, planning, task decomposition, implementation, and independent review, while persistent artifacts carry learning into later slices. Edges reflect README-documented orchestration and artifact/work-item outputs; source excerpts were unavailable, so implementation-level wiring is not inferred.

Main entry points: [`.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.agent.md`](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.agent.md) (Conductor), [`docs`](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/docs) (Delivery artifacts), [`.github/plugins/devsquad/skills/work-item-creation/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/skills/work-item-creation/SKILL.md) (Work items), [`.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.envision.agent.md`](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.envision.agent.md) (Envision)

## Diagram (Mermaid)

```mermaid
flowchart TD

subgraph group_orchestration["Agent orchestration"]
  node_conductor["Conductor<br/>[devsquad.agent.md]"]
  node_skills["Agent skills<br/>[skills]"]
  node_instructions["Instructions<br/>[instructions]"]
  node_hooks["Hooks<br/>[hooks]"]
end

subgraph group_delivery["Delivery stages"]
  node_envision["Envision"]
  node_specify["Specify"]
  node_plan["Plan"]
  node_decompose["Decompose"]
  node_implement["Implement"]
end

subgraph group_quality["Review and learning"]
  node_refine["Refine"]
  node_review["Review"]
  node_security["Security review"]
end

subgraph group_state["Artifacts and integrations"]
  node_artifact["Delivery artifacts"]
  node_workitems["Work items<br/>[SKILL.md]"]
end

node_developer(("Developer"))
node_github["GitHub Issues"]
node_azdo["Azure DevOps"]

node_developer -->|"starts delivery"| node_conductor
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_envision
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_specify
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_plan
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_decompose
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_implement
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_refine
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_review
node_conductor -->|"delegates"| node_security
node_envision -->|"creates"| node_artifact
node_specify -->|"records spec"| node_artifact
node_plan -->|"records decisions"| node_artifact
node_decompose -->|"creates tasks"| node_workitems
node_workitems -.->|"exports issues"| node_github
node_workitems -.->|"exports work items"| node_azdo
node_implement -->|"amends artifacts"| node_artifact
node_refine -->|"updates artifacts"| node_artifact
node_review -->|"checks against"| node_artifact
node_security -->|"assesses against"| node_artifact
node_conductor -->|"uses guidance"| node_skills
node_conductor -->|"follows guidance"| node_instructions
node_conductor -.->|"uses automation"| node_hooks

click node_conductor "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.agent.md"
click node_envision "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.envision.agent.md"
click node_specify "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.specify.agent.md"
click node_plan "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.plan.agent.md"
click node_decompose "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.decompose.agent.md"
click node_implement "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.implement.agent.md"
click node_refine "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.refine.agent.md"
click node_review "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.review.agent.md"
click node_security "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.security.agent.md"
click node_artifact "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/docs"
click node_workitems "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/skills/work-item-creation/SKILL.md"
click node_skills "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/skills"
click node_instructions "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/instructions"
click node_hooks "https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/hooks"

classDef toneNeutral fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#334155,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0f172a
classDef toneBlue fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#172554
classDef toneAmber fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#78350f
classDef toneMint fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#14532d
classDef toneRose fill:#ffe4e6,stroke:#e11d48,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#881337
classDef toneIndigo fill:#e0e7ff,stroke:#4f46e5,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#312e81
classDef toneTeal fill:#ccfbf1,stroke:#0f766e,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#134e4a
class node_conductor,node_skills,node_instructions,node_hooks toneBlue
class node_envision,node_specify,node_plan,node_decompose,node_implement toneAmber
class node_refine,node_review,node_security toneMint
class node_artifact,node_workitems toneRose
class node_developer,node_github,node_azdo toneIndigo
```

## Components

### Agent orchestration

- [Conductor](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.agent.md`
- [Agent skills](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/skills): `.github/plugins/devsquad/skills`
- [Instructions](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/instructions): `.github/instructions`
- [Hooks](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/hooks): `.github/plugins/devsquad/hooks`

### Delivery stages

- [Envision](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.envision.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.envision.agent.md`
- [Specify](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.specify.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.specify.agent.md`
- [Plan](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.plan.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.plan.agent.md`
- [Decompose](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.decompose.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.decompose.agent.md`
- [Implement](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.implement.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.implement.agent.md`

### Review and learning

- [Refine](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.refine.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.refine.agent.md`
- [Review](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.review.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.review.agent.md`
- [Security review](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.security.agent.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/agents/devsquad.security.agent.md`

### Artifacts and integrations

- [Delivery artifacts](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/tree/main/docs): `docs`
- [Work items](https://github.com/microsoft/devsquad-copilot/blob/main/.github/plugins/devsquad/skills/work-item-creation/SKILL.md): `.github/plugins/devsquad/skills/work-item-creation/SKILL.md`

### Other components

- **Developer**
- **GitHub Issues**
- **Azure DevOps**

## Connections

- Developer → Conductor: starts delivery
- Conductor → Envision: delegates
- Conductor → Specify: delegates
- Conductor → Plan: delegates
- Conductor → Decompose: delegates
- Conductor → Implement: delegates
- Conductor → Refine: delegates
- Conductor → Review: delegates
- Conductor → Security review: delegates
- Envision → Delivery artifacts: creates
- Specify → Delivery artifacts: records spec
- Plan → Delivery artifacts: records decisions
- Decompose → Work items: creates tasks
- Work items → GitHub Issues: exports issues
- Work items → Azure DevOps: exports work items
- Implement → Delivery artifacts: amends artifacts
- Refine → Delivery artifacts: updates artifacts
- Review → Delivery artifacts: checks against
- Security review → Delivery artifacts: assesses against
- Conductor → Agent skills: uses guidance
- Conductor → Instructions: follows guidance
- Conductor → Hooks: uses automation