hygiene
Use when making code changes to ensure they pass VS Code's hygiene checks. Covers the pre-commit hook, unicode restrictions, string quoting rules, copyright headers, indentation, formatting, ESLint, and stylelint. Run the hygiene check before declaring work complete.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/vscode --skill hygiene- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads hygiene automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Hygiene Checks
VS Code runs a hygiene check as a git pre-commit hook. Commits will be rejected if hygiene fails.
Running the hygiene check
Always run the pre-commit hygiene check before declaring work complete. This catches issues that would block a commit.
To run the hygiene check on your staged files:
npm run precommit
This executes node --experimental-strip-types build/hygiene.ts, which scans only staged files (from git diff --cached).
To check specific files directly (without staging them first):
node --experimental-strip-types build/hygiene.ts path/to/file.ts
What it checks
The hygiene linter scans staged files for issues including (but not limited to):
- Unicode characters: Non-ASCII characters (em-dashes, curly quotes, emoji, etc.) are rejected. Use ASCII equivalents in comments and code. Suppress with
// allow-any-unicode-next-lineor// allow-any-unicode-comment-file. - Double-quoted strings: Only use
"double quotes"for externalized (localized) strings. Use'single quotes'everywhere else. - Copyright headers: All files must include the Microsoft copyright header.
- Indentation: Tabs only, no spaces for indentation.
- Formatting: TypeScript files must match the formatter output (run
Format Documentto fix). - ESLint: TypeScript files are linted with ESLint.
- Stylelint: CSS files are linted with stylelint.
FAQ
What does the hygiene skill do?
Use when making code changes to ensure they pass VS Code's hygiene checks. Covers the pre-commit hook, unicode restrictions, string quoting rules, copyright headers, indentation, formatting, ESLint, and stylelint. Run the hygiene check before declaring work complete.
How do I install hygiene?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/vscode --skill hygiene in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/hygiene/ (personal) or .claude/skills/hygiene/ (project).
Which AI agents can use hygiene?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is hygiene safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains hygiene?
It is published by microsoft in microsoft/vscode, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 2,160 recorded installs.
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