Refactoring Copilot Workspace Code for Production

Copilot Workspace is useful for larger refactors but may not follow through consistently — partially migrating to a new pattern while leaving old patterns in place in some files, or renaming a concept in most places but missing a few

Use Copilot Workspace for refactoring tasks with well-defined scope. After merging a Workspace PR, search the codebase for any remaining instances of the old pattern. Follow up with a cleanup PR if needed

Not all Copilot Workspace code needs refactoring. If it works, is secure, and you don't need to modify it, leave it alone. Refactor when: you need to add features and the current structure makes it difficult, bugs keep appearing in the same area of code, or onboarding new developers takes too long because the code is hard to understand.

The golden rule of refactoring: behavior stays the same, structure changes. Before refactoring any code, make sure you have tests covering the current behavior (or add them first). Refactor in small steps — change one thing at a time and verify the app still works. Use version control (git) to commit after each successful change so you can revert if something breaks.

A well-organized project has a predictable structure where anyone can find what they're looking for. Group files by feature (not by type), keep related code together, and use clear naming. Every file should have a single clear purpose. If you can't describe what a file does in one sentence, it's probably doing too much and should be split.