diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f66f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Copilot Instructions for Bind Mount Applications
+
+## Project Overview
+This is a Docker learning project featuring a simple Todo app with Node.js/Express frontend and MongoDB backend. The codebase demonstrates containerized application development with Docker Compose.
+
+## Architecture Patterns
+
+### Service Architecture
+- **App Service**: Node.js Express server (`app/server.js`) on port 3001
+- **Database Service**: MongoDB (`todo-database`) on custom port 27018
+- **Connection**: App connects to MongoDB via service name `todo-database:27018`
+
+### Key Files & Structure
+```
+app/
+├── server.js              # Main Express server, sets up EJS and routes  
+├── config/keys.js         # Database connection config (uses service name)
+├── models/Todo.js         # Mongoose schema for todos
+├── routes/front.js        # All HTTP routes (GET /, POST /, POST /todo/destroy)
+└── views/todos.ejs        # Single EJS template with Bootstrap
+```
+
+## Development Workflows
+
+### Docker Development
+- **Start**: `docker compose up -d` (app runs on http://localhost:3001)  
+- **Development Mode**: Container uses `npm run dev` with nodemon for live reload
+- **Bind Mounts**: Commented out in `compose.yaml` - uncomment volumes for live code changes
+
+### Key Conventions
+- **Database Config**: Always use Docker service names (`todo-database:27018`), not localhost
+- **Port Mapping**: App runs on 3001 internally and externally  
+- **MongoDB Port**: Uses non-standard 27018 to avoid conflicts
+- **EJS Templates**: Moment.js available globally via `app.locals.moment`
+
+### Model Patterns
+- Single Mongoose model exports as `module.exports = Todo = mongoose.model('todos', TodoSchema)`
+- Schema uses `created_at` with `Date.now()` default
+- Routes use async/await for database operations
+
+### Route Structure
+- All routes in single file (`routes/front.js`)
+- GET `/` - fetches todos and renders EJS template
+- POST `/` - creates new todo and redirects
+- POST `/todo/destroy` - deletes todo by `_key` field
+
+## Docker Specifics
+- **Dockerfile**: Uses Node 19.5.0 Alpine with multi-stage build optimizations
+- **Dependencies**: Installed via bind mounts for caching efficiency
+- **Runtime User**: Runs as non-root `node` user
+- **Links**: Uses legacy Docker `links` for service discovery
+
+## Quick Start for AI Agents
+1. Database operations always go through Mongoose models
+2. All HTML rendering uses EJS with Bootstrap 4.3.1 and Font Awesome
+3. Form submissions are POST requests with `body-parser` URL-encoded parsing
+4. Error handling is minimal - check `server.js` and route files for patterns
+5. No authentication, testing, or API endpoints - pure server-rendered CRUD app
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/package-lock.json b/app/package-lock.json
index ca4b813..180e090 100644
--- a/app/package-lock.json
+++ b/app/package-lock.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "body-parser": "^1.20.2",
         "ejs": "^3.1.9",
-        "express": "^4.18.2",
+        "express": "^4.19.2",
         "moment": "^2.29.4",
         "mongoose": "^7.1.0",
         "nodemon": "^3.0.1"
@@ -268,9 +268,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/cookie": {
-      "version": "0.5.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.5.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-YZ3GUyn/o8gfKJlnlX7g7xq4gyO6OSuhGPKaaGssGB2qgDUS0gPgtTvoyZLTt9Ab6dC4hfc9dV5arkvc/OCmrw==",
+      "version": "0.6.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.6.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-U71cyTamuh1CRNCfpGY6to28lxvNwPG4Guz/EVjgf3Jmzv0vlDp1atT9eS5dDjMYHucpHbWns6Lwf3BKz6svdw==",
       "engines": {
         "node": ">= 0.6"
       }
@@ -359,16 +359,16 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/express": {
-      "version": "4.18.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/express/-/express-4.18.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-5/PsL6iGPdfQ/lKM1UuielYgv3BUoJfz1aUwU9vHZ+J7gyvwdQXFEBIEIaxeGf0GIcreATNyBExtalisDbuMqQ==",
+      "version": "4.19.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/express/-/express-4.19.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-5T6nhjsT+EOMzuck8JjBHARTHfMht0POzlA60WV2pMD3gyXw2LZnZ+ueGdNxG+0calOJcWKbpFcuzLZ91YWq9Q==",
       "dependencies": {
         "accepts": "~1.3.8",
         "array-flatten": "1.1.1",
-        "body-parser": "1.20.1",
+        "body-parser": "1.20.2",
         "content-disposition": "0.5.4",
         "content-type": "~1.0.4",
-        "cookie": "0.5.0",
+        "cookie": "0.6.0",
         "cookie-signature": "1.0.6",
         "debug": "2.6.9",
         "depd": "2.0.0",
@@ -399,29 +399,6 @@
         "node": ">= 0.10.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/express/node_modules/body-parser": {
-      "version": "1.20.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/body-parser/-/body-parser-1.20.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-jWi7abTbYwajOytWCQc37VulmWiRae5RyTpaCyDcS5/lMdtwSz5lOpDE67srw/HYe35f1z3fDQw+3txg7gNtWw==",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "bytes": "3.1.2",
-        "content-type": "~1.0.4",
-        "debug": "2.6.9",
-        "depd": "2.0.0",
-        "destroy": "1.2.0",
-        "http-errors": "2.0.0",
-        "iconv-lite": "0.4.24",
-        "on-finished": "2.4.1",
-        "qs": "6.11.0",
-        "raw-body": "2.5.1",
-        "type-is": "~1.6.18",
-        "unpipe": "1.0.0"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 0.8",
-        "npm": "1.2.8000 || >= 1.4.16"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/express/node_modules/debug": {
       "version": "2.6.9",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-2.6.9.tgz",
@@ -435,20 +412,6 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ms/-/ms-2.0.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-Tpp60P6IUJDTuOq/5Z8cdskzJujfwqfOTkrwIwj7IRISpnkJnT6SyJ4PCPnGMoFjC9ddhal5KVIYtAt97ix05A=="
     },
-    "node_modules/express/node_modules/raw-body": {
-      "version": "2.5.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/raw-body/-/raw-body-2.5.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-qqJBtEyVgS0ZmPGdCFPWJ3FreoqvG4MVQln/kCgF7Olq95IbOp0/BWyMwbdtn4VTvkM8Y7khCQ2Xgk/tcrCXig==",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "bytes": "3.1.2",
-        "http-errors": "2.0.0",
-        "iconv-lite": "0.4.24",
-        "unpipe": "1.0.0"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 0.8"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/filelist": {
       "version": "1.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/filelist/-/filelist-1.0.4.tgz",
diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index e015236..0950c49 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "body-parser": "^1.20.2",
     "ejs": "^3.1.9",
-    "express": "^4.18.2",
+    "express": "^4.19.2",
     "moment": "^2.29.4",
     "mongoose": "^7.1.0",
     "nodemon": "^3.0.1"