diff --git a/.github/tips.md b/.github/README.md
similarity index 60%
rename from .github/tips.md
rename to .github/README.md
index 59e7d490b5e..8c7c3770c5a 100644
--- a/.github/tips.md
+++ b/.github/README.md
@@ -7,3 +7,15 @@ WARNING: do not name this file as README.md since it will be rendered in the mai
 - ``PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md``
 - ``ISSUE_TEMPLATE`` folder:
   - Add [top-level syntax](https://docs.github.com/en/communities/using-templates-to-encourage-useful-issues-and-pull-requests/syntax-for-issue-forms#top-level-syntax) to ISSUE_TEMPLATE/*.md files to configure them and view them as [template in the github web](https://github.com/ITISFoundation/osparc-simcore/issues/new/choose)
+
+
+---
+
+## Copilot Usage Tips
+
+1. **Be Specific**: Provide clear and detailed prompts to Copilot for better suggestions.
+2. **Iterate**: Review and refine Copilot's suggestions to ensure they meet project standards.
+3. **Split Tasks**: Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable parts for better suggestions.
+4. **Test Suggestions**: Always test Copilot-generated code to ensure it works as expected.
+
+-  SEE https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/copilot-customization#_custom-instructions
diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index a1293f80e9d..d3dfe8af322 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -4,52 +4,58 @@ This document provides guidelines and best practices for using GitHub Copilot in
 
 ## General Guidelines
 
-1. **Use Python 3.11**: Ensure that all Python-related suggestions align with Python 3.11 features and syntax.
-2. **Node.js Compatibility**: For Node.js projects, ensure compatibility with the version specified in the project (e.g., Node.js 14 or later).
-3. **Follow Coding Conventions**: Adhere to the coding conventions outlined in the `docs/coding-conventions.md` file.
-4. **Test-Driven Development**: Write unit tests for all new functions and features. Use `pytest` for Python and appropriate testing frameworks for Node.js.
-5. **Environment Variables**: Use environment variables as specified in `docs/env-vars.md` for configuration. Avoid hardcoding sensitive information.
-6. **Documentation**: Prefer self-explanatory code; add documentation only if explicitly requested by the developer.
+1. **Test-Driven Development**: Write unit tests for all new functions and features. Use `pytest` for Python and appropriate testing frameworks for Node.js.
+2. **Environment Variables**: Use [Environment Variables Guide](../docs/env-vars.md) for configuration. Avoid hardcoding sensitive information.
+3. **Documentation**: Prefer self-explanatory code; add documentation only if explicitly requested by the developer.
 
-## Python-Specific Instructions
+---
 
-- Always use type hints and annotations to improve code clarity and compatibility with tools like `mypy`.
-  - An exception to that rule is in `test_*` functions return type hint must not be added
-- Follow the dependency management practices outlined in `requirements/`.
-- Use `ruff` for code formatting and for linting.
-- Use `black` for code formatting and `pylint` for linting.
-- ensure we use `sqlalchemy` >2 compatible code.
-- ensure we use `pydantic` >2 compatible code.
-- ensure we use `fastapi` >0.100 compatible code
-- use f-string formatting
-- Only add comments in function if strictly necessary
-- use relative imports
-- imports should be at top of the file
+## 🛠️Coding Instructions for Python in This Repository
 
+Follow these rules strictly when generating Python code:
 
-### Json serialization
+### 1. Python Version
 
-- Generally use `json_dumps`/`json_loads` from `common_library.json_serialization` to built-in `json.dumps` / `json.loads`.
-- Prefer Pydantic model methods (e.g., `model.model_dump_json()`) for serialization.
+* Use Python 3.11: Ensure all code uses features and syntax compatible with Python 3.11.
 
+### 2. **Type Annotations**
 
-## Node.js-Specific Instructions
+* Always use full type annotations for all functions and class attributes.
+* ❗ **Exception**: Do **not** add return type annotations in `test_*` functions.
 
-- Use ES6+ syntax and features.
-- Follow the `package.json` configuration for dependencies and scripts.
-- Use `eslint` for linting and `prettier` for code formatting.
-- Write modular and reusable code, adhering to the project's structure.
+### 3. **Code Style & Formatting**
 
-## Copilot Usage Tips
+* Follow [Python Coding Conventions](../docs/coding-conventions.md) **strictly**.
+* Format code with `black`.
+* Lint code with `ruff` and `pylint`.
 
-1. **Be Specific**: Provide clear and detailed prompts to Copilot for better suggestions.
-2. **Iterate**: Review and refine Copilot's suggestions to ensure they meet project standards.
-3. **Split Tasks**: Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable parts for better suggestions.
-4. **Test Suggestions**: Always test Copilot-generated code to ensure it works as expected.
+### 4. **Library Compatibility**
 
-## Additional Resources
+Ensure compatibility with the following library versions:
 
-- [Python Coding Conventions](../docs/coding-conventions.md)
-- [Environment Variables Guide](../docs/env-vars.md)
-- [Pydantic Annotated fields](../docs/llm-prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.md)
-- [Steps to Upgrade Python](../docs/steps-to-upgrade-python.md)
+* `sqlalchemy` ≥ 2.x
+* `pydantic` ≥ 2.x
+* `fastapi` ≥ 0.100
+
+
+### 5. **Code Practices**
+
+* Use `f-string` formatting for all string interpolation except for logging message strings.
+* Use **relative imports** within the same package/module.
+* Place **all imports at the top** of the file.
+* Add comments **only when the code is not self-explanatory**.
+
+
+### 6. **JSON Serialization**
+
+* Prefer `json_dumps` / `json_loads` from `common_library.json_serialization` instead of the built-in `json.dumps` / `json.loads`.
+* When using Pydantic models, prefer methods like `model.model_dump_json()` for serialization.
+
+---
+
+## 🛠️Coding Instructions for Node.js in This Repository
+
+* Use ES6+ syntax and features.
+* Follow the `package.json` configuration for dependencies and scripts.
+* Use `eslint` for linting and `prettier` for code formatting.
+* Write modular and reusable code, adhering to the project's structure.
diff --git a/docs/llm-prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.md b/.github/prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.prompt.md
similarity index 89%
rename from docs/llm-prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.md
rename to .github/prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.prompt.md
index 9b128e7bd72..cb2c24b851d 100644
--- a/docs/llm-prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.md
+++ b/.github/prompts/pydantic-annotated-fields.prompt.md
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-# Prompt
+---
+mode: 'edit'
+description: 'Convert Pydantic model fields to use Annotated pattern'
+---
+
 
-```
 Please convert all pydantic model fields that use `Field()` with default values to use the Annotated pattern instead.
 Follow these guidelines:
 
@@ -10,7 +13,8 @@ Follow these guidelines:
 4. Add the import: `from common_library.basic_types import DEFAULT_FACTORY` if it's not already present.
 5. If `Field()` has no parameters (empty), don't use Annotated at all. Just use: `field_name: field_type = default_value`.
 6. Leave any model validations, `model_config` settings, and `field_validators` untouched.
-```
+
+
 ## Examples
 
 ### Before:
@@ -53,13 +57,11 @@ class ProjectModel(BaseModel):
     id: str = Field(default_factory=uuid.uuid4, description="Unique project identifier")
     name: str = Field(default="Untitled Project", min_length=3, max_length=50)
     created_at: datetime = Field(default_factory=datetime.now)
+    value: int = Field(..., description="Project value")
+    str_with_default: str = Field(default="foo")
+
     config: dict = Field(default={"version": "1.0", "theme": "default"})
 
-    @field_validator("name")
-    def validate_name(cls, v):
-        if v.isdigit():
-            raise ValueError("Name cannot be only digits")
-        return v
 ```
 
 ### After:
@@ -74,11 +76,9 @@ class ProjectModel(BaseModel):
     id: Annotated[str, Field(default_factory=uuid.uuid4, description="Unique project identifier")] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
     name: Annotated[str, Field(min_length=3, max_length=50)] = "Untitled Project"
     created_at: Annotated[datetime, Field(default_factory=datetime.now)] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
+    value: Annotated[int, Field(description="Project value")]
+    str_with_default: str = "foo"
+
     config: dict = {"version": "1.0", "theme": "default"}
 
-    @field_validator("name")
-    def validate_name(cls, v):
-        if v.isdigit():
-            raise ValueError("Name cannot be only digits")
-        return v
 ```
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/diagnostics/_handlers.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/diagnostics/_handlers.py
index a25b1442d65..f715e09b248 100644
--- a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/diagnostics/_handlers.py
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/diagnostics/_handlers.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from aiohttp import ClientError, ClientSession, web
 from models_library.app_diagnostics import AppStatusCheck
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel
 from servicelib.aiohttp.client_session import get_client_session
 from servicelib.aiohttp.requests_validation import parse_request_query_parameters_as
 from servicelib.utils import logged_gather
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 
 class StatusDiagnosticsQueryParam(BaseModel):
-    top_tracemalloc: int | None = Field(default=None)
+    top_tracemalloc: int | None = None
 
 
 class StatusDiagnosticsGet(BaseModel):
diff --git a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/exporter/_formatter/xlsx/code_description.py b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/exporter/_formatter/xlsx/code_description.py
index 15ee7bac3b0..e53142df73d 100644
--- a/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/exporter/_formatter/xlsx/code_description.py
+++ b/services/web/server/src/simcore_service_webserver/exporter/_formatter/xlsx/code_description.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from abc import abstractmethod
-from typing import Any, ClassVar, Final, cast
+from typing import Annotated, Any, ClassVar, Final, cast
 
+from common_library.basic_types import DEFAULT_FACTORY
 from models_library.services import ServiceKey, ServiceVersion
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, StrictStr
 
@@ -10,20 +11,23 @@
 
 
 class RRIDEntry(BaseModel):
-    rrid_term: StrictStr = Field(..., description="Associated tools or resources used")
-    rrid_identifier: StrictStr = Field(
-        ..., description="Associated tools or resources identifier (with 'RRID:')"
-    )
+    rrid_term: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Associated tools or resources used")
+    ]
+    rrid_identifier: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(description="Associated tools or resources identifier (with 'RRID:')"),
+    ]
     # the 2 items below are not enabled for now
-    ontological_term: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Associated ontological term (human-readable)"
-    )
-    ontological_identifier: StrictStr = Field(
-        "",
-        description=(
-            "Associated ontological identifier from SciCrunch https://scicrunch.org/sawg"
+    ontological_term: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Associated ontological term (human-readable)")
+    ] = ""
+    ontological_identifier: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Associated ontological identifier from SciCrunch https://scicrunch.org/sawg"
         ),
-    )
+    ] = ""
 
 
 class TSREntry(BaseModel):
@@ -33,99 +37,117 @@ class TSREntry(BaseModel):
 
 
 class CodeDescriptionModel(BaseModel):
-    rrid_entires: list[RRIDEntry] = Field(
-        default_factory=list, description="composed from the classifiers"
-    )
+    rrid_entires: Annotated[
+        list[RRIDEntry],
+        Field(default_factory=list, description="composed from the classifiers"),
+    ] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
 
     # TSR
-    tsr_entries: dict[str, TSREntry] = Field(
-        default_factory=dict, description="list of rules to generate tsr"
-    )
+    tsr_entries: Annotated[
+        dict[str, TSREntry],
+        Field(default_factory=dict, description="list of rules to generate tsr"),
+    ] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
 
 
 class InputsEntryModel(BaseModel):
-    service_alias: StrictStr = Field(
-        ..., description="Name of the service containing this input, given by the user"
-    )
-    service_name: StrictStr = Field(
-        ..., description="Name of the service containing this input"
-    )
-    service_key: ServiceKey = Field(
-        ..., description="Key of the service containing this input"
-    )
-    service_version: ServiceVersion = Field(
-        ..., description="Version of the service containing this input"
-    )
-    input_name: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="An input field to the MSoP submission"
-    )
-    input_parameter_description: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Description of what the parameter represents"
-    )
-    input_data_type: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Data type for the input field (in plain text)"
-    )
-    input_data_units: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Units of data for the input field, if applicable"
-    )
-    input_data_default_value: StrictStr = Field(
-        "",
-        description="Default value for the input field, if applicable (doi or value)",
-    )
-    input_data_constraints: StrictStr = Field(
-        "",
-        description="Range [min, max] of acceptable parameter values, or other constraints as formulas / sets",
-    )
+    service_alias: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Name of the service containing this input, given by the user"
+        ),
+    ]
+    service_name: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Name of the service containing this input")
+    ]
+    service_key: Annotated[
+        ServiceKey, Field(description="Key of the service containing this input")
+    ]
+    service_version: Annotated[
+        ServiceVersion,
+        Field(description="Version of the service containing this input"),
+    ]
+    input_name: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="An input field to the MSoP submission")
+    ] = ""
+    input_parameter_description: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Description of what the parameter represents")
+    ] = ""
+    input_data_type: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Data type for the input field (in plain text)")
+    ] = ""
+    input_data_units: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Units of data for the input field, if applicable")
+    ] = ""
+    input_data_default_value: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Default value for the input field, if applicable (doi or value)"
+        ),
+    ] = ""
+    input_data_constraints: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Range [min, max] of acceptable parameter values, or other constraints as formulas / sets"
+        ),
+    ] = ""
 
 
 class OutputsEntryModel(BaseModel):
-    service_alias: StrictStr = Field(
-        ..., description="Name of the service producing this output, given by the user"
-    )
-    service_name: StrictStr = Field(
-        ..., description="Name of the service containing this output"
-    )
-    service_key: ServiceKey = Field(
-        ..., description="Key of the service containing this output"
-    )
-    service_version: ServiceVersion = Field(
-        ..., description="Version of the service containing this output"
-    )
-    output_name: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="An output field to the MSoP submission"
-    )
-    output_parameter_description: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Description of what the parameter represents"
-    )
-    output_data_ontology_identifier: StrictStr = Field(
-        "",
-        description=(
-            "Ontology identifier for the input field, if applicable , "
-            "https://scicrunch.org/scicrunch/interlex/search?q=NLXOEN&l=NLXOEN&types=term"
+    service_alias: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Name of the service producing this output, given by the user"
         ),
-    )
-    output_data_type: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Data type for the output field"
-    )
-    output_data_units: StrictStr = Field(
-        "", description="Units of data for the output field, if applicable"
-    )
-    output_data_constraints: StrictStr = Field(
-        "",
-        description="Range [min, max] of acceptable parameter values, or other constraints as formulas / sets",
-    )
+    ]
+    service_name: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Name of the service containing this output")
+    ]
+    service_key: Annotated[
+        ServiceKey, Field(description="Key of the service containing this output")
+    ]
+    service_version: Annotated[
+        ServiceVersion,
+        Field(description="Version of the service containing this output"),
+    ]
+    output_name: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="An output field to the MSoP submission")
+    ] = ""
+    output_parameter_description: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Description of what the parameter represents")
+    ] = ""
+    output_data_ontology_identifier: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Ontology identifier for the input field, if applicable , https://scicrunch.org/scicrunch/interlex/search?q=NLXOEN&l=NLXOEN&types=term"
+        ),
+    ] = ""
+    output_data_type: Annotated[
+        StrictStr, Field(description="Data type for the output field")
+    ] = ""
+    output_data_units: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(description="Units of data for the output field, if applicable"),
+    ] = ""
+    output_data_constraints: Annotated[
+        StrictStr,
+        Field(
+            description="Range [min, max] of acceptable parameter values, or other constraints as formulas / sets"
+        ),
+    ] = ""
 
 
 class CodeDescriptionParams(BaseModel):
-    code_description: CodeDescriptionModel = Field(
-        ..., description="code description data"
-    )
-    inputs: list[InputsEntryModel] = Field(
-        default_factory=list, description="List of inputs, if any"
-    )
-    outputs: list[OutputsEntryModel] = Field(
-        default_factory=list, description="List of outputs, if any"
-    )
+    code_description: Annotated[
+        CodeDescriptionModel, Field(description="code description data")
+    ]
+    inputs: Annotated[
+        list[InputsEntryModel],
+        Field(default_factory=list, description="List of inputs, if any"),
+    ] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
+    outputs: Annotated[
+        list[OutputsEntryModel],
+        Field(default_factory=list, description="List of outputs, if any"),
+    ] = DEFAULT_FACTORY
 
 
 def _include_ports_from_this_service(service_key: ServiceKey) -> bool: