readme-writer

README Writer Skill

Overview

Generate professional README.md files that give developers everything they need to understand, install, and contribute to a project - in under 5 minutes of reading.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Understand the Project

Before writing, gather:

• Project name and one-line description
• Primary language and tech stack
• Key features (3-5 bullet points)
• Target audience (library authors? end users? DevOps engineers?)
• License type
• Whether it has tests, CI, and a live demo

Read the project's entry point, package file (package.json, pyproject.toml, go.mod), and any existing docs.

Step 2: Choose the Right README Template

Library/SDK - emphasize the API, installation, and quick start code CLI tool - emphasize installation methods and command reference Web app/service - emphasize features, screenshots, and deployment Data science / ML - emphasize datasets, training steps, and results

Step 3: Write the Header Section

# Project Name

> One-line description of what this does and who it's for.

[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE)
[![Python](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.11+-blue.svg)](https://python.org)
[![CI](https://github.com/org/repo/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](...)

Badges to include (pick relevant):

• License
• Language version (Python, Node, Go)
• CI status
• npm/PyPI version (for published packages)
• Coverage (if configured)
• Docker pulls (if published)

Step 4: Write Why It Exists (2-3 Paragraphs)

Explain the problem, the solution, and what makes this different. This is the most-skipped and most important section. Address: why would I use this instead of X?

Step 5: Write Quick Start

## Quick Start

\```bash
pip install mypackage
\```

\```python
from mypackage import Client
client = Client(api_key="...")
result = client.do_thing()
\```

The reader should be able to copy-paste and have something running in under 2 minutes.