Crafting Effective READMEs
README templates and guidance matched to your project type and audience.
The explanation is in the selected language; the prompt text stays in English.
Why use it
For a developer writing or refreshing a README: picks the template and questions by who will read it.
How to use it
Name the task first: create, add, update or review. Then give the project type (open source, personal, internal), the problem it solves in one sentence and the quickest path to it working.
Short example
Task: create. Type: personal project. Problem: a script that posts to a Telegram channel on a schedule. Quick start: pip install and one command.
What to expect
A structure fitted to the audience: what it does, install, usage and the right sections, ending with a question about anything missed.
Precautions and tips
- Keep passwords, tokens and personal paths out of the README.
- Run the usage examples yourself to confirm they work.
- When the project changes, update the README and its review date.
# Crafting Effective READMEs
## Overview
READMEs answer questions your audience will have. Different audiences need different information - a contributor to an OSS project needs different context than future-you opening a config folder.
**Always ask:** Who will read this, and what do they need to know?
## Process
### Step 1: Identify the Task
**Ask:** "What README task are you working on?"
| Task | When |
|------|------|
| **Creating** | New project, no README yet |
| **Adding** | Need to document something new |
| **Updating** | Capabilities changed, content is stale |
| **Reviewing** | Checking if README is still accurate |
### Step 2: Task-Specific Questions
**Creating initial README:**
1. What type of project? (see Project Types below)
2. What problem does this solve in one sentence?
3. What's the quickest path to "it works"?
4. Anything notable to highlight?
**Adding a section:**
1. What needs documenting?
2. Where should it go in the existing structure?
3. Who needs this info most?
**Updating existing content:**
1. What changed?
2. Read current README, identify stale sections
3. Propose specific edits
**Reviewing/refreshing:**
1. Read current README
2. Check against actual project state (package.json, main files, etc.)
3. Flag outdated sections
4. Update "Last reviewed" date if present
### Step 3: Always Ask
After drafting, ask: **"Anything else to highlight or include that I might have missed?"**
## Project Types
| Type | Audience | Key Sections | Template |
|------|----------|--------------|----------|
| **Open Source** | Contributors, users worldwide | Install, Usage, Contributing, License | `templates/oss.md` |
| **Personal** | Future you, portfolio viewers | What it does, Tech stack, Learnings | `templates/personal.md` |
| **Internal** | Teammates, new hires | Setup, Architecture, Runbooks | `templates/internal.md` |
| **Config** | Future you (confused) | What's here, Why, How to extend, Gotchas | `templates/xdg-config.md` |
**Ask the user** if unclear. Don't assume OSS defaults for everything.
## Essential Sections (All Types)
Every README needs at minimum:
1. **Name** - Self-explanatory title
2. **Description** - What + why in 1-2 sentences
3. **Usage** - How to use it (examples help)
## References
- `section-checklist.md` - Which sections to include by project type
- `style-guide.md` - Common README mistakes and prose guidance
- `using-references.md` - Guide to deeper reference materialsThe prompt text is the original English and is not translated: paste it into your AI tool as is. Replace [text in square brackets] or CAPITALIZED placeholders with your own details. Always check the answer.
Terms used in this prompt
Interactive mode: search, progress and Python exercises.