README
Quick start
Read the current README and the docs it links to before editing. Keep the README as the first useful page for its audience: explain what the project is, how to start, where to get help, and where deeper docs live.
Workflow
- Identify the README's audience: public users, private maintainers, package consumers, or contributors.
- Read linked install, usage, support, status, contribution, and license docs before changing summaries.
- Keep examples copyable and small; include expected output when it clarifies usage.
- Link to deeper docs instead of duplicating long specs.
- Remove stale links, obsolete requirements, and hidden agent-only trigger text.
- Run the repo's README or docs validation if one exists.
Checklist
- Name and description: self-explaining project name plus a specific statement of what the project does.
- Requirements and installation: exact prerequisites, package manager commands, environment variables, and platform limits when relevant.
- Usage: minimal working examples before advanced workflows.
- Support: where readers should ask questions or report issues.
- Contributing: whether contributions are accepted and how to start.
- Status: deprecation, maintenance, or not-for-general-release notes when relevant.
- Documentation links: user-facing or team-facing docs that belong outside the README.
- License: accurate license name and link.
Standards
- Follow Make a README: https://www.makeareadme.com/
- Follow Google's README guidance: https://google.github.io/styleguide/docguide/READMEs.html
- For private/public audience sanitation, use
publish-boundary.
Source: eunai/skills (MIT).