Readme Craft

readme-craft

A GitHub-native, layout-first README generation and improvement skill for AI agents. Produces structured, scannable READMEs with a 3-tier information hierarchy designed for how GitHub READMEs are actually consumed.

This skill is a standalone utility. It does NOT depend on skill-forge or any other skill. Higher-level tools (like skill-forge) may optionally delegate to readme-craft for layout and badge decisions.

Execution Procedure

def readme_craft(project_path, user_request):
    # STEP 0: Dependencies
    run("scripts/setup.sh")                                    # exit non-zero → STOP

    # STEP 1: Scan
    state = scan_project(project_path)                         # see Scan section
    # state = {has_readme, has_logo, has_codebase, has_skill_md, ...}

    # STEP 2: Gather
    if state.has_codebase:
        info = derive_from_code(state)                         # see Gather section
    else:
        info = ask_user("name, one-liner, features, license")
    info += ask_targeted_questions(state, max=4)               # only when scan can't decide

    # STEP 3: README Content
    if state.has_readme and user_said("start fresh"):
        facts = extract_facts(state.readme)                    # carry forward, discard structure
        state.has_readme = False

    if state.has_readme:
        plan = evaluate(state.readme, "3-Tier Layout + Quality Checklist")  # see 3-Tier section
        if state.has_skill_md: assert_distinct_operations(plan, "Quick Start")
        confirm_plan_with_user(plan)                           # HITL — or apply if "just fix it"
        readme = apply_improvements(state.readme, plan)        # see Tone & Voice section
    else:
        template = "assets/skill-readme.md" if state.has_skill_md else "assets/universal-readme.md"
        readme = fill_template(template, info)

    # STEP 4: Logo
    if state.has_logo:
        readme = insert_picture_element(readme, state.logo)    # see Dark/Light Mode Logo section
    else:
        candidates = run(f'node scripts/generate-logo.mjs --candidates 5 --name "{info.name}"')
        present_paths_to_user(candidates)                      # HITL — user picks
        selected = wait_for_user_selection()                   # references/logo-generation.md
        copy_to(".github/logo-light.svg", generate_dark(".github/logo-dark.svg"))
        if wordmark_spells_name(selected): omit_h1()

    # STEP 5: Formatting & Badges
    readme = apply_3tier_layout(readme)                        # see The 3-Tier Layout Strategy
    readme = apply_github_formatting(readme)                   # references/github-formatting.md
    readme = select_and_apply_badges(readme, state)            # see Badge Selection + references/badges.md
    if state.has_git_remote:
        star_count = gh_api_star_count(state.remote)           # gh api repos/{owner}/{repo} --jq .stargazers_count
        if star_count >= 100:
            if ask_user(f"This repo has {star_count}⭐ — add a star history chart?"):  # HITL
                readme = insert_star_history(readme, state.remote)  # references/badges.md § Star History
    readme = apply_tone_voice(readme)                          # see Tone & Voice section

    # STEP 6: Quality Check
    # Pass 1: structural
    findings = run_checklist(readme, "dimensions 1-5")         # references/quality-checklist.md
    report_to_user(findings)
    readme = fix(readme, findings)
    assert run_checklist(readme, "dimensions 1-5").all_pass

    # Pass 2: reader lens
    reader_findings = run_checklist(readme, "dimension 6")     # different mindset — stranger perspective
    readme = fix(readme, reader_findings)

    # STEP 7: GitHub Metadata
    validate_or_create_metadata(state)                         # references/github-metadata.md
    assert metadata_file_valid(state)                          # GATE — .github/repo-meta.yml must exist with valid description + topics
    if state.has_git_remote:
        apply_metadata_to_remote(state)                        # gh repo edit --description + --add-topic

    # STEP 8: Deliver
    readme = add_footer(readme, state)                         # "Crafted with Readme Craft"
    readme = remove_sections_user_declined(readme)
    present_final(readme)

    # STEP 9: Comparison (when improving an existing README)
    if state.has_readme and state.original_readme:
        generate_comparison(state.original_readme, readme)     # references/comparison-screenshots.md

When to Use

Activate this skill when the user says any of:

• "Write a README for this project"
• "Generate a README"
• "Create a README from scratch"
• "Improve this README"
• "Review my README"
• "Make my README better"
• "Add badges to my README"
• "Fix my README layout"
• Any request involving README creation, evaluation, or improvement

Scan

Scan the project to understand current state:

• Check for existing README
• Check for existing logo files in .github/ first, then repo root (logo-light.svg, logo-dark.svg, logo.svg, logo.png). Canonical location: .github/
• Read package.json, Cargo.toml, pyproject.toml, go.mod, SKILL.md frontmatter, or equivalent for name, version, description, license, dependencies
• Read existing docs (CONTRIBUTING.md, CHANGELOG.md, LICENSE) if present
• Read the entry point and key source files to understand what the project does
• Read CI config (.github/workflows/, .gitlab-ci.yml) to determine build/test commands
• List directory structure (top 2 levels)

Record findings as project state: {has_readme, has_logo, has_codebase, has_skill_md, ...}

Gather

• has_codebase → derive name, description, features, install commands from code
  • Derive the one-liner from package description + source code understanding
  • Derive features from exports, CLI commands, API surface, or SKILL.md capabilities
  • Derive install commands from package manager config or skill registration patterns
  • Derive quick-start from examples/ directory, tests, main entry point, or install command. For general projects: install command + minimal code snippet or one CLI invocation. For skill projects (has_skill_md): list distinct operations from SKILL.md workflow modes — one canonical trigger phrase + outcome per operation. Phrasing variations of the same operation go in Usage, not Quick Start
• !has_codebase → ask user for: project name, one-liner, key features, license
• Either way: ask up to 4 targeted questions only when the scan cannot safely decide:
  • should social proof appear in the README
  • should deep content move to docs/
  • should a diagram be added
  • should an existing voice or visual style be preserved strictly

What a README Is — and Is Not

A README is a storefront, not a documentation site. In the Diátaxis framework (tutorials, how-to guides, reference, explanation), a README does not belong to any single type. It borrows elements from several:

• Explanation → Why / The Problem
• How-to → Quick Start, Install, Usage
• Reference → Tier 3 supporting content (inline or linked to docs/)

But a README has a mission that none of the four types cover: convince. The Features section exists to sell — to make a reader believe this project is worth their time in the fewest possible words. Features answer "what do I get?", not "how does it work internally?" or "why was it designed this way?"

The structural principle behind the 3-tier system is progressive disclosure: reveal only what each visitor needs at their current level of commitment. Tier 1 is for the uncommitted (pitch), Tier 2 is for the evaluating (proof), Tier 3 is for the committed (reference). Every placement decision — "does this belong above the fold or at the bottom?" — is a progressive disclosure decision. Scrolling is the disclosure mechanism, not collapsing.

When Features and How It Works are mixed together, the README writes out a pipeline instead of selling capabilities.

The 3-Tier Layout Strategy

This is the primary differentiator of readme-craft. Every README must organize content into three tiers based on how visitors consume information.

This strategy is optimized for GitHub README rendering. Elements like <picture> and similar GitHub-specific patterns may not render on other platforms (GitLab, npm, crates.io). Adapt as needed.

Tier 1: Above the Fold (~250px)

The first screen a visitor sees. This is the 3-second pitch. Visitors who are not interested will leave after this.

Baseline elements (in order):

1. Logo — centered, 80-120px height. Use existing if found, generate if not (see Step 4). Use <picture> for dark/light mode (see below).
2. Project name — <h1>, centered.
3. One-liner — a value proposition, not a technical description. Answer "why should I care?", not "what technology is this?" Example: ✓ "Stop writing validation logic by hand" vs ✗ "A TypeScript library for form validation."
4. Badges — up to 6, on 1-2 lines. Trust signals: license, version, build status, downloads. Fewer is fine when fewer apply.
5. Quick action links — inline links to the most relevant next actions (for example Quick Start, Usage, Install, Docs, Demo, Report Bug).

Additional brief elements (a platform compatibility line, a short tagline, a small demo gif) are fine as long as Tier 1 stays within ~250px and reads as a single visual block.

Rules:

• The constraint is height and density, not element count. Stay within ~250px.
• No walls of text above the fold.
• Logo must be compact (not a full-width banner).
• The one-liner must answer "why should I care?" not "what technology is this?"
• No installation instructions in Tier 1.

Markdown pattern (standard):

<div align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset=".github/logo-dark.svg">
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset=".github/logo-light.svg">
    <img alt="project-name" src=".github/logo-light.svg" width="120">
  </picture>

  <h1>project-name</h1>
  <p>One-liner value proposition</p>
</div>

<div align="center">

[![License: MIT][license-shield]][license-url]
[![Version][version-shield]][version-url]
[![Build][build-shield]][build-url]

</div>

<div align="center">
  <a href="#quick-start">Quick Start</a> &middot;
  <a href="https://docs-url">Docs</a> &middot;
  <a href="https://demo-url">Demo</a>
</div>

Alternate pattern (wordmark logos):

When a wide wordmark (400-500px) serves as both logo and project name, the standard <p> inside <div> can feel cramped. Use a > blockquote after the closing </div> instead — it adds visual separation between the wordmark and the one-liner.

<div align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset=".github/logo-dark.svg">
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset=".github/logo-light.svg">
    <img alt="project-name" src=".github/logo-light.svg" width="440">
  </picture>
</div>

<!-- badges and quick links divs here -->

> One-liner value proposition

Use the standard <p> pattern by default. Switch to blockquote only when the wordmark is wide enough to make the centered <p> feel visually crowded.

Tier 2: Scan Quickly

The next 2-3 screens. A visitor who passed Tier 1 wants to evaluate whether this project is worth adopting.

Showcase Image — For tools that produce visual transformations, place a before/after or hero image immediately after Tier 1's --- separator, before the first ## heading (or as the first element of Tier 2). This is a "show don't tell" proof that's more convincing than any text description. Skip ONLY when: project has no visual transformation (CLI tools, libraries, pure APIs).

Required sections (in order):

1. Why / The Problem — 2-4 sentences. What pain point does this solve? A strong Problem section lets readers self-qualify: "If [your situation], you need this." If the project serves multiple user segments (e.g., "haven't started yet" vs "already deployed"), address each briefly rather than blending into one generic statement.
2. Features / Highlights — bullet list, benefit-oriented. Each item answers "what does the user get?", not "how does it work internally?" Write in benefit-oriented language ("scans your codebase and auto-generates a README"), not mechanism-oriented language ("uses AST parsing to extract function signatures"). If you find yourself describing pipeline stages or internal steps, move that to How It Works in Tier 3.
   • Scope: 3-6 items for focused projects; scale to 7-10 for feature-rich projects. The goal is comprehensive coverage — do not cherry-pick a few capabilities and silently drop the rest. When the project has many features, group related capabilities into single items or use sub-descriptions rather than omitting.
   • Ordering: Most important and most innovative capabilities first. Lead with what makes this project unique, not with table-stakes features every similar tool has.
   • Comprehensiveness check: Read through all source files, reference docs, and config to inventory every user-facing capability. Then confirm every major capability appears in the Features list — either as its own item or clearly covered within another item.
3. When to Use — include for tools and skills. Skip ONLY when: the Usage section already covers activation context. Clarify what situation should prompt the reader to reach for this project. If there's a specific activation model ("use after X, not during Y") or a "not for" boundary, state it here. Can be combined into Usage if short.
4. Quick Start — the fastest path to a working example. 1-3 commands + minimal code (5-15 lines).
5. Install — primary installation method inline. Alternative methods: short → inline below primary; long → docs/install-alternatives.md with teaser.
6. Usage — basic example + 1-2 common use cases. Advanced examples: short → inline; long → docs/ with teaser.

Rules:

• Each section must fit on one screen or less.
• Use code blocks aggressively — they scan faster than prose.
• Bullet lists over paragraphs.
• If a section exceeds one screen, move detail into a linked doc (docs/).

For AI agent skills, "Usage" (trigger phrases) may come before "Install" to prioritize understanding over commitment. The skill template reflects this ordering.

Tier 3: Supporting Content

Sections below Tier 2 that serve committed users. Position at the bottom of README provides natural progressive disclosure — scrolling is the disclosure mechanism, not collapsing.

The Checkout Test — the operational criterion for every section:

If this section disappeared from the README, would a potential user be less likely to git clone or npm install the project?

• Yes → keeps the section inline in README
• No → section moves to docs/ with a teaser link

Three content types pass the Checkout Test:

1. Feasibility gates — "Can I use this?" (Prerequisites, primary Install, License)
2. Value proposition — "Should I use this?" (Why, Features, Quick Start, When to Use)
3. Trust signals — "Can I trust this?" (Badges, social proof)

Everything else is post-decision content: "how to use it better" or "how it works internally." Removing it would not change whether someone tries the project.

Section-by-section reference:

No <details>. Zero. If content is worth including, show it inline. If it's too long for README, move it to docs/ as a complete, self-contained document. No folding, no collapsing.

Teaser + link pattern — substantive summary, not "learn more":

## How It Works

skill-forge validates structure, security, and claims in a single pass
by reading every file in your skill repo.

→ [Architecture deep dive](docs/how-it-works.md)

HITL: readme-craft proposes moves ("suggest moving How It Works to docs/how-it-works.md"). The user confirms before execution. Never auto-move content out of README.

Rules:

• Non-decision sections → docs/ with teaser. Exception: very short sections (< 5 lines, e.g., Acknowledgments, License) stay inline.
• Teaser = 1-3 substantive sentences + → [Title](docs/X.md) link. The teaser IS the summary for anyone who doesn't click.
• Contributing: inline or CONTRIBUTING.md — not docs/.
• Add a back-to-top link for READMEs exceeding 300 lines.
• Use reference-style link definitions at the bottom of the file for badge URLs.

Badge Selection

Choose badges based on the project's ecosystem and maturity. Up to 6 badges; fewer is fine when fewer apply.

Priority order (pick from top, stop at 6):

Badge sources:

• shields.io — the standard for most badges
• GitHub Actions badge URLs — for CI status
• Custom badges — only if shields.io does not cover the case

Format: Use reference-style links at the bottom of the README to keep the source markdown clean.

[![License: MIT][license-shield]][license-url]

<!-- at bottom of file -->
[license-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/license/org/repo.svg
[license-url]: https://github.com/org/repo/blob/main/LICENSE

For copy-paste badge patterns organized by ecosystem, see references/badges.md.

Dark/Light Mode Logo

GitHub supports theme-aware images via the <picture> element. Always include this pattern when the project has a logo.

The pattern:

<picture>
  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset=".github/logo-dark.svg">
  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset=".github/logo-light.svg">
  <img alt="project-name" src=".github/logo-light.svg" width="120">
</picture>

Rules:

• Prefer SVG for logos (scales cleanly, small file size).
• The <img> fallback uses the light variant (GitHub default theme).
• Store logos in .github/ (per skill-forge asset placement convention: logo and screenshots are repo infrastructure, not skill runtime content).
• If the project only has one logo, use the same path for both srcset values and the src — still include the <picture> wrapper so a dark variant can be added later without restructuring.
• Width 80-120px for inline logos (icon/symbol marks). Wordmark logos (text-rendered SVGs like figlet/cfonts output) may use 400-500px width since they serve as both logo and project name. Never use full-width banners in Tier 1.
• If no logo exists yet, generate one (see Step 4). Every delivered README includes a logo.

Fallback wordmarks:

• If the project has no logo, generate logo candidates using --candidates N mode instead of silently picking one preset.
• Present absolute file paths to the user for preview. Let them choose.
• Use --random mode only when the user explicitly says "surprise me" or "just pick one".
• For a visual gallery of all available presets and palettes, see docs/logo-gallery.md.
• Prefer visually single-line wordmarks for README headers. If a preset reads like stacked block art or creates a double-title feel, switch to an inline treatment.
• If the generated wordmark already renders the project name clearly, omit the duplicated <h1> by default unless the user explicitly wants both.
• For preset selection rules and examples, see references/logo-generation.md and references/logo-examples.md.

GitHub-Native Formatting Decisions

Use GitHub-specific formatting when it improves comprehension, not because it exists.

For syntax patterns and deeper rules, see references/github-formatting.md.

Default patterns:

• Relative links for docs/, sibling markdown files, and split reference material
• Teaser + docs/ link for long non-decision content
• Tables for structured data
• Minimal HTML where Markdown is not enough (e.g., <picture> for dark/light logos)

Optional patterns:

• Mermaid diagrams for architecture, flow, sequence, timeline, or dependency relationships
• Task lists for roadmap or status
• Footnotes for citations and side notes
• Math expressions for technical projects that genuinely need formulas
• Social proof elements such as contributor widgets or star counts

Rules:

• Do not move decision-making content (Tier 2 sections) to docs/ — it must stay inline.
• Use relative links when splitting a long README into docs/ or separate markdown files.
• Add diagrams only when they explain faster than prose.
• Add social proof only when the repo is public, the numbers are real, and the user wants it.
• Prefer clarity over visual novelty.

docs/ Content Standard

docs/ exists to serve README. When a non-decision section is moved out of README, the full content goes to a docs/ file. readme-craft creates these files as part of README improvement — it does not manage or reorganize existing project documentation.

Boundary: docs/ is a human-facing layer. It must NOT be referenced by SKILL.md, references/, or any agent-facing instruction file. For skill repos: agent-relevant content belongs in SKILL.md + references/; docs/ is for humans who want depth beyond what README shows.

Naming: kebab-case by topic (how-it-works.md, configuration.md). Keep docs/ flat. Every file should be self-contained — readable without the README.

Scale: Most small projects need 0 docs. Don't create docs/ preemptively. Only create files when moving content out of README. If a project has no non-decision sections longer than ~15 lines, it doesn't need docs/.

Tone & Voice

When writing README content, follow these guidelines:

• Address the reader as "you" — not "the user" or "one."
• Refer to the software in third person — "readme-craft generates..." not "we generate..."
• Value proposition over technical description — lead with what the reader gains, not what the software is.
• Professional but direct — no exclamation marks, no emoji, no hype words ("revolutionary", "blazing fast").
• Concise — if a sentence doesn't add information, cut it.

When improving an existing README, these guidelines are recommendations, not overrides. Preserve the author's existing voice unless they explicitly ask for a tone change.

Example Provenance

When including an Example section in a README:

• If the example comes from a real run, keep paths, commands, and outputs specific.
• If the example is a sample flow, say so explicitly.
• Never present unverified repo URLs, release pages, docs links, or install commands as if they already exist.

Quality Checklist

Run the checklist in references/quality-checklist.md before delivering any README. Report failures to the user.

The checklist covers 6 dimensions: Structure (7), Content (13), Formatting (10), User Perspective (5), Completeness (6), Reader Lens (4) — 45 checks total. Dimensions 1-5 are structural; dimension 6 requires a mindset shift to first-time reader perspective.

References

This skill uses the following template and analysis files:

When generating a README, always start from the appropriate asset template file. Read it, fill its placeholders, then adjust sections based on the project's needs.