Create README
Review the repository, infer the project purpose and usage from real files, and produce a concise, comprehensive, and well-structured GitHub Flavored Markdown README.md that is attractive, accurate, and free of boilerplate sections owned by separate files.
When to invoke
- "Create a README for this repository."
- "Refresh or polish the README.md."
- "Make this project README more appealing and useful."
- "Generate setup and usage instructions from the codebase."
README content model
| Section |
Include when |
Content rule |
| Header |
Always |
Project name, one-line value proposition, and logo/icon if one exists in the repository. |
| Overview |
Always |
Explain what the project does, who it is for, and why it exists. |
| Features |
When meaningful capabilities exist |
Use short bullets grounded in repository behavior, not generic claims. |
| Architecture or stack |
When the stack affects setup or use |
Mention frameworks, services, CLI tools, and major directories discovered in the project. |
| Getting started |
Always for runnable projects |
Provide prerequisites, install, configure, and run commands from package files or docs. |
| Usage |
When the project exposes an app, CLI, API, library, or workflow |
Show the shortest successful example and expected result. |
| Configuration |
When environment variables or config files exist |
List required variables without inventing secret values. |
| Testing |
When tests exist |
Include the existing test command only. |
| Troubleshooting |
When common setup issues are evident |
Keep concise and actionable. |
Do not include sections like LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, etc. There are dedicated files for those sections.
Procedure
- Review the entire project and workspace enough to identify its purpose, entry points, package managers, setup commands, and existing docs.
- Prefer facts from files such as
package.json, pyproject.toml, README.md, Dockerfile, compose.yaml, .env.example, workflow files, and source entry points.
- If a logo or icon exists, use it in the README header with a relative path that is valid from
README.md.
- Write concise GitHub Flavored Markdown. Use tables, fenced code blocks, and GitHub admonition syntax where appropriate.
- Keep the README project-specific; remove placeholders, marketing fluff, and unsupported claims.
Style rules
- Use a confident senior open-source maintainer voice: clear, helpful, and direct.
- Keep the readme concise and to the point.
- Do not overuse emojis; this repository rebuild forbids emojis in skill text, and generated README content should use them only if the project style clearly requires them.
- Use GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) for formatting, and GitHub admonition syntax when a warning or note is genuinely useful.
- Make commands copy-pasteable and avoid chaining commands that hide failing steps.
Inspiration sources
Use these README files for structure, tone, and content patterns without copying project-specific claims:
| Source |
Useful pattern |
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-chat-langchainjs/refs/heads/main/README.md |
Clear cloud sample overview and deployment-oriented setup. |
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-recipes-javascript/refs/heads/main/README.md |
Practical sample structure and concise usage flow. |
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/run-on-output/refs/heads/main/README.md |
Compact tool positioning and example-first usage. |
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/smoke/refs/heads/main/README.md |
Short, appealing project introduction and focused commands. |
https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/16925 |
GitHub admonition syntax reference. |
Gotchas
- Do not invent commands: if setup or test commands are absent, say what was found instead of fabricating
npm install or pytest.
- Do not duplicate governance files: link or mention dedicated files only when useful; do not add full
LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, or CHANGELOG sections.
- Do not write a generic README: every feature, command, and path must come from the repository or be clearly framed as a user-supplied assumption.
Output template
# <Project name>
<One-sentence value proposition.>
[Optional logo/icon]
## Overview
<What it does, who it helps, and the main workflow.>
## Features
- <specific capability>
- <specific capability>
## Getting started
### Prerequisites
- <tool/version or service>
### Install
```bash
<install command>
```
### Run
```bash
<run command>
```
## Usage
```bash
<minimal example>
```
## Configuration
| Name | Required | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<env-or-setting>` | yes/no | <purpose> |
## Testing
```bash
<test command>
```
Quality gate
References
1---2name: create-readme3description: Create or improve a concise, appealing, project-specific README.md with a clear overview, setup, usage, and practical examples. Use this skill when the user asks to generate, refresh, polish, rewrite, or make a repository README more useful for GitHub readers.4---56<!-- Generated from harness/github-copilot/skills/create-readme/SKILL.md by harness/claude-code/scripts/convert_from_copilot.py. Edit the source, not this file. -->78# Create README910Review the repository, infer the project purpose and usage from real files, and produce a concise, comprehensive, and well-structured GitHub Flavored Markdown README.md that is attractive, accurate, and free of boilerplate sections owned by separate files.1112## When to invoke1314- "Create a README for this repository."15- "Refresh or polish the README.md."16- "Make this project README more appealing and useful."17- "Generate setup and usage instructions from the codebase."1819## README content model2021| Section | Include when | Content rule |22| --- | --- | --- |23| Header | Always | Project name, one-line value proposition, and logo/icon if one exists in the repository. |24| Overview | Always | Explain what the project does, who it is for, and why it exists. |25| Features | When meaningful capabilities exist | Use short bullets grounded in repository behavior, not generic claims. |26| Architecture or stack | When the stack affects setup or use | Mention frameworks, services, CLI tools, and major directories discovered in the project. |27| Getting started | Always for runnable projects | Provide prerequisites, install, configure, and run commands from package files or docs. |28| Usage | When the project exposes an app, CLI, API, library, or workflow | Show the shortest successful example and expected result. |29| Configuration | When environment variables or config files exist | List required variables without inventing secret values. |30| Testing | When tests exist | Include the existing test command only. |31| Troubleshooting | When common setup issues are evident | Keep concise and actionable. |3233Do not include sections like `LICENSE`, `CONTRIBUTING`, `CHANGELOG`, etc. There are dedicated files for those sections.3435## Procedure36371. Review the entire project and workspace enough to identify its purpose, entry points, package managers, setup commands, and existing docs.382. Prefer facts from files such as `package.json`, `pyproject.toml`, `README.md`, `Dockerfile`, `compose.yaml`, `.env.example`, workflow files, and source entry points.393. If a logo or icon exists, use it in the README header with a relative path that is valid from `README.md`.404. Write concise GitHub Flavored Markdown. Use tables, fenced code blocks, and GitHub admonition syntax where appropriate.415. Keep the README project-specific; remove placeholders, marketing fluff, and unsupported claims.4243## Style rules4445- Use a confident senior open-source maintainer voice: clear, helpful, and direct.46- Keep the readme concise and to the point.47- Do not overuse emojis; this repository rebuild forbids emojis in skill text, and generated README content should use them only if the project style clearly requires them.48- Use GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown) for formatting, and GitHub admonition syntax when a warning or note is genuinely useful.49- Make commands copy-pasteable and avoid chaining commands that hide failing steps.5051## Inspiration sources5253Use these README files for structure, tone, and content patterns without copying project-specific claims:5455| Source | Useful pattern |56| --- | --- |57| `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-chat-langchainjs/refs/heads/main/README.md` | Clear cloud sample overview and deployment-oriented setup. |58| `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-recipes-javascript/refs/heads/main/README.md` | Practical sample structure and concise usage flow. |59| `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/run-on-output/refs/heads/main/README.md` | Compact tool positioning and example-first usage. |60| `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/smoke/refs/heads/main/README.md` | Short, appealing project introduction and focused commands. |61| `https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/16925` | GitHub admonition syntax reference. |6263## Gotchas6465- **Do not invent commands**: if setup or test commands are absent, say what was found instead of fabricating `npm install` or `pytest`.66- **Do not duplicate governance files**: link or mention dedicated files only when useful; do not add full `LICENSE`, `CONTRIBUTING`, or `CHANGELOG` sections.67- **Do not write a generic README**: every feature, command, and path must come from the repository or be clearly framed as a user-supplied assumption.6869## Output template7071````markdown72# <Project name>7374<One-sentence value proposition.>7576[Optional logo/icon]7778## Overview7980<What it does, who it helps, and the main workflow.>8182## Features8384- <specific capability>85- <specific capability>8687## Getting started8889### Prerequisites9091- <tool/version or service>9293### Install9495```bash96<install command>97```9899### Run100101```bash102<run command>103```104105## Usage106107```bash108<minimal example>109```110111## Configuration112113| Name | Required | Purpose |114| --- | --- | --- |115| `<env-or-setting>` | yes/no | <purpose> |116117## Testing118119```bash120<test command>121```122````123124## Quality gate125126- [ ] The README is based on actual repository files, not generic assumptions.127- [ ] Setup, run, usage, and test commands are copied from existing project configuration or clearly omitted when absent.128- [ ] No full `LICENSE`, `CONTRIBUTING`, or `CHANGELOG` sections were added.129- [ ] Any logo or icon path exists and is valid from `README.md`.130- [ ] GitHub Flavored Markdown renders cleanly, with fenced code blocks closed.131- [ ] The README remains concise and project-specific.132133## References134135- [Azure Samples serverless chat README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-chat-langchainjs/refs/heads/main/README.md)136- [Azure Samples serverless recipes README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/serverless-recipes-javascript/refs/heads/main/README.md)137- [run-on-output README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/run-on-output/refs/heads/main/README.md)138- [smoke README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinedied/smoke/refs/heads/main/README.md)139- [GitHub admonition syntax discussion](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/16925)