Use when writing or improving README files. Not all READMEs are the same — provides templates and guidance matched to your audience and project type.
npxskills add davila7/claude-code-templates--skill crafting-effective-readmesLoading…
Use when writing or improving README files. Not all READMEs are the same — provides templates and guidance matched to your audience and project type.
npxskills add davila7/claude-code-templates--skill crafting-effective-readmesLoading…
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?
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 |
Creating initial README:
Adding a section:
Updating existing content:
Reviewing/refreshing:
After drafting, ask: "Anything else to highlight or include that I might have missed?"
| 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.
Every README needs at minimum:
section-checklist.md - Which sections to include by project typestyle-guide.md - Common README mistakes and prose guidanceusing-references.md - Guide to deeper reference materialsCreate or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).