README Reviewer & Generator

Analyze a codebase and produce a high-quality README.md that follows industry best practices.

Philosophy

A README is the front door to a project. It should answer five questions in under 60 seconds:

1. What does this project do?
2. Why does it exist (and why should I care)?
3. How do I get it running?
4. How do I use it?
5. How can I contribute or get help?

Everything else is secondary. The skill prioritizes accuracy over boilerplate — every claim in the README must be verifiable from the codebase.

Workflow

Phase 1 — Deep Scan

Before writing a single line of the README, gather facts. Do NOT hallucinate features or commands. Every statement must come from the codebase.

# 1. Project structure overview
find . -maxdepth 3 -type f | head -80
ls -la

# 2. Package manifest & dependencies
cat package.json 2>/dev/null        # Node.js
cat Cargo.toml 2>/dev/null          # Rust
cat pyproject.toml setup.py setup.cfg requirements.txt 2>/dev/null  # Python
cat go.mod 2>/dev/null              # Go
cat Gemfile 2>/dev/null             # Ruby
cat composer.json 2>/dev/null       # PHP
cat pom.xml build.gradle 2>/dev/null  # Java/Kotlin

# 3. Available scripts & entry points
# Node: extract "scripts" from package.json
# Python: look for __main__.py, cli.py, manage.py, app.py
# Rust/Go: look for main.rs / main.go

# 4. Config files that reveal tooling
ls .github/workflows/ 2>/dev/null   # CI/CD
cat Dockerfile docker-compose.yml 2>/dev/null  # Docker
cat .env.example .env.sample 2>/dev/null       # Environment vars
cat Makefile 2>/dev/null            # Make targets
cat tsconfig.json 2>/dev/null       # TypeScript config
cat .eslintrc* .prettierrc* 2>/dev/null  # Linting

# 5. Existing documentation
cat README.md 2>/dev/null
cat CONTRIBUTING.md 2>/dev/null
cat LICENSE* 2>/dev/null
cat CHANGELOG.md 2>/dev/null
ls docs/ 2>/dev/null

# 6. Tests
ls tests/ test/ __tests__/ spec/ 2>/dev/null
grep -r "test" package.json 2>/dev/null | head -5

# 7. Git info (if available)
git remote -v 2>/dev/null
git log --oneline -5 2>/dev/null

Extract from the scan:

Phase 2 — Assess (if updating existing README)

If a README already exists, evaluate it against the quality checklist (see below). Identify:

• Missing sections — required sections that don't exist
• Stale information — commands or versions that don't match the current codebase
• Inaccurate claims — features described that don't exist in code
• Poor structure — walls of text, missing headers, broken links
• Missing quick-start — no way for a newcomer to get running fast

Present findings to the user as a brief assessment before rewriting.

Phase 3 — Write / Rewrite

Generate the README using the structure below. Adapt sections to the project type — not every project needs every section. A 50-line CLI tool doesn't need an architecture diagram.

README Structure (Canonical Order)

Use this as the reference structure. Include sections that apply; skip those that don't.

1. Title & Badges (required)

# Project Name

[![License](badge-url)](license-url)
[![CI](badge-url)](ci-url)
[![Version](badge-url)](package-url)

• Project name as H1 — must match the repo/package name
• Badges: only include badges that are real and resolve (CI status, version, license, coverage)
• Do NOT invent badge URLs. Only add badges if you can determine the actual URLs from the CI config, package registry, etc.

2. One-liner / Tagline (required)

A single sentence (or short paragraph) explaining what this project does in plain language. No jargon. A non-technical person should understand the gist.

3. Key Features (if applicable)

A short bullet list (3–7 items) of what makes this project useful or unique. Only list features that actually exist in the codebase.

4. Quick Start (required for apps/tools)

The fastest path from zero to working. Should be copy-pasteable.

## Quick Start

\```bash
git clone <repo-url>
cd <project>
npm install
npm run dev
\```

• Use the actual commands from the project (verify they exist in package.json / Makefile / etc.)
• Include prerequisite versions if they matter (e.g., "Requires Node.js >= 18")
• If env vars are needed, show how to set them up

5. Installation (required)

Detailed installation instructions. May overlap with Quick Start for simple projects.

• System prerequisites (runtime versions, OS requirements, external services)
• Package manager install command (npm, pip, cargo, etc.)
• Building from source (if applicable)
• Docker-based setup (if Dockerfile exists)

6. Usage (required)

How to actually use the project after installation.

• CLI tools: show 2–3 common command examples with expected output
• Libraries/packages: show import + basic usage code snippet
• APIs: show a sample request/response
• Web apps: describe how to access (URL, default credentials if any)

7. Configuration (if applicable)

Document all configuration options:

• Environment variables (table format: name, description, default, required?)
• Config files and their format
• Command-line flags

If an .env.example exists, reference it and explain each variable.

| Variable | Description | Default | Required |
|----------|-------------|---------|----------|
| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection string | — | Yes |
| `PORT` | Server port | `3000` | No |

8. Project Structure (if applicable)

A simplified directory tree showing the most important files/folders. Useful for medium-to-large projects. Keep it under 20 lines.

## Project Structure

\```
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts        # Entry point
│   ├── routes/         # API route handlers
│   └── models/         # Database models
├── tests/              # Test suite
├── docker-compose.yml  # Local development stack
└── package.json
\```

9. API Reference / Documentation (if applicable)

• For libraries: link to full API docs or include a summary of main exports
• For APIs: link to OpenAPI/Swagger docs or list key endpoints
• For complex projects: link to a docs/ folder or external site

10. Development (recommended)

How to contribute as a developer:

• How to run in development mode
• How to run tests
• How to lint / format
• How to build for production
• Branch/PR conventions (if described in CONTRIBUTING.md, link to it)

11. Deployment (if applicable)

• How to deploy (platform-specific instructions if CI/CD configs exist)
• Docker deployment
• Environment-specific notes

12. Tech Stack (optional)

A brief list of the main technologies used. Useful for larger projects.

13. Roadmap (optional)

Link to issues/milestones or list planned features. Only if the project actively maintains one.

14. Contributing (recommended)

• Link to CONTRIBUTING.md if it exists
• Or a brief "PRs welcome" with basic guidelines
• How to report bugs

15. License (required if LICENSE file exists)

State the license and link to the LICENSE file.

## License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

16. Acknowledgments / Credits (optional)

Credit major dependencies, inspiration, or contributors.

Quality Checklist

After writing the README, verify every item:

Accuracy

• Every command shown actually works (exists in scripts/Makefile/etc.)
• Version requirements match what's in the codebase
• Features listed actually exist in the code
• Environment variables match .env.example or code references
• License matches the actual LICENSE file
• No placeholder text remains (no "TODO", "lorem ipsum", "[your-name]")

Completeness

• A newcomer can go from zero to running in under 5 minutes with only the README
• All prerequisites are listed
• Both install AND usage are covered
• If Docker is available, Docker instructions are included

Style

• Title is H1, sections are H2, subsections are H3 (consistent hierarchy)
• Code blocks specify the language (bash, python, etc.)
• No walls of text — paragraphs are short, lists are used for scanability
• Links work (relative links to files in the repo use correct paths)
• Consistent formatting (backticks for inline code, bold for emphasis)
• No emojis in section headers (keep it professional unless the project's style uses them)

Tone

• Written for the reader, not the author
• Concise — no filler phrases ("In order to", "Please note that")
• Technical but approachable
• Active voice preferred

Project Type Adaptations

Not all READMEs are equal. Adapt based on what the project is:

Library / Package

• Emphasize: Installation via package manager, API usage examples, TypeDoc/Sphinx links
• De-emphasize: Deployment, project structure

CLI Tool

• Emphasize: Installation, command examples with output, flags/options table
• De-emphasize: API reference, project structure

Web Application

• Emphasize: Quick start with Docker, environment setup, screenshots/demo link
• De-emphasize: API usage examples (unless it's also an API)

API Service

• Emphasize: Authentication, endpoint documentation, request/response examples
• De-emphasize: UI screenshots

Monorepo

• Emphasize: Project structure, per-package summaries with links, shared tooling
• De-emphasize: Single install command (may need per-package)

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

These are common README mistakes. Never do these:

1. Invented commands — Never write npm run deploy if it doesn't exist in package.json
2. Aspirational features — Only document what exists, not what's planned
3. Giant tables of contents — Only add a TOC if the README exceeds ~200 lines
4. Badge overload — Max 5-6 badges. Only include ones that are real and useful
5. Undated screenshots — Screenshots get stale. Mention the version they depict
6. Copy-paste from other projects — Every sentence must be specific to THIS project
7. "This project is a..." openers — Start with what it does, not what it is
8. Placeholder sections — Never leave a section that says "Coming soon" or "TBD"

Output Format

The final output should be:

1. Assessment (if updating): A brief summary of what was found and what's changing
2. The README.md file: Written to the project root, ready to commit
3. Verification notes: Any commands you couldn't verify, assumptions made, or suggestions for the user to confirm

Always write the README as a file (not just in chat) so the user can review and use it directly.

Example Assessment Output

When reviewing an existing README, present findings like this:

## README Assessment

**Overall**: The README covers basics but has gaps that would frustrate a new contributor.

### ✅ What's Good
- Clear project description
- License section present

### ⚠️ Issues Found
- Install instructions reference `yarn` but the lock file is `pnpm-lock.yaml`
- Missing: environment variable documentation (project uses 8 env vars)
- `npm run test` is listed but the actual script is `npm run test:unit`
- No quick-start section — takes 4 scrolls to find how to run locally

### 📋 Sections to Add
- Quick Start
- Configuration / Environment Variables
- Project Structure (15+ directories with no map)

Shall I proceed with the rewrite?