README Writer Skill

A good README is the difference between a project people can use and a project people clone, stare at for five minutes, and abandon. Most READMEs are either non-existent or a wall of text that answers the wrong questions. This skill produces the version that actually gets people from zero to running.

What the skill does

• Project overview. A clear one-paragraph description of what the project does, who it is for, and what problem it solves — without the corporate fluff.
• Prerequisites and installation. Step-by-step setup with exact commands, covering the common environments where the project will be used.
• Usage examples. The most common use cases shown as working code or command examples — not just a list of options.
• Configuration reference. A table of all environment variables, config file options, or flags, with types, defaults, and descriptions.
• API or CLI reference. For libraries and tools: structured documentation of the public interface with examples.
• Contributing guide. How to set up a development environment, run tests, and submit a PR.
• Badges. Markdown for the most relevant status badges (build, version, license, coverage).

How it works

1. Share the project. Paste the main file, a directory listing, or a description of what the project does. The more context, the more accurate the output.
2. Specify the audience. Who will use this? Other developers? End users? Ops teams? The README changes significantly based on the answer.
3. First draft. The skill produces a complete README with all standard sections.
4. Iteration. Ask to expand any section, adjust the tone, add a specific example, or rewrite the intro.
5. Copy-paste ready. The output is valid Markdown, formatted for GitHub rendering.

How to use it

1. Click ⬇ Download this Claude Skill above.
2. Import through Claude Desktop (Customize → Skills → + → Create skill → Upload a skill) or drop into .claude/commands/. Full walkthrough in the import tutorial.
3. Invoke the skill:

   /readme-writer
   

   Or open with context:

   /readme-writer Node.js CLI tool that converts CSV files to JSON with filtering options. Audience is developers. Has a config file and several flags.
   

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Quick-start prompt (no download)

Write a complete, professional README.md for the following project.

Include these sections:

• Project name and one-paragraph description (what it does, who it is for, what problem it solves)
• Prerequisites (what needs to be installed first)
• Installation (exact commands, copy-paste ready)
• Usage (the 3 most common use cases with working examples)
• Configuration (table of all options: name, type, default, description)
• Contributing (dev setup, how to run tests, how to submit a PR)
• License

Write for a technical audience. Avoid marketing language. Be specific and concrete — no vague descriptions.

Project: [describe what it does, or paste main file / directory structure] Language/framework: [specify] Target audience: [developers / end users / ops / etc.]

Tips:

• Paste the actual code rather than describing it — the skill picks up configuration keys, CLI flags, and function signatures automatically.
• Ask for a short version first if your project is simple — a one-pager README is better than an over-engineered one.
• Ask the skill to write the "30-second pitch" version of the description if the full README intro feels too long.
• For monorepos, ask for one README per package and a root-level overview that links to each.

⚠ This skill has been tested and optimized for Claude. Results may vary with other AI assistants.