README.md generator

README Template Generator

Fill in your project details, choose the sections you need, and download a GitHub-ready README.md. The preview updates as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.

1. Project details

Live badges (stars, issues, versions) show “not found” until the repository or package is public — that’s expected.

2. Sections (toggle and reorder)

What a good README includes

GitHub’s own guidance says a README should answer five questions. The generator’s default sections cover all of them.

  1. 1

    What the project does

    A name and a one-line description a stranger understands in five seconds.

  2. 2

    Why it is useful

    The problem it solves and the main features — a short list beats a long paragraph.

  3. 3

    How to get started

    Installation and a minimal working example someone can copy and run.

  4. 4

    Where to get help

    Issues, discussions, docs, or a chat link — so questions land in the right place.

  5. 5

    Who maintains it

    Maintainers and how to contribute, plus the license so people know how they may use it.

README examples by project type

Five complete READMEs you can copy and adapt. The projects are fictional, so replace every name, command, and URL with your own. Try it opens an example in the GitHub Markdown preview so you can see how it renders and edit it.

Python library

A package published to PyPI: install, quick start, API summary, and development setup.

README.md
# tidyframes

![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue)
![Python](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.10%2B-blue)

Clean messy CSV and Excel exports into tidy, typed data frames with one function call.

## Installation

```bash
pip install tidyframes
```

## Quick start

```python
from tidyframes import tidy

df = tidy("sales_export.xlsx", date_columns=["order_date"])
print(df.dtypes)
```

## Features

- Detects headers, delimiters, and encodings automatically
- Parses dates and currencies into real types
- Reports every change it makes, so nothing is silent

## API

| Function | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `tidy(path, **options)` | Read and clean a file, returning a DataFrame |
| `report(df)` | Summarize the cleaning steps applied |

## Development

```bash
git clone https://github.com/your-name/tidyframes.git
cd tidyframes
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest
```

## Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please open an issue first for larger changes.

## License

[MIT](LICENSE)

Data science project

An analysis or model repository: problem, data, results, and how to reproduce them.

README.md
# Customer Churn Prediction

Predicting which subscribers will cancel in the next 30 days, using usage and billing history.

## Results

| Model | ROC-AUC | Precision@10% |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Logistic regression (baseline) | 0.78 | 0.41 |
| Gradient boosting | **0.86** | **0.58** |

![ROC curve](docs/roc-curve.png)

## Data

The dataset is a synthetic sample of 50,000 subscribers, generated by `scripts/make_data.py`.
See [data/README.md](data/README.md) for the column dictionary.

## Reproduce the results

```bash
conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate churn
python scripts/make_data.py
jupyter nbconvert --execute notebooks/01-model.ipynb
```

## Project structure

```text
├── data/          raw and processed data
├── notebooks/     exploration and modeling
├── scripts/       data generation and training
└── docs/          figures used in this README
```

## Limitations

The model was trained on synthetic data and is meant as a template, not as a production churn model.

Web application

A deployable app: screenshot, tech stack, local setup, environment variables, and deploy notes.

README.md
# TaskBoard

A small kanban board for personal projects, built with React and Node.

![TaskBoard screenshot](docs/screenshot.png)

**Live demo:** https://taskboard.example.com

## Tech stack

- React 19 and Vite
- Node.js with Express
- PostgreSQL

## Getting started

### Prerequisites

- Node.js 20 or later
- A running PostgreSQL instance

### Run locally

```bash
git clone https://github.com/your-name/taskboard.git
cd taskboard
npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm run dev
```

Open http://localhost:5173.

## Environment variables

| Variable | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection string | `postgres://user:pass@localhost/taskboard` |
| `SESSION_SECRET` | Random string used to sign cookies | `change-me` |

## Deployment

The app deploys as a single Node service. Set the variables above, run `npm run build`, then `npm start`.

## License

[MIT](LICENSE)

Command-line tool

A terminal utility: install options, the commands people actually run, and a flags table.

README.md
# fastpack

Bundle a folder into a single compressed archive, skipping everything in your `.gitignore`.

## Install

```bash
# macOS and Linux
curl -fsSL https://example.com/fastpack/install.sh | sh

# or with Cargo
cargo install fastpack
```

## Usage

```bash
fastpack ./my-project            # creates my-project.fpk
fastpack ./my-project -o out.fpk # choose the output name
fastpack --list out.fpk          # show the archive contents
```

## Options

| Flag | Description | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `-o, --output` | Output file | `<folder>.fpk` |
| `-l, --level` | Compression level, 1–9 | `6` |
| `--list` | List an archive instead of creating one | off |
| `-q, --quiet` | Suppress progress output | off |

## Exit codes

- `0` success
- `1` invalid arguments
- `2` I/O error

## Contributing

See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).

## License

[Apache-2.0](LICENSE)

API service

A REST or GraphQL backend: authentication, example requests, endpoint table, and errors.

README.md
# Shelf API

A REST API for managing a personal reading list.

**Base URL:** `https://api.example.com/v1`

## Authentication

Send your API key in the `Authorization` header:

```http
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

## Endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `GET` | `/books` | List books |
| `POST` | `/books` | Add a book |
| `PATCH` | `/books/{id}` | Update a book |
| `DELETE` | `/books/{id}` | Remove a book |

## Example

```bash
curl https://api.example.com/v1/books \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Dune", "status": "reading"}'
```

```json
{ "id": "bk_123", "title": "Dune", "status": "reading" }
```

## Errors

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `400` | The request body is invalid |
| `401` | Missing or invalid API key |
| `404` | The book does not exist |
| `429` | Too many requests — retry after the `Retry-After` header |

## Rate limits

100 requests per minute per API key.

README rules GitHub applies

These behaviors are easy to miss and explain most “my README doesn’t show up” problems.

  • GitHub shows a README from .github/ first, then the repository root, then docs/ — only one is displayed.
  • Content beyond the first 500 KiB of a README is truncated on GitHub.
  • Only recognized extensions render as Markdown: .md, .markdown, .mdown, and .mkdn.
  • Use relative links and image paths (docs/setup.md, ./images/logo.png) so they work on every branch and in clones.
  • GitHub builds a table of contents from your headings automatically (the Outline button) — a manual TOC still helps on long READMEs.

Formatting looks wrong on GitHub? See 16 reasons GitHub Markdown doesn’t render.

After you generate it

Frequently asked questions

What is a README.md file?

README.md is a Markdown file in the root of a project that explains what the project is, how to install and use it, and how to contribute. GitHub, GitLab, npm, and PyPI display it as the project's front page, so it is usually the first thing people read.

Where should I put my README?

In the repository root, named README.md. GitHub also recognizes a README in the .github/ or docs/ folder, but if there are several it shows the one in .github/ first, then the root, then docs/.

How do I add images or a screenshot to a README?

Commit the image to the repository and reference it with a relative path: ![Screenshot](docs/screenshot.png). Relative paths keep working on every branch and in forks. Use <img src="..." width="600"> if you need to control the size.

How do I add badges?

Badges are images, usually from shields.io, wrapped in links: [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE). This generator adds license, GitHub stars/issues/last-commit, and npm or PyPI version badges based on what you fill in.

How do I add a table of contents?

Make a list of links to your headings: - [Installation](#installation). GitHub lowercases the heading, replaces spaces with hyphens, and removes punctuation to build each anchor. The generator creates the table of contents for you with the correct anchors.

How do I create a GitHub profile README?

Create a public repository with exactly the same name as your GitHub username and add a README.md to it. Its contents appear at the top of your GitHub profile page.

Is anything I type uploaded?

No. The README is generated and previewed in your browser, and your answers are saved only in this browser so you can come back to them.

Sources

More Markdown Tools & Guides

All tools are free, run in your browser, and require no account.

Live Markdown PreviewerTool

Edit Markdown with a real-time preview, Mermaid, KaTeX math, drag-and-drop files, and one-click export.

Open the tool
GitHub Markdown PreviewTool

Load any public README, test it, and look up any GitHub syntax in the complete cheat sheet.

Open the tool
Mermaid Live EditorTool

13 diagram types with examples, live rendering, and SVG/PNG download.

Open the tool
LaTeX Math PreviewTool

Typeset equations as you type, with a copy-ready KaTeX cheat sheet of 180+ commands.

Open the tool
AI Markdown ViewerTool

Paste ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini output and read it formatted, with tables, code, and math.

Open the tool
What Is Markdown?Guide

A plain-English introduction: what Markdown and .md files are, where it came from, and where it is used.

Read the guide
Markdown in Google DocsGuide

Preview .md files in Drive, edit in Docs' Markdown mode, and paste, convert, or export Markdown.

Read the guide
Best Online Markdown ViewersGuide

Six free tools tested with the same document: rendering, privacy, and phone support compared.

Read the guide
GitHub Markdown Not Rendering?Guide

16 causes found by symptom — tables, lists, image paths, code fences, alerts, Mermaid, math — with tested fixes.

Read the guide
Markdown Preview in VS CodeGuide

Preview shortcuts, settings verified on VS Code 1.141, built-in Mermaid and math, extensions, and fixes.

Read the guide
How to Open an .md FileGuide

Open and read Markdown files formatted on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Word, and Google Docs.

Read the guide
Markdown Preview in Any EditorGuide

Exact preview shortcuts for Visual Studio, JetBrains, Zed, Xcode, Sublime, Neovim, Obsidian, and more.

Read the guide
Preview Markdown in a BrowserGuide

Six free ways to read .md files in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari — compared for privacy and features.

Read the guide