Development
README template for software projects
A README is the first thing people read about your project. This template covers the essentials: a one-sentence description, an install command, a usage example in a code block and a short contributing note. Edit it online, then copy the Markdown or download a PDF for a handover.
Open this template in the editor- Category
- Development
- Default style
- Technical
When to use it
Start from this template when you publish a library, a command line tool or an internal service and need documentation that answers the first three questions: what is it, how do I install it, how do I run it. Developers and reviewers read it, and so do clients who receive the README as a PDF in a handover pack.
What is inside
- A title built from a fill-in field for your project name, with a one-sentence description under it.
- Install and usage sections, each with a fenced code block for a shell command or code sample.
- A contributing section that tells people to open an issue before a large change.
Tips for a better document
- Test the install command on a clean machine before you publish. A README that fails on the first step loses most readers.
- This template defaults to the Technical style, which sets code blocks in a monospaced font and keeps long lines inside the page when you export.
Template preview
Project or topic
Prepared by: Your name · Date
One sentence about what this does.
Install
npm install project-name
Usage
import { run } from 'project-name';
run();
Contributing
Open an issue before a large change. Small fixes are welcome as pull requests.
Fill-in fields such as your name and the date are replaced when you open the template in the editor.