davila7/crafting-effective-readmes
cli-tool/components/skills/productivity/crafting-effective-readmes/SKILL.md
Use when writing or improving README files. Not all READMEs are the same — provides templates and guidance matched to your audience and project type.
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add davila7/claude-code-templates crafting-effective-readmesInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Security Scan Results
3 of 9 scanners reported clean
Some scanners were skipped, did not run, or reported a non-clean status. Review each row below.
3
Scanners Passed
9
Scanners in report
Clean
TrivyContainer and dependency vulnerability scanner
95%
Clean
SemgrepStatic code analysis for vulnerabilities
95%
Clean
mcp-scan (Snyk)Model Context Protocol security validation
95%
Skipped
Snyk (dep)Open source security scanning
50%
Skipped
Socket.devSupply chain security analysis
50%
Skipped
VirusTotalMulti-engine malware detection
50%
Skipped
CrowdStrikeAdvanced threat intelligence
50%
Skipped
OSV-ScannerOpen Source Vulnerability database check
50%
Skipped
OWASP Dep-Check
50%
Last scanned: Apr 15, 2026, 4:48 PM26.0s14 files scanned
SKILL.md
- name:
- crafting-effective-readmes
- description:
- Use when writing or improving README files. Not all READMEs are the same — provides templates and guidance matched to your audience and project type.
Crafting Effective READMEs
Overview
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?
Process
Step 1: Identify the Task
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 |
Step 2: Task-Specific Questions
Creating initial README:
- What type of project? (see Project Types below)
- What problem does this solve in one sentence?
- What's the quickest path to "it works"?
- Anything notable to highlight?
Adding a section:
- What needs documenting?
- Where should it go in the existing structure?
- Who needs this info most?
Updating existing content:
- What changed?
- Read current README, identify stale sections
- Propose specific edits
Reviewing/refreshing:
- Read current README
- Check against actual project state (package.json, main files, etc.)
- Flag outdated sections
- Update "Last reviewed" date if present
Step 3: Always Ask
After drafting, ask: "Anything else to highlight or include that I might have missed?"
Project Types
| 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.
Essential Sections (All Types)
Every README needs at minimum:
- Name - Self-explanatory title
- Description - What + why in 1-2 sentences
- Usage - How to use it (examples help)
References
section-checklist.md- Which sections to include by project typestyle-guide.md- Common README mistakes and prose guidanceusing-references.md- Guide to deeper reference materials
Related Skills
davila7/zapier-make-patterns
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
No-code automation democratizes workflow building. Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) let non-developers automate business processes without writing code. But no-code doesn't mean no-complexity - these platforms have their own patterns, pitfalls, and breaking points. This skill covers when to use which platform, how to build reliable automations, and when to graduate to code-based solutions. Key insight: Zapier optimizes for simplicity and integrations (7000+ apps), Make optimizes for power
24,615SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 15, 2026
davila7/yeet
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
Use only when the user explicitly asks to stage, commit, push, and open a GitHub pull request in one flow using the GitHub CLI (`gh`).
24,615SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 15, 2026
davila7/workflow-automation
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
Workflow automation is the infrastructure that makes AI agents reliable. Without durable execution, a network hiccup during a 10-step payment flow means lost money and angry customers. With it, workflows resume exactly where they left off. This skill covers the platforms (n8n, Temporal, Inngest) and patterns (sequential, parallel, orchestrator-worker) that turn brittle scripts into production-grade automation. Key insight: The platforms make different tradeoffs. n8n optimizes for accessibility
24,615SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 15, 2026
davila7/trigger-dev
development
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
Trigger.dev expert for background jobs, AI workflows, and reliable async execution with excellent developer experience and TypeScript-first design. Use when: trigger.dev, trigger dev, background task, ai background job, long running task.
24,615SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 15, 2026