README Generator

Generate professional README.md files with badges, features, and more.

# My Project

![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)
![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-1.0.0-green.svg)

A brief description of what this project does.

## Features

- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3

## Tech Stack

- Node.js
- React
- TypeScript

## Installation

```bash
npm install my-project
```

## Usage

```bash
npm start
```

## Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request

## License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

What It Does

Fill in your project details — name, description, tech stack, install command, usage examples — and get a fully structured README.md ready to paste into your repository. The output includes standard sections, Shields.io badge placeholders, and properly formatted Markdown code blocks.

README Structure Template

  • # Project Title — Name and one-line description
  • ![badge](url) — Build, license, version badges
  • Features — Bullet list of key capabilities
  • Installation — Prerequisites and setup commands
  • Usage — Code examples showing common workflows
  • Configuration — Environment variables or config file options
  • Contributing — How to submit issues and pull requests
  • License — SPDX license identifier and link

Popular Shields.io Badges

  • https://img.shields.io/github/license/user/repo
  • https://img.shields.io/npm/v/package-name
  • https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/user/repo/ci.yml

README Best Practices

  • Lead with what the project does in one sentence — don't bury the lede in backstory.
  • Include a working quick-start: the single command that gets someone running in under 2 minutes.
  • Add a screenshot or animated GIF for visual tools — it dramatically increases engagement.
  • Keep the contributing section friendly — first-time contributors abandon projects with intimidating guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sections should a good README include?
A complete README typically includes: project title and description, badges (build status, license, version), features list, installation instructions, usage examples with code snippets, configuration options, contributing guidelines, license information, and contact or acknowledgement sections. Not every project needs all sections — match depth to project complexity.
What are GitHub Shields badges and how do I add them?
Shields.io badges are small SVG images that display dynamic project metadata like build status, npm version, test coverage, and license. They use the format: ![label](https://img.shields.io/badge/label-message-color). Many CI systems (GitHub Actions, Travis CI) provide their own badge URLs that update automatically with build status.
What is the difference between README.md and README.rst?
README.md uses Markdown formatting (more common on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket). README.rst uses reStructuredText — the format preferred in the Python ecosystem and common in projects hosted on PyPI and ReadTheDocs. GitHub renders both, but Markdown has broader tool and platform support.
How do I add a table of contents to a README?
Manually create a list of links using Markdown anchor syntax: [Installation](#installation). GitHub automatically generates anchor IDs from heading text by lowercasing and replacing spaces with hyphens. Alternatively, some tools like DocToc auto-generate and update a table of contents section.
What makes a README README stand out on GitHub?
High-quality READMEs have a clear one-line description, a working quick-start command, a screenshot or GIF showing the tool in action, and a license badge. Projects with good documentation consistently attract more stars, contributors, and adoption than those with sparse or missing READMEs.