ClawHub

README Writer

Automation

Generate a complete, production-quality README.md from code, description, or an existing README, tailored to the project type without any filler content.

Install

openclaw skills install auto-readme

readme-writer

Description

Generate a production-quality README.md from code, a short description, or an existing bad README. Adapts structure to the project type: library, CLI tool, web app, API, or data pipeline. No filler, no fluff — just the README a maintainer would actually want.

Use when

  • "write a README for this"
  • "my README is bad, rewrite it"
  • "generate docs for this project"
  • "I need a README"
  • Any project without a README, or with a placeholder/skeleton README

Input

Provide one or more of:

  • The project's source code (or key files)
  • A short description of what it does
  • The existing README (if rewriting)

Optionally specify:

  • Project type: library / CLI / web app / REST API / data pipeline / other
  • Primary language/framework
  • Target audience: end users / developers / both
  • License
  • Whether to include badges (CI, npm, PyPI, NuGet, etc.)

Output format

Outputs a complete, ready-to-paste README.md in this structure (sections omitted if not applicable):

# [Project Name]

[One-line description — what it is and what it does]

[Badges if requested: CI status, version, license, downloads]

## Features
[3–6 bullet points — concrete capabilities, not marketing copy]

## Quick Start
[Minimal working example — copy-paste runnable in under 60 seconds]

## Installation
[Package manager commands for all relevant platforms]

## Usage
[The most common use cases with code examples]

## API Reference
[For libraries: key classes, functions, parameters, return types]
[For CLIs: flags, subcommands, environment variables]

## Configuration
[Environment variables, config file format, defaults]

## Examples
[1–3 real-world examples beyond quick start]

## Contributing
[How to run locally, run tests, submit PRs]

## License
[License name and link]

Writing rules

  • First line after the title: one sentence, no jargon, a 10-year-old could understand
  • Quick Start must be runnable — no "replace with your actual values" placeholders unless unavoidable
  • API Reference uses the actual function/class names from the code
  • No phrases: "seamlessly", "powerful", "robust", "leveraging", "game-changer", "easy to use"
  • If something requires setup steps, number them — don't paragraph it
  • Code blocks have language tags (python, bash, ```json)
  • Never write "TODO" or leave blank sections — omit sections that don't apply

Project type adaptations

Library

Include: Features, Installation, Quick Start, API Reference, Examples, Contributing Skip: Deployment, Environment Variables (unless it's config)

CLI tool

Include: Installation, Usage (with all flags), Examples, Configuration Skip: API Reference

Web app / SaaS

Include: Features, Quick Start (local dev), Installation, Configuration (env vars), Deployment, Contributing Skip: API Reference (unless it exposes one)

REST API

Include: Base URL, Authentication, Endpoints (method, path, params, response), Examples Format: Use code blocks showing curl or example request/response JSON

Data pipeline

Include: What data flows in / out, How to run, Configuration, Output format Skip: Contributing (unless open source)

Self-improvement instructions

After each README generated, note what information was missing from the input that required assumptions. After 20 READMEs, surface the top 3 things developers forget to include.

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