Make Readme
Generate consistent GitHub README headers with shields.io status badges and a for-the-badge tech stack row that matches community norms.
Overview
make-readme is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Launch) that applies shields.io badge URL patterns for polished GitHub README headers.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/gupsammy/claudest --skill make-readmeWhat is this skill?
- flat-square shields for license, CI, coverage, npm/PyPI version, and download badges
- for-the-badge tech stack row placed outside centered header divs
- Substitution rules mapping USER/REPO and PKG placeholders to real slugs
- Consistent style guidance: do not mix badge styles in the header block
- Copy-paste Markdown templates for open-source repo polish
Adoption & trust: 1 installs on skills.sh; 253 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits); trending (+100% hot-view momentum).
What problem does it solve?
Your repo README looks amateurish because badge styles, placeholders, and tech-stack rows are inconsistent or misplaced.
Who is it for?
Indie hackers open-sourcing a library or CLI who want a professional README header in minutes.
Skip if: Teams needing full README narrative, architecture diagrams, or non-GitHub package registries without shields.io support.
When should I use this skill?
When creating or updating a GitHub README and you need standardized shields.io badge URLs and tech-stack formatting.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get Markdown-ready badge blocks with correct flat-square vs for-the-badge usage and substitution rules for USER/REPO and package names.
- README header badge Markdown block
- Tech stack for-the-badge row
- Documented substitution for USER/REPO/PKG
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
README structure is most often drafted while the repo is actively built, but the same patterns recur at ship and launch. The skill encodes documentation presentation—badges and stack rows—not application code.
Where it fits
Scaffold README.md with license and CI badges when you first push the repo.
Add Codecov and npm version shields right before tagging v1.0.
Refresh the tech-stack row before posting the repo to HN or Product Hunt.
How it compares
Use instead of asking the agent to freestyle badge Markdown—this skill enforces one visual system, not a generic doc generator.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is make-readme for?
Solo builders and maintainers publishing on GitHub who want consistent README status and tech-stack badges without looking up shields.io syntax each time.
When should I use make-readme?
Use it while creating or refreshing repo docs during Build, again before Ship or Launch when you add CI, coverage, or npm/PyPI publishing badges.
Is make-readme safe to install?
It is a documentation template skill with no runtime permissions implied; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page for the upstream package either way.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Make Readme
# Badge URL Patterns Replace `USER/REPO` with the GitHub username/repo slug, `PKG` with the package name. ## Status Badges (flat-square) Use `flat-square` style for all status badges — consistent appearance across the header block. ```markdown        ``` ## Tech Stack Row (for-the-badge) Place after the header block, not inside `<div align="center">`. Use `for-the-badge` exclusively for this row — mixing styles looks inconsistent. ```markdown      ``` ## Substitution Rules - **License badge:** replace `MIT` with the license display name. Shields.io badge path segments use `-` as a separator, so escape literal hyphens with `--`: `Apache-2.0` → `Apache--2.0`, `GPL-3.0` → `GPL--3.0` - **CI badge:** replace `ci.yml` with the actual workflow filename from `.github/workflows/` - **Version badge:** use `npm/v` for Node, `pypi/v` for Python, `github/v/release/USER/REPO?style=flat-square` for others - **Stars badge:** use `?style=social` — this is the conventional choice; do not override with flat-square --- name: make-readme description: > This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a README", "generate a README", "make a readme", "write a README for my project", "need a README", "add a README", "document my project", "set up project docs", "readme with badges". allowed-tools: - AskUserQuestion - Write - Read - Glob --- # README Maker Generate a professional `README.md` for any project — from 50-line minimal to 600-line comprehensive — with shields.io badges, styled headers, and structured sections. Interview the user to determine preferences, then produce the full README in one pass. ## Step 1 — Detect Project Context Before asking, scan the working directory for context clues: - Glob for `package.json`, `pyproject.toml`, `Cargo.toml`, `go.mod` — Read the first match to extract project name and version as pre-filled defaults - Check if `README.md` already exists — warn the user before overwriting - Note the primary language from the detected manifest file - For **Plugin Collection** detection: Glob for `*/.claude-plugin/plugin.json`, `*/package.json` in subdirectories. If 3+ sub-manifests are found, pre-select Plugin Collection in Step 2 and note the count. - If no manifest is found, skip pre-filling — rely entirely on user input in Step 2 ## Step 2 — Round 1 Interview (Always) Ask 4 questions via `AskUserQuestion`. Pre-select options that match detected context where possible. | # | header | options | |---|--------|---------| | 1 | "Project type" | Library/Package · CLI Tool · Web App/API · Desktop App · Plugin Collection | | 2 | "Language" | Python · JavaScript/Node · Go · Rust | | 3 | "Depth" | Minimal · Standard · Comprehensive | | 4 | "License" | MIT · Apache-2.0 · GPL-3.0 · No license | Project type definitions: - **Plugin Collection / Monorepo** — a repo containing multiple installable components (plugins, packages, extensions) each with their own versions and descriptions. A