Standard Readme
A specification and tooling for creating consistent, high-quality README files across open source projects.
What is Standard Readme?
Standard Readme is a specification and set of tools for creating standardized README files in open source projects. It provides a consistent structure and guidelines to ensure READMEs are informative, maintainable, and user-friendly. The project includes a spec, a linter, and a generator to help developers adopt the standard.
Open source maintainers and developers who want to improve their project documentation, especially those managing multiple repositories or organizations seeking consistency.
It saves time and effort by providing a clear template and automated tools, ensures users can easily find critical information, and promotes best practices in documentation across the open source ecosystem.
Overview
A standard style for README files
Use Cases
Best For
- Establishing consistent documentation across an organization's repositories
- Automating README quality checks with a linter
- Quickly scaffolding new READMEs for open source libraries
- Improving the usability and discoverability of project documentation
- Adopting documentation best practices in Node.js or npm projects
- Reducing the maintenance burden of keeping READMEs up-to-date
Not Ideal For
- Projects with highly customized or non-standard documentation layouts that don't fit a static template
- Teams with mature, proprietary documentation workflows deeply integrated into their internal toolchain
- Non-open-source or internal repositories where README structure is governed by company-specific policies
Pros & Cons
Pros
The spec.md provides a detailed, structured outline for READMEs, ensuring essential sections like Install and Usage are included, which reduces ambiguity in documentation.
Includes a generator for quick scaffolding and a linter for compliance checks, directly saving time in creating and maintaining READMEs as per the README.
Offers a collection of example READMEs and badges, fostering adoption by providing real-world references and signaling compliance.
Stresses that documentation defines the module over code, encouraging developers to prioritize clear, complete READMEs based on the project's philosophy.
Cons
The linter is explicitly noted as a 'work in progress' in the README, making it potentially unreliable or feature-incomplete for automated quality checks.
Historically made for Node and npm projects, so examples and tooling are Node-centric, which might not fully address nuances of other languages or package managers.
The specification enforces a fixed set of sections, which can be restrictive for projects with unique documentation needs or creative presentations beyond a standard README.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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