Templates are your primary tool for writing READMEs. References provide depth - use them to refine your understanding or handle edge cases. **Tip:** Don't load all references at once. Pick the one most relevant to your situation. --- `references/art-of-readme.md` **Why:** The philosophy behind great READMEs - understanding how readers actually scan and evaluate projects **What:** Cognitive funneling (broad → specific), brevity as a feature, README as the "one-stop shop" that keeps users out o...
Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.
Are you the author of 030 Templates De80ec04?
Add the live security badge to your README. It updates with every re-scan.
[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/tools-only-030-templates-de80ec04)
# Using References
Templates are your primary tool for writing READMEs. References provide depth - use them to refine your understanding or handle edge cases.
**Tip:** Don't load all references at once. Pick the one most relevant to your situation.
---
### art-of-readme.md
`references/art-of-readme.md`
**Why:** The philosophy behind great READMEs - understanding how readers actually scan and evaluate projects
**What:** Cognitive funneling (broad → specific), brevity as a feature, README as the "one-stop shop" that keeps users out of source code
---
### make-a-readme.md
`references/make-a-readme.md`
**Why:** Practical, section-by-section guidance for what to include
**What:** Walks through each common section (Name, Description, Installation, Usage, etc.) with concrete suggestions. Good reminder: "too long is better than too short"
---
### standard-readme-spec.md
`references/standard-readme-spec.md`
**Why:** Formal specification when consistency or compliance matters
**What:** Required vs optional sections, exact ordering, formatting rules. Useful for OSS projects wanting a standardized format.
Examples:
- `references/standard-readme-example-minimal.md` - Bare minimum compliant README
- `references/standard-readme-example-maximal.md` - Full-featured with badges, ToC, all optional sections
