README Generator
Generate professional README.md files with badges, installation instructions, usage examples, and more. Choose from templates or build from scratch.
About This Tool
The README Generator is a free browser-based tool that helps you create professional README.md files for your projects without writing Markdown from scratch. Fill in a simple form with your project details and the tool generates a complete, well-structured README with proper Markdown formatting.
Choose from five pre-built templates -- Open Source Library, CLI Tool, Web App, API Service, and Monorepo -- to get started quickly with sensible defaults. Each template pre-fills installation instructions, usage examples, feature lists, and tech stack entries that match common project structures.
The generator supports common README sections: badges (npm version, license, build status, coverage), table of contents, features, prerequisites, installation, usage, tech stack, screenshots, contributing guidelines, license, authors, and acknowledgments. Toggle sections on or off and the Markdown updates in real time.
If you need to convert your README to other formats, try the Markdown to HTML Converter to get clean HTML output. For previewing how your README will look, the Markdown Preview tool renders GitHub-flavored Markdown in real time. And if you need to build Markdown tables for your README, the Markdown Table Generator provides a visual editor.
All processing runs entirely in your browser. Your project details, repository URLs, and any content you enter are never sent to any server. The generated Markdown can be copied to your clipboard or downloaded as a README.md file.
How to Use
- Optionally select a Template from the dropdown to pre-fill the form with sensible defaults for your project type.
- Enter your Project Name and a brief Description in the Project Info section.
- Fill in Author Name, GitHub Username, and Repository URL for proper attribution and badge links.
- Toggle Badges (npm, license, build status, coverage) to add shield badges to the top of your README.
- Add Features, Tech Stack, and Prerequisites using the tag input fields -- type and press Enter to add each item.
- Write Installation Instructions (displayed in a bash code block) and Usage Examples (supports full Markdown).
- Toggle optional Sections on or off: Table of Contents, Screenshots, Contributing, License, Authors, Acknowledgments.
- Select a License type from the dropdown (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL 3.0, BSD 2-Clause, ISC).
- Switch between Raw and Preview tabs to see the Markdown source or a rendered preview.
- Click Copy or press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the Markdown, or click Download to save as README.md.
Popular README Examples
FAQ
What templates are available?
The generator includes five templates: Open Source Library (npm package with TypeScript), CLI Tool (command-line application), Web App (Next.js/React application), API Service (REST API with Express), and Monorepo (multi-package workspace with Turborepo). Each template pre-fills installation, usage, features, tech stack, and prerequisites.
Can I customize the generated README?
Yes. Templates are just starting points -- you can modify every field after applying a template. You can also start from scratch without selecting any template. Toggle individual sections on or off, add or remove badges, and edit all content fields freely.
What badge options are supported?
The generator supports four common badge types: npm version badge (links to npmjs.com), license badge (shows your chosen license), build status badge (links to GitHub Actions CI workflow), and code coverage badge (links to Codecov). Badges are generated using shields.io URLs.
Does the preview render exactly like GitHub?
The preview provides a close approximation of GitHub-flavored Markdown rendering, including headings, lists, code blocks, tables, bold/italic text, links, and images. For pixel-perfect GitHub rendering, paste the generated Markdown into a GitHub repository or use the Markdown Preview tool.
Can I add custom Markdown in the Usage section?
Yes. The Usage Examples field supports full Markdown syntax including code blocks, tables, headings, lists, bold/italic text, and links. This allows you to write detailed usage documentation with API examples, configuration snippets, and more.
Is my data safe?
Yes. All README generation runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data -- including project names, repository URLs, author information, or any content you enter -- is ever sent to any server. You can verify this by checking the Network tab in your browser's developer tools.
What file format is downloaded?
The Download button saves a file named README.md containing the generated Markdown text. This file can be placed directly in your repository root. The MIME type is text/markdown.
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