6 copy-paste README structures for real projects. Your README is your landing page — most visitors read it instead of your docs. Stop staring at a blank file.
# {name}
{One sentence: what it does, for whom. If it needs a paragraph, the API is too big.}
## Install
$ pip install {name}
## Quick start
```{lang}
{5-line minimal example that produces visible output}
```
## Why {name}
- {Specific pain it removes} — not "fast and lightweight"
- {Constraint it respects: zero deps / works offline / 5kb}
## Docs
{link} · API reference {link}
## License
{license}
# {name}
{What it does} — from your terminal, without {the GUI/spreadsheet/service it replaces}.
## Install
$ brew install {name}
## Usage
$ {name} {primary-command} {input} --{main-flag}
{8-line example with real output, not "..."}
## Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| {cmd} | {one line} |
## FAQ
**Why not just {incumbent}?** {Honest one-liner — this section converts skeptics.]
## License {license}
# {name}
{What it serves, in endpoint terms}. Self-host in one docker command, or use the cloud at {url}.
## Quickstart (self-host)
$ docker run -p 8080:8080 {image}
## API
POST /{resource} — {what it does}
```json
{ "request": "example", "response": "example" }
```
## Self-hosted vs Cloud
| | Self-hosted | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | free | ${x}/mo |
| You manage | backups, upgrades | nothing |
## License {license} · Cloud ToS {link}
# {name}
{One-liner}. {Platform} · {price}.

## What it does
- {Job 1}
- {Job 2}
- {Job 3}
## Install
{App Store / Play / .dmg / .exe links — badge buttons}
## Privacy
{One honest paragraph. For apps this section is trust, not legal.}
## Roadmap
{3 near items, dated. Shows it's alive.}
# {name} — {stack} starter
{What the user has running in 5 minutes}: {stack summary}. No config archaeology.
## What's included
- {Feature 1, wired}
- {Feature 2, wired}
- {Auth/payments/etc, wired}
## Get started
$ npx create-{name} my-app
$ cd my-app && npm run dev
## What it deliberately excludes
{2-3 lines — opinionated omissions prevent 90% of the issues tab.}
## License {license}
# {name}
{What was tested/built}. This is research code: it works for the paper's cases.
**Read the writeup →** {link}
## Reproduce
$ {exact commands, pinned versions}
## Results
{Table or chart: the repo exists to make this verifiable.}
## Citation
```bibtex
{bibtex}
```
## License {license} — code; results under {CC license}