Where do I put my project’s README and what should it contain?

[yourfavvgamifyyy]

I created a new repository. What are the must-have sections in a good README (install, usage, license, etc.)? Any simple template is welcome.

[ahuaiqom]

Put your README at the repo root as README.md. GitHub renders it on the repository home page. (You can also add README.md files in subfolders; they show up when someone opens that folder.)

What a good README should contain (must-haves):

Project name + one-line pitch (what it does / who it’s for)

Screenshot or demo link (quick visual)

Requirements (runtime, versions)

Install (copy-paste commands)

Usage / Quick start (minimal example)

Configuration (env vars, .env sample)

License (name + link to LICENSE)

Contributing (basic steps or link)
(Nice to have: Roadmap, FAQ/Troubleshooting, Security, Acknowledgements.)

Tiny starter template

One sentence about what this project does and who it’s for.

example

Requirements

• <Language/Runtime> (e.g., Node.js 20, Python 3.11)

Install

git clone https://github.com/<you>/<repo>.git
cd <repo>
<your-install-steps>

Usage
<how-to-run>

Configuration

Copy .env.example to .env and set values:

KEY=value

Contributing

Issues and PRs are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md
.

License

[MIT](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/LICENSE)


---

### Fuller template

```markdown
# <Project Name>
A short paragraph that explains the problem, what this solves, and the target users.

## Table of Contents
- [Demo](#demo)
- [Features](#features)
- [Requirements](#requirements)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [Usage Examples](#usage-examples)
- [FAQ](#faq)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)

## Demo
- Live: <url>  
- Video: <url>  
- Screenshot:
![App screenshot](docs/screenshot.png)

## Features
- ✨ Feature 1
- 🚀 Feature 2
- 🔒 Feature 3

## Requirements
- <runtime/tooling versions>
- <database/SDKs if any>

## Installation
```bash
git clone https://github.com/<you>/<repo>.git
cd <repo>
<install commands>

Quick Start
<run dev/build/start commands>

Configuration

Copy .env.example → .env

Keys:

API_URL= description

SECRET_KEY= description

Usage Examples
<example command or code snippet>

FAQ

Q: Common issue?
A: Quick fix.

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md
.

Fork → create feature branch → commit → open PR.

Run tests: <test command>.

License

This project is licensed under the [MIT License](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/LICENSE)
.


**Tips**
- Keep commands **copy-pasteable** and tested on a clean machine.  
- Add a license file (`LICENSE`) and reference it in the README.  
- Use plain language; move long docs to `/docs` and link from the README.  

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