Write a README that helps people use your project

Use this guide when you have a working project in a folder or Git repository and you want other people, or yourself in six months, to be able to use it. Have the project open, a terminal ready and ideally a second machine or a fresh folder to test the instructions.

Step by step

1. Write the one-paragraph pitch

   Start the README with the project name and two or three sentences answering: what does this do, who is it for, and what problem does it solve? A useful pattern is: 'X is a small Python tool that turns bank CSV exports into a monthly spending summary. It is for people who want a quick overview without a budgeting app.' If you cannot write this paragraph clearly, the project scope probably needs tightening first.