How long should a README be?

Long enough to answer common questions, short enough to read in 5 minutes. Use a table of contents for READMEs longer than 3 screens.

Should I include screenshots?

Yes, if your project has a visual interface. A screenshot or GIF showing the tool in action is worth more than paragraphs of description.

What license should I choose?

MIT for maximum permissiveness. Apache-2.0 for patent protection. GPL-3.0 to require derivative works to be open source. When in doubt, use MIT.

README.md or README.rst?

Markdown (.md) is the standard. GitHub, GitLab, npm, and most platforms render Markdown natively. RST is common in Python projects but less universal.

How to Write a Great README.md (2026)

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