update-readme

---
name: update-readme
description: Refreshes README structure favoring concision (an index, not a manual). Use when the README needs a structural update after significant project changes.
license: MIT
---

# README Update Workflow

## When To Use
Use this skill whenever the README requires a structural refresh.
Run `Skill(sanctum:git-workspace-review)` first to capture repo context and diffs.

## When NOT To Use

- Updating inline docs: use doc-updates
- Consolidating ephemeral reports: use doc-consolidation

## Required TodoWrite Items
1. `update-readme:language-audit`
2. `update-readme:exemplar-research`
3. `update-readme:outline-aligned`
4. `update-readme:edits-applied`
5. `update-readme:slop-scanned` - AI marker detection via scribe
6. `update-readme:verification-reporting`

## Step 1 - Language Audit (`update-readme:language-audit`)
- Confirm `pwd`, `git status -sb`, and the baseline branch for reference.
- Detect dominant languages using repository heuristics (manifest files, file counts).
- Note secondary languages that influence documentation (e.g., a TypeScript frontend and a Rust backend) so the README can surface both.
- Record the method and findings.

See `modules/language-audit.md` for detailed detection patterns and commands.

## Step 2 - Exemplar Research (`update-readme:exemplar-research`)
- For each primary and secondary language, use web search to locate high-quality READMEs (star count, recency, maintainer activity).
- Capture 2-3 exemplar repositories per language and summarize why each is relevant (section order, visuals, quickstart clarity, governance messaging, math exposition, etc.).
- Store citations for every exemplar so the final summary references them explicitly.

See `modules/exemplar-research.md` for search query patterns and evaluation criteria.

## Step 3 - Outline Alignment (`update-readme:outline-aligned`)

**The README is an index, not a manual.** Lead with what the
project is, how to install it, and a scannable table of its
units (plugins, commands, packages); link out for everything
else. When this repo's root README was simplified in 2026, it
dropped from 435 to 200 lines (65% fewer words) by deleting
inlined depth and linking to `book/` instead. Aim for that
shape, not a section-by-section coverage sweep.

- Compare current README headings (`rg -n '^#' README.md`)
  against the exemplars from Step 2. Lean marketplace and
  CLI-tool READMEs (asdf-vm/asdf-plugins, ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh,
  ryoppippi/ccusage) are index-shaped: prose intro under ~500
  words, a unit table doing the work, depth behind links.
- Keep only the sections that earn a place in an index: a
  one-line value proposition, one install path, a compact
  command or unit table, a short "what's inside" summary, a
  single Documentation link section, and metadata
  (requirements, contributing, license) last. For every other
  candidate section ask: **does this belong in the README, or
  behind a link?**
- Default to linking out. Send deep architecture, FAQ,
  roadmap, changelog, alternate install methods, and per-unit
  detail to their own pages. Per-unit docs live with the unit
  (hub-and-spoke), never duplicated in the root.
- Order signals priority: title and tagline first, then
  install, then the index table, then a short feature summary,
  then Documentation links, with housekeeping (requirements,
  contributing, license) last.
- Map internal documents (docs/, book/, specs/, commands/) to
  the section that links them, so the README anchors depth
  without restating it.

**Soft budget**: a marketplace or collection root README runs
roughly 150-400 lines of prose plus any index table. A section
that grows over time (roadmap, FAQ, changelog) belongs in a
linked page, not the README.

## Step 4 - Apply Edits (`update-readme:edits-applied`)
- Implement the new structure directly in `README.md`
  (or the specified file).
- Follow `Skill(leyline:markdown-formatting)` conventions:
  wrap prose at 80 chars (prefer sentence/clause boundaries),
  blank lines around headings, ATX headings only, blank line
  before lists, reference-style links for long URLs.
- Maintain concise, evidence-based prose; avoid marketing fluff.
- Prefer deletion and linking over inlining. If a section
  duplicates a docs page, cut it and link the page; if it
  grows over time, move it out of the README entirely.
- Add comparison tables, feature lists, or diagrams only if
  they originate from current repository assets (no speculative
  content).
- When referencing algorithms or performance claims, point to
  benchmarks or tests within the repository or documented math
  reviews.

## Step 4.5 - AI Slop Detection (`update-readme:slop-scanned`)

Run `Skill(scribe:slop-detector)` on the updated README to detect AI-generated content markers.

### Scribe Integration

The scribe plugin provides AI slop detection:

```
Skill(scribe:slop-detector) --target README.md
```

This detects:
- **Tier 1 words**: delve, tapestry, comprehensive, leveraging, etc.
- **Phrase patterns**: "In today's fast-paced world", "cannot be overstated"
- **Structural markers**: Excessive em dashes, bullet overuse, sentence uniformity
- **Marketing language**: "enterprise-ready", "cutting-edge", "seamless"

### Remediation

If slop score exceeds 2.0 (moderate), apply `Skill(scribe:doc-generator)` principles:

1. Ground every claim with specifics
2. Remove formulaic openers/closers
3. Use numbers, commands, filenames over adjectives
4. Balance bullets with narrative prose
5. Show authorial perspective (trade-offs, reasoning)

For significant cleanup needs, use:

```
Agent(scribe:doc-editor) --target README.md
```

## Step 5 - Verification & Reporting (`update-readme:verification-reporting`)
- Re-read the updated README for clarity, accessibility (section lengths, bullet balance), and accurate links.
- Run `git diff README.md` (or the edited file) and capture snippets for the final report.
- Summarize detected languages, exemplar sources (with citations), key structural decisions, and follow-up TODOs (e.g., add badges, upload diagrams).

## Exit Criteria

- [ ] All `TodoWrite` items are complete.
- [ ] The README is index-shaped: prose intro within the soft
  budget (roughly 150-400 lines plus any unit table), one
  install path, and a scannable unit/command table.
- [ ] No README section duplicates a `book/` or `docs/` page;
  depth is linked, not inlined (`rg -n '^#' README.md` headings
  each map to a section that earns a place in an index).
- [ ] The README references internal docs and external
  exemplars with citations.
- [ ] Research notes and command references are captured so
  future reviewers can reproduce the process.

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

**Documentation out of sync**
Run `make docs-update` to regenerate from code

**Build failures**
Check that all required dependencies are installed

**Links broken**
Verify relative paths in documentation files