Agent skill

Readme Standard

House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Readme Standard

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .claude/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .claude/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .agents/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .agents/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .cursor/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .cursor/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git --path skills/readme-standard

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .gemini/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .gemini/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .github/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .github/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install openclaw/agent-skills readme-standard --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/readme-standard .opencode/skills/readme-standard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "readme-standard" agent skill from https://github.com/openclaw/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/readme-standard into .opencode/skills/readme-standard/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "readme-standard", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: readme-standard
GitHub stars: 1.1k
Token cost: ~1.4k tokens
SKILL.md length: 639 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 7
Repo updated: Oct 7, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos.

Works in 3 steps: What is this? — one sentence a stranger… → How do I use it? — smallest real install… → Progressively more complex — each…
Tasks that involve Technical documentation
SKILL.md covers The spine, Rules, Badge row and Per-archetype templates, plus 1 more section
Reaches img.shields.io and github.com

What it does

Readme Standard is an agent skill from openclaw/agent-skills. House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development, covering Technical documentation. The repository describes itself as: Useful skills for agents and claws. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve Technical documentation

Example prompts

“/readme-standard”

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

What is this? — one sentence a stranger understands.
How do I use it? — smallest real install + a quickstart that proves the pitch.
Progressively more complex — each section assumes the previous one; deep

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7e73306. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:
- img.shields.io
- github.com
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Readme Standard loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 36 tokens; SKILL.md has 639 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~36
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from openclaw/agent-skills at commit 7e73306, republished under its MIT licence (© openclaw). 639 words, ~1,450 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/readme-standard/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: readme-standard
description: House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos.

README Standard

One structure for every public README in the steipete and openclaw orgs. Load this skill before writing or reviewing a README. The reference implementation is openclaw/fs-safe — read its README first if unsure what "good" looks like.

The spine

Every README answers, in order, with no detours:

What is this? — one sentence a stranger understands.
How do I use it? — smallest real install + a quickstart that proves the pitch.
Progressively more complex — each section assumes the previous one; deep reference material moves to docs/ (or the docs site) and gets linked.

Concretely:

# <name> <one emoji> — <playful tagline, one line>

<badge row>

<1–2 sober sentences: what it is, who it is for. No adjectives doing the work
nouns should do.>

<OPTIONAL: one small code/terminal sample (≤10 lines) that demonstrates the
core value. If one sample can prove the pitch, put it here.>

## Install          ← smallest path first (brew/npm/npx), alternatives after
## Quick start      ← 60 seconds to first success; commands must actually run
## <core sections>  ← 2–6 sections, each one level deeper than the last
## Development      ← build/test/lint in ≤10 lines, link CONTRIBUTING if present
## License          ← one line

Rules

Title/tone: playful tagline with one emoji is welcome; the body is sober. First paragraph states plainly what the tool does and for whom.
No feature walls. A list of >6 marketing bullets is a smell. Fold real capabilities into the sections where they are demonstrated.
No changelog-speak ("now supports", "new in 3.2", "coming soon"). The README describes the present tense of the tool. Version-specific migration notes live in the changelog or docs/.
Length: aim ≤250 lines for tools/libraries, ≤350 for large surfaces. Anything beyond that moves to docs/ with a link. Exhaustive command/flag references belong in docs/ or the docs site, never in the README — a summary table with links is fine.
Progressive depth: a reader should be able to stop after any section and have a working setup for that level of use.
Screenshots/banners: keep existing project art. Apps and TUIs should show one screenshot near the top. Compress; no >500 KB images.
Docs sites win: when the repo has a docs site (fs-safe.io, gitcrawl.sh, …), the README is a front door, not a mirror. Link, don't duplicate.

Badge row

Style: flat-square, always dynamic — a badge that can go stale is a bug. Never hardcode versions into img.shields.io/badge/... URLs.

Order: CI · version · platform/runtime · license · extras (Homebrew, docs).

markdown

[![CI](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/OWNER/REPO/ci.yml?branch=main&style=flat-square&label=ci)](https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/actions/workflows/ci.yml)

Per ecosystem, add what applies:

npm: https://img.shields.io/npm/v/PKG?style=flat-square → npm page
GitHub release (Go/Swift binaries): https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/OWNER/REPO?style=flat-square
Runtime/platform: npm/node/v badge for npm packages; static badge/platforms-... or badge/Swift-6.x-... is acceptable for facts that only change with a commit (platforms, language version, min OS).
License: https://img.shields.io/github/license/OWNER/REPO?style=flat-square
Homebrew: static badge linking the tap, when a formula/cask exists.

Use the repo's actual workflow filename and default branch in the CI badge. Verify every badge URL renders (HTTP 200 and not the shields "invalid" card) before shipping.

Show full SKILL.md (256 more words)Show less

Per-archetype templates

CLI tool (Go/TS binary) — Install (brew → go install/npm), Quick start (3–6 commands with one-line comments showing a real session), Commands (summary table linking docs/), Configuration, JSON/automation output if agent-facing, Development, License.

npm library — Install, one core-usage sample that compiles, then one section per capability tier (basic → options → advanced/edge), API reference link (docs site or generated docs), Development, License.

Swift package — badges (Swift version, platforms, CI), SPM install snippet (both Package.swift lines), Quick start compiling sample, capability sections, platform notes, Development, License.

macOS app — screenshot first, Install (brew cask → direct download link), what-it-does tour keyed to the screenshot, permissions/setup notes, Development, License.

Web service / site — what it is + hosted URL, self-host/deploy path, local development, architecture pointer, License.

Verification gates (all mandatory)

Every command in the README runs. Build the repo binary (or install the package) and execute each quickstart/example command, or validate flags against real --help output when execution needs credentials/hardware. Fix the README, not the transcript.
Every code sample compiles/typechecks against the current API (a scratch file in the repo's toolchain is enough).
Every relative link resolves to a file in the repo; every external link returns non-404; every badge renders.
Version facts are dynamic or current: no hardcoded package versions, stale minimums, or "coming soon" for shipped things. Check package.json/ go.mod/Package.swift for the real runtime floors.
Existing factual content that gets removed from the README must either exist in docs/ already, be moved there in the same PR, or be genuinely obsolete (state which in the PR body).

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/readme-standard of openclaw/agent-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7e73306

Compare with similar skills

Readme Standard next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Readme Standard compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Readme Standard this skillopenclaw/agent-skills	1.1k	—	~1.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 days ago
Diagram Designcathrynlavery/diagram-design	47k	1 repos	~7.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Simple Englishmoeru-ai/airi	50k	2 repos	~4.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Doc SyncJetBrains/ideavim	10k	2 repos	~2.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Mailspring App ScreenshotsFoundry376/Mailspring	18k	—	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	GPL-3.0	today
Draw.io Diagram StudioAgents365-ai/drawio-skill	10k	—	~2.4k	Automated safety check: Notes	MIT	6 days ago

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Questions about Readme Standard

What does Readme Standard do?

House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos. Readme Standard is an agent skill from openclaw/agent-skills. House README standard: structure, badge row, tone, per-archetype templates, and verification gates for steipete/openclaw repos.

When should I use Readme Standard?

Readme Standard fits situations like: tasks that involve Technical documentation.

How do I install Readme Standard in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/readme-standard in openclaw/agent-skills) into .claude/skills/readme-standard in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Readme Standard in Codex?

Run `npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/readme-standard in openclaw/agent-skills) into .agents/skills/readme-standard in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Readme Standard in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add openclaw/agent-skills --skill readme-standard -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/readme-standard, .gemini/skills/readme-standard, .github/skills/readme-standard and .opencode/skills/readme-standard in your project.

What does Readme Standard need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Readme Standard is instructions for the agent only.

Does Readme Standard access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: img.shields.io and github.com; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Readme Standard safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Readme Standard use?

Readme Standard is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Readme Standard use?

About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Readme Standard?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Readme Standard: Diagram Design (cathrynlavery/diagram-design, 47k stars), Simple English (moeru-ai/airi, 50k stars), Doc Sync (JetBrains/ideavim, 10k stars) and Mailspring App Screenshots (Foundry376/Mailspring, 18k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Readme Standard?

openclaw (a GitHub organization) maintains it in openclaw/agent-skills, which has 1,104 GitHub stars. The repository holds 7 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: openclaw/agent-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Readme Standard

Install Readme Standard

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

README Standard

The spine

Rules

Badge row

Per-archetype templates

Verification gates (all mandatory)

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

Diagram Design

Simple English

Doc Sync

Mailspring App Screenshots

Draw.io Diagram Studio

Dark Architecture Diagram Builder

More from openclaw/agent-skills

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Handoff

Questions about Readme Standard

Install Readme Standard

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

README Standard

The spine

Rules

Badge row

Per-archetype templates

Verification gates (all mandatory)

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from openclaw/agent-skills

Related

Questions about Readme Standard