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.

A README is a newcomer document. Its reader has never seen this project, so the test for every candidate section is whether that reader needs it before they can install and run one thing. Rationale, alternatives considered, and internals are expert material: extract them to docs/deep-dive/<topic>.md or the book/, linked from the README in one line naming who the page is for. Never delete them to shorten the README. Tier table and cut test: scribe:slop-detector module audience-targeting.md.

A README that declares a different tier (an internal tool whose only readers already run it) says so in its lead.

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 serves a newcomer, or declares the tier it serves instead in its lead.
• Content cut for tier fit landed in a linked page, not the bin (docs/deep-dive/ or book/).
• 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-sync-check to verify the capabilities docs still match the plugin registrations

Build failures Check that all required dependencies are installed

Links broken Verify relative paths in documentation files