Every developer has that one (or ten) repos with no README. You know the project, you built it, but writing the docs always feels like a chore you will get to later. Later never comes.
I built ReadmeGen to solve this for myself. It is a CLI tool that scans your codebase and generates a professional README automatically.
What it does
Point it at any project directory and it:
- Detects your language, framework, and dependencies from package files
- Identifies the entry point and main purpose of the project
- Generates a structured README with description, installation, usage, and license
One command. Done.
Why I built it
I was cleaning up side projects for my portfolio. Half had no README. The other half had a two-line placeholder from years ago.
Writing READMEs is tedious. The structure is always the same: description, install, usage, license. The only thing that changes is the content. So I automated it.
How it works
ReadmeGen reads your manifest files (package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml) to understand the project. It uses heuristics to identify the entry point, scripts, and purpose. No AI, no API calls, no internet. Just static analysis and sensible templates.
The result
I have used it on 8 projects. Gets you 80 percent of the way there in seconds. The remaining 20 percent is a quick edit rather than staring at a blank page.
Get it
ReadmeGen is available on Gumroad for 9 EUR: https://incredibroxp.gumroad.com/l/jfryv
One-time purchase, instant download, no subscription.
Part of a series building small dev tools. Previous tool: EnvGuard (https://dev.to/clay_pask_53467eeab521893/how-i-built-envguard-a-cli-tool-to-stop-leaking-env-secrets-to-git-k45) which audits .env files for exposed secrets before they reach git.
Top comments (0)