HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GITHUB PROFILE - Yaroslav.Dev

The README is a fundamental element in any GitHub repository. Not only does it provide important information about the project, but it is also an opportunity to catch the attention of other developers and potential collaborators. Since a detailed repository is easier to understand that way and has more scope, here I will show you how to structure a README.md file for your repositories.

What is a README.md File?

A README is a text file located at the root of a code repository, usually on platforms like GitHub. Its purpose is to provide relevant information about the project to other developers and users who visit the repository.

Why make a README.md?

Making a README is essential to present your project clearly, provide installation and usage instructions, encourage collaboration with other developers, and establish source code usage rights. A well-written README improves the user experience and increases the chances that your project will be understood, used, and improved by others.

In addition, there are those who take advantage of their GitHub profile as a kind of portfolio, and in those cases it is interesting to use README files to enhance the appearance of their projects, even to potential recruiters.

How to make a README?

There is no specific pattern on how to make these files, although you must take into account some important points when making your README, such as:

Title and cover image;

Badge;

Project description;

Project status;

Authors;

License.

Title and cover image

When you create your README, the name of the repository will appear, but you can change it without problems or edit the content.

You can put the title in several ways, here are examples:

Markdown tag:

### Your title here

With html:

<h1 align="center"> Your title here </h1>

Remember that you can add any type of emoji within the README

If you want to add a cover image as my repository, it's easy, just drag the image from the explorer to the github README editor. Don't forget to put a striking image that represents the project or your user profile if you use it as a portfolio.

Another way to add the image is to host it on any cloud service or any image you find on the Internet, you just have to follow the following structure:


Badges

In some repositories, badges are used, which in literal translation mean plaques, emblems or insignia. These badges are intended to show the current status of the project, its license (if applicable), the versions used, the dependencies, the tests carried out, among other relevant aspects.

If you want to use these badges I recommend taking a look at Shields.io, on the main page it shows you examples that you can paste directly into your Github repository, you just have to copy the link and use it within your README.

Examples:

[](https://facebook.com/zenkyivfx2d) [](https://instagram.com/y.a.r.o.s.l.a.v._2.0.0.3/) [](https://twitch.tv/zenkyivfx2d) [](https://youtube.com/@UCLwc0P7LcZXrzLqIInN9iXQ)

Project description

Since the main purpose of the README file is to describe the project, it is recommended that you include a brief explanation of the project along with the title, cover image and/or badges, if any. This brief description should highlight the main objective of your project.

If you use your README as a portfolio, use this section to give a brief description about yourself, what you do, what you are working on, where you can be contacted or you can also describe or list the projects you have worked on, use resources such as images, gifs detailing the functionalities.

Example description about me:

Project status

If you decide not to use badges to indicate project status, it is helpful to include this information within the README text. Here is an example:

:construction: Project under construction :construction:

Authors

You can also add your photo as an author, using your GitHub profile photo and the name you have registered, so it will be easier for them to contact you with any contributions, problems or concerns.

## Author

| [<img src="https://github.com/yarosla4vikfx/yarosla4vikfx/assets/150625524/b826ca4f-85dd-4aa6-94af-959190fcbade" width=115><br>_{Y A R O S L A 4 V I K.}](https://github.com/yarosla4vikfx) |

| :---: | 

 

Now that you've learned how to create an effective README for your GitHub repository, it's time to put your knowledge into practice and get excited about creating your own. Remember that a well-structured, informative and attractive README can make all the difference when presenting your project to the development community.