Is the README Doctor skill free?

Yes. The skill itself is free from livlign/claude-skills. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.

What is the README Doctor SkillProof Score?

8.4/10 — installs cleanly 4/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 8/10, docs & honesty 4/5.

How do I install README Doctor?

Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.

Can I use README Doctor with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?

The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.

README Doctor

9-point README rubric with P0/P1/P2 punch list, evidence-cited and category/audience-aware.

by livlign · livlign/claude-skills

Works with setup

Install — copy the command Download source ↗

Test report

Verdict: Works with setup
Score: 8.4/10
Tested: Jul 15, 2026
Environment: Claude Code 2.x (agent harness)
Upstream re-checked: Aug 10, 2026 · 671379b

Section 1.1 ('operating mode') and the PR-opening step in Phase 4 both say 'same as repo-visuals' without defining the modes inline -- repo-visuals lives in a separate plugin (plugins/repo-visuals) not bundled with readme-doctor, so a verbatim install is missing that piece; the core 9-point audit rubric itself is fully self-contained and produced a sharp, evidence-cited, prioritized punch list on a test README.

Scored on four weighted criteria — install, triggering, output vs. baseline, docs. How scoring works

Installs cleanly 4/5
Triggers reliably 5/5
Output vs. baseline 8/10
Docs & honesty 4/5

What README Doctor does

Audits a README against a 9-criterion rubric (hero presence, install-to-first-success length, the 'what is this' sentence, audience-jargon match, scannability, drift signals like stale versions and badge sprawl, contribution surface) weighted by inferred repo category and audience, then outputs a prioritized punch list with line-cited evidence. Triggers on requests to audit, review, or diagnose why a README isn't landing; explicitly does not rewrite prose or lint markdown syntax.

How to install README Doctor

git clone https://github.com/livlign/claude-skills
cd claude-skills
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r plugins/repo-doctor/skills/readme-doctor ~/.claude/skills/readme-doctor

Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ (per-project). Restart Claude Code after installing.

Commands — how to trigger README Doctor

/readme-doctor 9-point README rubric with P0/P1/P2 punch list, evidence-cited and category/audience-aware.

It also activates on plain-language prompts like these:

why isn't my README landing with new visitors, what's missing
audit this README and give me a prioritized list of fixes
does my project's README explain what it does fast enough

Frequently asked questions

Is the README Doctor skill free?: Yes. The skill itself is free from livlign/claude-skills. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.
Does README Doctor work with Claude Code?: We tested it with Claude Code 2.x (agent harness) on Jul 15, 2026. Verdict: Works with setup. Section 1.1 ('operating mode') and the PR-opening step in Phase 4 both say 'same as repo-visuals' without defining the modes inline -- repo-visuals lives in a separate plugin (plugins/repo-visuals) not bundled with readme-doctor, so a verbatim install is missing that piece; the core 9-point audit rubric itself is fully self-contained and produced a sharp, evidence-cited, prioritized punch list on a test README.
What is the README Doctor SkillProof Score?: 8.4/10 — installs cleanly 4/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 8/10, docs & honesty 4/5.
How do I install README Doctor?: Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
Can I use README Doctor with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?: The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.