GitHub Presence

GitHub is where developers evaluate your project before trying it. This skill covers README optimization, profile READMEs, discoverability through topics and awesome lists, and using GitHub features for marketing.

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Before You Start

1. Read .agents/developer-audience-context.md if it exists
2. Audit your current GitHub presence (profile, pinned repos, READMEs)
3. Understand: GitHub is often the first technical evaluation — optimize accordingly

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README Structure

The Anatomy of a Great README

Section	Purpose	Required?
Logo/Banner	Brand recognition, visual appeal	Recommended
Badges	Quick trust signals, status	Recommended
One-liner	What it does in one sentence	Required
Hero example	Immediate "what does it look like?"	Highly recommended
Features	Why use this over alternatives	Required
Quick start	Get running in < 2 minutes	Required
Installation	All installation methods	Required
Usage	Core usage examples	Required
Documentation	Link to full docs	Required
Contributing	How to contribute	Recommended
License	Legal clarity	Required

README Template

<div align="center">
  <img src="logo.svg" alt="Project Name" width="200">
  <h1>Project Name</h1>
  <p><strong>One compelling sentence explaining what this does.</strong></p>

  <!-- Badges -->
  <a href="https://github.com/org/repo/actions"><img src="https://github.com/org/repo/workflows/CI/badge.svg" alt="CI"></a>
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/name"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/name.svg" alt="npm version"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/org/repo/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg" alt="License"></a>
  <a href="https://discord.gg/invite"><img src="https://img.shields.io/discord/123456789" alt="Discord"></a>

  <br>
  <br>

  <a href="https://docs.example.com">Documentation</a> •
  <a href="https://example.com">Website</a> •
  <a href="https://discord.gg/invite">Discord</a>
</div>

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## Why Project Name?

- **Feature 1** — Brief explanation
- **Feature 2** — Brief explanation
- **Feature 3** — Brief explanation

## Quick Start

```bash
npm install project-name

import { thing } from 'project-name';

const result = thing.doSomething();
console.log(result);

Installation

npm

npm install project-name

yarn

yarn add project-name

pnpm

pnpm add project-name

Usage

Basic Example

// Code example with comments

Advanced Example

// More complex example

Documentation

Full documentation available at docs.example.com

• Getting Started
• API Reference
• Examples

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

License

MIT © Your Name

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## Badges That Matter

### Trust Signal Badges

| Badge | What it shows | When to use |
|-------|--------------|-------------|
| CI/Build status | Code quality | Always |
| Version | Latest release | Always for packages |
| License | Legal clarity | Always |
| Downloads/installs | Adoption | When impressive |
| Coverage | Test quality | If > 70% |
| Security | Audit status | If you have it |

### Community Badges

| Badge | Source | Purpose |
|-------|--------|---------|
| Discord members | shields.io | Show active community |
| GitHub stars | shields.io | Social proof |
| Contributors | shields.io | Open source health |
| Last commit | shields.io | Project activity |

### Badge Services

| Service | URL | Best for |
|---------|-----|----------|
| Shields.io | shields.io | Most badges |
| Badgen | badgen.net | Fast, minimal |
| GitHub badges | Native | Actions, issues |

### Badge Examples

```markdown
<!-- Build status -->
![CI](https://github.com/org/repo/workflows/CI/badge.svg)

<!-- npm version -->
[![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/package-name.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/package-name)

<!-- Downloads -->
[![Downloads](https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/package-name.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/package-name)

<!-- License -->
[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE)

<!-- Discord -->
[![Discord](https://img.shields.io/discord/SERVER_ID?color=7289da&logo=discord&logoColor=white)](https://discord.gg/invite)

<!-- Stars -->
[![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/org/repo?style=social)](https://github.com/org/repo)

---

Profile README

Setting Up Profile README

1. Create a repository with your username (e.g., github.com/yourname/yourname)
2. Add a README.md file
3. This displays on your profile page

Profile README Structure

# Hi, I'm [Name] 👋

[One sentence about what you do]

## What I'm Working On

- 🔭 Building [project] — [brief description]
- 🌱 Learning [technology]
- 💬 Ask me about [expertise areas]

## Projects

| Project | Description | Stars |
|---------|-------------|-------|
| [Project 1](link) | Brief description | ![Stars](badge) |
| [Project 2](link) | Brief description | ![Stars](badge) |

## Recent Blog Posts

<!-- BLOG-POST-LIST:START -->
<!-- Automated with GitHub Actions -->
<!-- BLOG-POST-LIST:END -->

## Connect

[![Twitter](https://img.shields.io/badge/-Twitter-1DA1F2?style=flat&logo=twitter&logoColor=white)](https://twitter.com/handle)
[![LinkedIn](https://img.shields.io/badge/-LinkedIn-0077B5?style=flat&logo=linkedin&logoColor=white)](https://linkedin.com/in/handle)

## GitHub Stats

![Your GitHub stats](https://github-readme-stats.vercel.app/api?username=yourusername&show_icons=true)

Profile README Best Practices

Do	Don't
Keep it scannable	Write paragraphs
Show your best projects	List everything
Include current work	Let it get stale
Add contact methods	Make it hard to reach you
Show personality	Be generic

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Discoverability

GitHub Topics

Topics are how people find repositories. Optimize for search.

Topic strategy	Example
Technology	javascript, rust, python
Framework	react, nextjs, django
Use case	cli, api, testing
Category	developer-tools, devops
Problem	authentication, caching

Add topics: Repository settings → Topics (up to 20)

Search Optimization

GitHub search considers:

1. Repository name — Include main keyword
2. Description — 350 chars, keyword-rich
3. README content — Full text indexed
4. Topics — Category matching
5. Language — Auto-detected

Awesome Lists

Getting on awesome lists drives traffic and credibility.

Step	Action
1	Find relevant awesome lists (search "awesome + [topic]")
2	Check list requirements (quality, activity, docs)
3	Ensure your project meets criteria
4	Submit PR following list's guidelines
5	Be patient — curation takes time

Popular awesome lists for dev tools:

• awesome-cli-apps
• awesome-selfhosted
• awesome-nodejs
• awesome-python
• awesome-go
• awesome-rust
• awesome-devops

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GitHub Actions for Marketing

Automated README Updates

# .github/workflows/readme-update.yml
name: Update README

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * *'  # Daily
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  update:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      # Example: Update blog post list
      - uses: gautamkrishnar/blog-post-workflow@master
        with:
          feed_list: "https://yourblog.com/feed"

      - name: Commit changes
        run: |
          git config --local user.email "[email protected]"
          git config --local user.name "GitHub Action"
          git add -A
          git diff --quiet && git diff --staged --quiet || git commit -m "Update README"
          git push

Metrics and Stats

# Auto-update GitHub stats image
- uses: lowlighter/metrics@latest
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.METRICS_TOKEN }}
    filename: github-metrics.svg

Release Announcements

# Tweet on new release
name: Release Announcement
on:
  release:
    types: [published]

jobs:
  announce:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Tweet
        uses: ethomson/send-tweet-action@v1
        with:
          status: "🚀 ${{ github.repository }} ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }} released! ${{ github.event.release.html_url }}"
          consumer-key: ${{ secrets.TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY }}
          # ... other secrets

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GitHub Sponsors

Setting Up Sponsors

1. Join GitHub Sponsors (github.com/sponsors)
2. Create compelling tier descriptions
3. Set up funding.yml in repos

funding.yml example:

github: [yourusername]
patreon: yourpatreon
open_collective: yourproject
ko_fi: yourkofi
custom: ["https://buymeacoffee.com/you"]

Sponsor Tiers That Work

Tier	Price	Offer
Supporter	$5/mo	Thanks + name in README
Backer	$15/mo	Logo in README + Discord role
Sponsor	$50/mo	Priority support + feature voting
Enterprise	$200+/mo	Dedicated support + consultation

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Platform-Specific Do's and Don'ts

Do's

1. Do optimize your README for first impression
2. Do use badges for quick trust signals
3. Do add relevant topics (up to 20)
4. Do keep your profile README current
5. Do respond to issues and PRs promptly
6. Do pin your best repositories
7. Do include clear installation instructions
8. Do submit to relevant awesome lists

Don'ts

1. Don't neglect the README — it's your landing page
2. Don't use too many badges (cluttered)
3. Don't let issues pile up unanswered
4. Don't forget a license file
5. Don't use low-quality or broken images
6. Don't write walls of text without structure
7. Don't ignore contribution guidelines

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Measuring Success

GitHub Metrics to Track

Metric	What it tells you	Goal
Stars	Interest/bookmarks	Growth over time
Forks	Active usage	Quality > quantity
Clones	People trying it	Pre-install interest
Traffic	Profile/repo views	Awareness
Referrers	Where traffic comes from	Channel effectiveness
Contributors	Community health	Sustainable project

Traffic Insights

Access via: Repository → Insights → Traffic

• Views and unique visitors
• Popular content (which files)
• Referring sites
• Clone activity

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Tools

Tool	Use case
Octolens	Monitor GitHub for mentions of your project, competitors, and relevant discussions. Get alerts when people talk about problems you solve.
Shields.io	Generate status badges
GitHub Readme Stats	Dynamic stats for profile
Carbon	Beautiful code screenshots
readme.so	README generator
Metrics	Advanced profile stats

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README Audit Checklist

• Clear, keyword-rich name and description
• Badges show CI status, version, license
• One-liner explains what it does
• Quick start gets users running in < 2 min
• Code examples are copy-pasteable
• All links work and are HTTPS
• Images have alt text
• Mobile-readable formatting
• License file present
• Contributing guidelines exist
• Topics are set (up to 20)
• Social preview image uploaded

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Related Skills

• developer-audience-context — Know who evaluates your repo
• hacker-news-strategy — HN users check GitHub before upvoting
• reddit-engagement — Redditors evaluate via GitHub
• dev-to-hashnode — Link from README to content