Installation instructions are complete
Why it matters
Incomplete or missing installation instructions force every new developer to reverse-engineer the setup from source — inspecting package.json, searching for environment variables, and guessing at post-install steps. This breaks the adoption funnel at its first step. iso-25010:2011 analysability measures exactly this: the effort required to understand a system before using it. Vibe-coded projects frequently include generic boilerplate like a bare 'npm install' with no package name, no repository URL, and no mention of required setup steps that follow.
Severity rationale
Critical because without precise installation instructions, no external developer can run the project at all — every missing step multiplies abandonment probability, making adoption effectively impossible for anyone without insider context.
Remediation
Add an Installation section with the exact command needed. If the package is published to a registry, name it. If it must be cloned, show both steps:
## Installation
```bash
npm install your-package-name
Or from source:
git clone https://github.com/org/repo.git
cd repo
npm install
Include any post-install steps (database migrations, `.env` setup, seed data) before the first run command. Instructions must reference the actual package name, not a placeholder.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the Developer Documentation Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- iso-25010:2011 · maintainability.analysability
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from developer-documentation·automated