A README without install command, import statement, and a working usage example forces every prospective consumer to read source code or issue trackers before they can evaluate the package. Adoption stalls at the discovery stage: npm page visitors bounce, stars never convert to weekly downloads, and support channels flood with questions the quickstart should answer. For SDKs, this directly undermines user-experience and content-integrity — the two taxons this pattern is tagged under — because the package's public contract is invisible at the moment of evaluation.
High because a missing or boilerplate README blocks nearly every downstream adoption decision and multiplies support load.
Rewrite README.md so the first screen answers install, import, and first call. Lead with a one-sentence description, then a bash-fenced install command, then a language-fenced usage example that exercises the package's primary entry point with real input and output. Push badges, contributing guidelines, and deep API reference below the quickstart.
# your-package
Brief description of what it does.
## Installation
```bash
npm install your-package
import { createClient } from 'your-package'
const client = createClient({ apiKey: process.env.API_KEY })
const result = await client.getData()
console.log(result)
ID: sdk-package-quality.docs-maintenance.readme-quickstart
Severity: high
What to look for: Enumerate all sections in the README. For each section, examine README.md for consumer-facing content. This check evaluates the README from the perspective of someone who just found this package on npm and wants to know how to use it. Look for:
npm install your-package or equivalent)Pass criteria: README.md exists and contains: (1) an install command, (2) an import/require statement, and (3) at least one usage example showing the package in action. The example should be specific to this package's API, not generic boilerplate — at least 3 sections required: installation, quickstart example, and API overview. Report: "X README sections found, including installation and quickstart."
Fail criteria: README.md is missing, empty, contains only auto-generated boilerplate (e.g., "This project was bootstrapped with..."), or lacks any of: install command, import statement, usage example.
Skip (N/A) when: Never — every published package needs a consumer-facing README.
Detail on fail: Quote the actual README content showing what is missing. Example: "README.md exists but contains only the create-react-app boilerplate. No install command, no import example, no API usage example. A developer finding this on npm would have no idea how to use it."
Remediation: Your README is the landing page for your package. It should answer "How do I use this?" in under 30 seconds.
# your-package
Brief description of what it does.
## Installation
```bash
npm install your-package
import { createClient } from 'your-package'
const client = createClient({ apiKey: 'your-key' })
const result = await client.getData()
console.log(result)
Put the quickstart at the TOP of the README, before badges, detailed docs, or contributing guidelines.