How to make a GitHub profile README
Create the special README that shows on your GitHub profile — where it goes, what to put in it, and how to keep it from going stale.
GitHub has a hidden feature: a README that appears at the top of your profile page. The GitHub Profile README Generator writes one from a short bio and a few facts.
The trick: a repo named after you
To get a profile README, create a public repository whose name is exactly your username (if your username is ada, the repo is ada/ada) and add a README.md. GitHub recognizes this special repo and renders its README on your profile. It's the one place on GitHub that's purely you.
What to include
Keep it human and current:
- A one-line intro — who you are and what you do.
- What you're working on and what you're learning — signals you're active.
- What to ask you about — invites conversation.
- How to reach you — a link or handle.
The generator turns these into a clean, emoji-marked README without you wrestling the Markdown.
Keep it short
A profile README is a greeting, not a résumé. Three to six lines that are true today beat a long list that's six months stale. The fastest way to look inactive is a profile that says you're "currently learning" something you finished a year ago.
A maintenance habit
Set a reminder to revisit it a couple of times a year — when you change jobs, ship something notable, or pick up a new focus. A profile README is low-effort to keep fresh and surprisingly visible to anyone who lands on your GitHub.
Related
For project front pages rather than your profile, use the README Generator.
Privacy
It's generated in your browser; your details stay local until you publish the repo.
Write a short, honest greeting, drop it in your username/username repo, and give your profile a face.