Want to add a Profile README to your GitHub account but don’t know how? GitHub introduced a new Profile README feature that allows users to showcase their achievements on their profile.
In this post, we will learn what is a Profile level README on Github, and how you can easily create one for your account.
What Is a Profile README?
If you are an experienced GitHub user, you would already know the role of a README file in a project. For those who don’t, README plays an essential part on GitHub as it clearly communicates the idea of a project to its contributors and other users on the platform.
Similarly, Profile README acts like a document that informs other users on GitHub about your profile. README files support Markdown, which allows you to customize the content of the file in a much better way. Also, you can add as much content as you want on your Profile README.
How to Create a GitHub Profile README
Anyone with a GitHub account can create a README for their profile. All you have to do is create a new GitHub repository that has the same name as your username. Then, add a README file and customize it accordingly.
To add a GitHub Profile README to your account:
- Head over to the official GitHub website.
- Sign in to your account by entering the credentials.
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Click on your Profile Picture located at the top-right corner of the screen.
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From the drop-down menu, select the option that says Your Repositories.
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Click on the New button to create a new repository.
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Under the Owner label, you will find your username. You need to enter the same name in the Repository Name field.
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Scroll down and check the Add a README File option. Then, click on the Create Repository button.
- Now head back to the Repositories tab and click on the newly created repository.
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You will find a preview of the README.md file. Click on the small Edit button located in the top-right corner of the README preview.
- Type in the content you want to add to your Profile README.
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Scroll down to the bottom and click on Commit Changes. You can also add a commit message to increase your GitHub reputation.
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The README will now appear on your GitHub profile page.
What Should You Add to Your GitHub Profile README?
Creating a README file that stands out from others can seem daunting at first. But since GitHub README files support Markdown, you can easily customize the file according to your will. Headings, images, GIFs, and various other media can be added to a README.
Here is the list of things that you can add to your README file in order to make it more attractive.
- Images: Adding a beautiful landscape image after the first heading will surely add to the beauty of your README.
- GIFs: Dynamic GIFs can quickly catch the attention of a user visiting your GitHub profile.
- Emojis: Adding emojis at the beginning of the headings will make them distinct.
- Repository Stats: Your contributions and engagements on GitHub can be added to your profile README as well. You can do that with the help of github-readme-stats repository.
- Skills: Use shields.io badges to display your skills on your profile.
- Contact Information: Adding your contact information will make it easy for users to ping you. Email addresses and social media accounts are some great options to start with.
Customizing Your GitHub Profile With a README
The new Profile README feature introduced by GitHub was a huge success. The majority of the users are already using a README file to showcase their achievements on GitHub.
Although GitHub is a great platform to manage your projects with a graphical user interface, it is not quite well-suited for advanced users. Professional developers often tend to use Git for development, which is a command line version control system. Starting out with some basic Git commands is the path to take if you want to get started with programming.