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Templates

The 10 built-in templates, what each one is for, and how to list them.

The CLI ships with 10 built-in templates, grouped into five categories. Pick the one that matches what you’re documenting:

Slug Category Description
classic Classic Bold centered hero, badges, and a clean contact block.
classic-stats Classic Social proof style README with stars, forks, and quick links.
minimal Minimal Ultra-clean one-pager for small tools and scripts.
modern Modern Feature-rich open-source README with TOC and structure.
production Production Ops-ready docs: config, scripts, security, troubleshooting.
cli Useful / Specialty Terminal-first template for npm CLIs and developer tools.
library Useful / Specialty Package README with install, API table, and examples.
saas Useful / Specialty Product-style README for startups and web apps.
opensource Useful / Specialty Contributor-friendly community README with mission and COC.
supabase Useful / Specialty Auth, RLS, storage, and edge-function oriented README.

⚠ This table mirrors the CLI’s templates/manifest.json. If it ever disagrees with the CLI, the CLI is the source of truth — please report it.

List templates from the terminal

the-magic-readme templates

This prints every built-in template grouped by category, along with any custom templates you’ve saved.

Which template should I pick?

  • Side project / script → minimal or classic
  • npm package or SDK → library
  • CLI tool → cli
  • Startup product → saas
  • Serious open source → modern or opensource
  • Deployed service / backend → production
  • Supabase project → supabase

Don’t see a fit? Start from the closest built-in, then save your own layout as a custom template.