What is the single highest-impact item on this list?

A live demo link. A reviewer who has to clone and run your project locally to see it work will often skip that step entirely and move to the next candidate.

Do I need a license for a personal portfolio project?

Not usually. A license mainly matters if you want others to reuse, fork or contribute to the code - many personal projects skip it without issue.

Should the README explain how the code works internally?

That is optional and belongs lower down if included at all. The top of a README should answer what it is and how to see it working, not how it was built.

Portfolio README checker

A README is often the only thing a recruiter or hiring manager reads before they decide whether to look at your actual code. A project with great code and no README, live link or screenshot reads as unfinished, whatever the code looks like.

This is a checklist, not a scanner - it cannot read your actual repository. Tick what is already there and see what is worth adding before you link this project anywhere.

What your README already has

A clear project title and one-line descriptionWhat it is and who it is for, in one sentence, before anything else.A live demo linkA deployed link a reviewer can click without cloning anything.A screenshot or short recordingSomething visual near the top - most people scroll past a wall of text without one.The tech stack listedLanguages, frameworks and key libraries, so a reviewer knows what they are looking at.Setup or install instructionsSteps someone could actually follow to run it locally.A list of what the project actually doesFeature bullets, not just a description of the tech used to build it.Why you built it or what problem it solvesOne or two sentences of motivation - this is what makes a project memorable instead of generic.A way to reach you or a link back to your profileAn email, LinkedIn link, or link to your portfolio.A license file or lineNot required for every project, but expected for anything you want others to reuse.

README completeness

0 of 9

Missing: a clear title and one-line description, a live demo link, a screenshot or short recording, the tech stack, setup instructions, a list of what it does, why you built it, a way to reach you, a license

Checked: 0
Missing: 9

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

Nine common README elements are listed, each with a short note on why it matters to someone skimming quickly.
The score is simply how many you tick, out of nine.
Missing items are named directly in the result, in the order they are listed above, not ranked by importance.

What this does not cover

This cannot read your actual repository or README file. It only tracks what you tick, so it is only as accurate as your own honesty about what is there.
Not every item applies to every project. A weekend script does not need a license section as much as a live demo link does.
It says nothing about code quality, test coverage, or whether the project itself is impressive - only whether the README presents it well.

Questions people ask

What is the single highest-impact item on this list?: A live demo link. A reviewer who has to clone and run your project locally to see it work will often skip that step entirely and move to the next candidate.
Do I need a license for a personal portfolio project?: Not usually. A license mainly matters if you want others to reuse, fork or contribute to the code - many personal projects skip it without issue.
Should the README explain how the code works internally?: That is optional and belongs lower down if included at all. The top of a README should answer what it is and how to see it working, not how it was built.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

Related calculators

Running these numbers because you are weighing a move? See what is open right now.