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README: how much a repo needs for AI coding agents

The README is the first file anyone opens, and that includes an agent. This check looks for one at the repo root and measures how much it says.

How many repos pass

Of the 371 repos on the leaderboard, 357 pass in full (96%), 8 pass in part (2%) and 6 fail (2%).

Why agents need it

An agent starts every task knowing nothing about the project. A README that covers what the project does, how to install it and how the code is laid out saves it from working that out file by file. Cursor's profile gives the README its top weight.

How we score it

  • Full pass: a README (.md, .rst, .txt or no extension) with 1,000 or more characters.
  • 70%: 200 to 999 characters.
  • 30%: under 200 characters.
  • Fail: no README at the repo root.

The methodology has the formula that turns checks into a score.

How to pass

Cover four things: what the project does, how to install it, the commands people run most, and where the main parts of the code live. That is usually well past 1,000 characters.

Which agents count it most

Pass rate by language

Top-scoring repos that pass

Popular repos that fail it