Put a meaningful, short, plain-language description of what this project is trying to accomplish and why it matters. Describe the problem(s) this project solves. Describe how this software can improve the lives of its audience.
Other things to include:
Technology stack: Technologies used to developing the project, including programming languages, frameworks, databases, front-end and back-end tools, APIs and whether the software is intended as standalone or as a module in a framework or other ecosystem.
Status: The goal is to let interested people know the current status of the project. Ex: Alpha, Beta, version, actively maintained, deprecated, no maintenance intended etc.
Links to production or demo instances, Google Play store link, App store link etc
Screenshot: If the software has visual components, place a screenshot after the description; e.g.,
Keep the README fresh! It's the first thing people see and will make the initial impression.
If your README is very long, you might want to add a table of contents to make it easy for users to navigate to different sections easily. It will make it easier for readers to move around the project with ease.
Describe any dependencies that must be installed for this software to work. This includes programming languages, databases or other storage mechanisms, build tools, frameworks, and so forth. If specific versions of other software are required, or known not to work, call that out.
Detailed instructions on how to install, configure, and get the project running. This should be frequently tested to ensure reliability. Alternatively, link to a separate INSTALL document.
If the software is configurable, describe it in detail, either here or in other documentation to which you link.
Show users how to use the software. Use appropriate formatting when showing code snippets. You can also add a link to appropriate/detailed documentation and have a small section here.
If the software includes automated tests, detail how to run those tests.
Document any known significant shortcomings with the software.
Instruct users how to get help with this software; this might include links to an issue tracker, wiki, mailing list, etc.
Example
If you have questions, concerns, bug reports, etc, please file an issue in this repository's Issue Tracker.
This section should detail why people should get involved and describe key areas you are currently focusing on; e.g., trying to get feedback on features, fixing certain bugs, building important pieces, etc.
General instructions on how to contribute should be stated with a link to CONTRIBUTING.