The manual every repo forgot to ship.
Connect GitHub, point Readout at any repository, and get a printable report: what it does, how to set it up, how to run it and where everything lives. No cloning, no terminal, no guesswork.
- Read-only access
- Reports in under a minute
- Print or export to Markdown
Reads
- TypeScript
- Python
- Go
- Rust
- Java
- Ruby
- PHP
- C#
- Swift
- Kotlin
- Elixir
- C++
- Next.js
- Django
- Rails
- Spring Boot
- FastAPI
- Laravel
- Express
- Flutter
- Vue
- Svelte
- Docker
- Terraform
How it works
From “what is this?” to “it runs” in three steps.
No cloning, no hunting through config files, no asking around in chat. Readout does the reading and hands you the answers.
- 01
Connect GitHub
Sign in with GitHub and choose the repositories Readout may read. Access is read-only, and you can revoke it from GitHub at any time.
- 02
Search everything
Readout indexes every file, branch and commit message, so you can ask where things live and get exact files and line numbers back.
- 03
Get your report
One clean, printable page: what the project does, how to install and run it, how it is organized and what to watch out for.
Live preview
Run a readout on any public repo. Right now.
This preview reads straight from GitHub in your browser. No sign-in and nothing stored. Pick an example or paste your own.
Your report prints here.
A summary, the stack, step by step instructions, a map of the folders, a health score and instant file search. Most readouts take a few seconds.
Features
Everything you would ask the person who wrote it.
Readout reads the code, the config and the history, so every answer comes from the repo itself rather than from guesses.
Instructions written from the code
Install, configure, run. Readout builds the steps from lockfiles, scripts, Dockerfiles and the README, then checks that they agree with each other.
Search in plain English
Ask where payments are handled or which settings are required. Get exact files and line numbers back.
Connect once, read everything
Personal repos, organizations and private code. You choose exactly which repositories Readout can see.
Reports that stay current
Run it again on any branch or after every push, and see what changed since your last readout.
Print, export, share
A print-ready page, Markdown and PDF exports, and private links you can send to your team.
Read-only by design.
Readout only ever asks GitHub for permission to read. Your code stays where it is.
- Never writes to your repositories
- Keeps the report, never your code
- Revoke access from GitHub at any time
Inside every report
One page. Seven answers. Zero digging.
Every Readout follows the same layout, so once you have read one, you can find your way around any repo in minutes.
- 01
Summary
What the project is and does, in plain language, before you read a single line of code.
- 02
Stack
Languages, frameworks, package managers and versions, detected from the files themselves.
- 03
Quick start
The exact commands to install, configure and run it, in the right order.
- 04
Project map
Every folder, what lives there and which files to read first.
- 05
Scripts and commands
Every script in the project, what it does and when to reach for it.
- 06
Configuration
Each environment variable, where it is read and whether it is required.
- 07
Health and risks
Tests, automated checks, license, outdated dependencies and anything that looks fragile.
Built for
The first hour with any codebase.
Whether the repo is yours, your team's or a stranger's, the questions are the same. Readout answers them before you ask.
Onboarding new hires
Hand every new engineer a readout on day one instead of a two hour walkthrough. They ship sooner, and your senior people keep their afternoon.
Choosing open source
Check activity, health and setup effort before you add a stranger's code to your product.
Taking over a project
Freelancers, agencies and new owners get the lay of the land before the first call with the previous team.
Reviews and audits
See the structure, scripts and risky settings at a glance before you settle in for a deep review.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
Straight answers to what people ask most about Readout, its access to your code and its reports.
Does Readout work with private repositories?
Yes. Connect GitHub and choose exactly which repositories Readout can read, including the ones in your organizations. The live preview on this page reads public repositories only.
Do you store my code?
No. Readout reads your files to build the report and keeps only the report itself. Delete a report whenever you like, or revoke access from your GitHub settings in one click.
What access does it need?
Read-only access to the repositories you pick. Readout never pushes code, opens issues or changes your settings.
Which languages and frameworks does it understand?
Anything GitHub can show you. Setup steps are tuned for JavaScript and TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java and Kotlin, PHP, .NET, Elixir, Swift and Dart, plus Docker and Make.
How long does a report take?
Most repositories take under a minute. Very large monorepos can take a few minutes the first time, and are quick after that.
Can I share or print a report?
Yes. Every report has a print-ready layout, a Markdown export and a private link you can send to your team. Try the print button in the live preview above.
Early access
Every repo deserves a manual. Get yours first.
Join the early access list to be among the first to connect GitHub and run Readout on your own repositories.
- Private repositories and organizations
- Search inside every file, in plain English
- Settings, scripts and dependency checks in every report