csharp-sdk/.github/skills/prepare-release/references/readme-content.md

README Content Checklist

This reference describes what to review and update in the shared embedded NuGet README (src/PACKAGE.md) and the root repository README (README.md) as part of every release.

The Shared Embedded README

All SDK packages embed the same README file: src/PACKAGE.md.

Each project packs it identically:

<None Include="..\PACKAGE.md" Pack="true" PackagePath="\README.md" />
<PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>

Updating src/PACKAGE.md updates every package's nuget.org README at once. There are no per-package README files; src/ModelContextProtocol.Core/README.md and similar paths do not exist.

Checklist

1. Package-list closure

Every shipping SDK package must be listed in the packages section of src/PACKAGE.md, including packages introduced after the initial SDK launch and including the package being viewed in its own embedded README on nuget.org.

Current packages to list:

• ModelContextProtocol.Core
• ModelContextProtocol
• ModelContextProtocol.AspNetCore
• ModelContextProtocol.Extensions.Apps

Avoid counting phrases such as "three main packages" -- they become stale when packages are added. Use a non-counting closure such as "The SDK packages are:" instead.

When a new package is introduced, add it to the list in both src/PACKAGE.md and the root README.md (see section below).

2. Badge strategy

Each package entry carries a nuget.org version badge. The correct badge endpoint depends on the release type:

Release type	Badge endpoint	Example
Prerelease series (e.g., 2.0.0-preview.*)	nuget/vpre/{package}	https://img.shields.io/nuget/vpre/ModelContextProtocol.svg
Stable release	nuget/v/{package}	https://img.shields.io/nuget/v/ModelContextProtocol.svg

nuget/v renders only the latest stable version and shows nothing (or a placeholder) during a prerelease-only series. nuget/vpre renders the latest version including prereleases. Switch all package badges together when the release type changes.

Verify every badge in src/PACKAGE.md uses the correct endpoint for this release.

3. Release-notes link

src/PACKAGE.md must contain one statement linking to the release notes for the current version:

See the [release notes](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/csharp-sdk/releases/tag/v{version})
for what's new in this version.

Replace {version} with the exact version being released, including any prerelease suffix (e.g., 2.0.0-preview.2).

At prepare time the tag does not yet exist; the link is forward-referencing. The link resolves once the GitHub release is published during the publish-release step.

Update this link for every release -- it must point to the tag being created, not a prior release.

4. Root README.md sync

The root README.md (the GitHub repo readme, NOT packed into packages) has its own package-list section. Keep it aligned with src/PACKAGE.md:

• Same set of packages listed
• Same non-counting closure phrasing
• Badge strategy in README.md may also be updated for consistency, but the root README is visible on GitHub (not nuget.org) so the badge choice is less critical

Salient content to review

Beyond the structural checks above, read the current src/PACKAGE.md for any content that has become stale due to changes in this release:

• Package descriptions (are they still accurate?)
• Getting-started links (do they resolve and describe the current API?)
• Code samples, if any (do they compile against the current SDK? see readme-snippets.md)
• Any version-specific notes from a prior release that should be removed or updated