To keep a repository’s README current, run a GitHub Actions workflow on push, generate or update the Markdown, and commit or publish the result. Narrow the trigger to selected branches or file paths only when that matches how the README is produced. If you mean syncing repository Markdown to a separate ReadMe documentation project, that is a different, vendor-specific workflow.
Choose what “auto-sync” means
There are two distinct goals. For a repository-owned README, an action runs a project-specific generator and updates the file in the repository. For externally hosted documentation, an integration uploads Markdown from the repository to the documentation service. The first is a way to keep the repository’s own file current; the second publishes content elsewhere.
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| Approach | Destination | Direction | What to configure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generate a repository README | The repository’s README file | Project inputs to generated Markdown | Push trigger, generator, and a way to commit or publish the generated file |
| Upload Markdown to ReadMe | A ReadMe-hosted documentation project | Repository to ReadMe (one-way upload) | Push trigger, compatible rdme action version, API key secret, and target branch |
Set up a repository-owned README workflow
1. Add a workflow and choose the trigger
Create a YAML workflow file under .github/workflows/. GitHub Actions uses the on key to declare events; use push to run after pushes, and add a branch filter if only certain branches should update the README. See GitHub’s workflow syntax documentation.
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name: Update README
on:
push:
branches:
- main
jobs:
update-readme:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Generate README
run: <your project-specific generation command>
- name: Commit or publish the generated README
run: <your project-specific commit or publish steps>
This is a structural example, not a universal generator: replace both placeholder commands with steps appropriate to the project. A push trigger runs the workflow; it does not itself know how to create Markdown or make generated changes durable. Decide whether the result should be committed back to the repository or published another way, and configure that behavior for the repository.
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2. Add path filters only when they help
If only certain source files affect the README, a paths filter under push can limit runs to matching changes. GitHub also supports exclusions with paths-ignore; use the filter that expresses the intended scope. For example:
on:
push:
branches:
- main
paths:
- 'data/**'
- 'scripts/readme/**'
Here the workflow runs for pushes to main that change a matching path. Filters are an optimization, not an unconditional guarantee for every possible push: GitHub documents that pushes containing more than 1,000 commits always run, and a diff involving more than 3,000 files can affect path-filter matching. Review the limits and behavior in GitHub’s push and path-filter documentation.
3. Check which README GitHub displays
If the repository has more than one README, the file you generated may not be the one GitHub renders. GitHub’s selection order is .github, repository root, then docs. Confirm that the workflow updates the intended file and that no higher-priority README is taking precedence. See GitHub’s README guidance.
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ReadMe’s documented upload approach uses a push-triggered workflow, checkout, the readmeio/rdme action, an upload command, an API key stored as a secret, and a target branch. Follow the vendor’s GitHub Actions sync instructions and make sure the action version matches your project architecture: ReadMe’s Refactored guidance uses rdme@10, while legacy projects require rdme@9. Do not choose a version without verifying which architecture the project uses.
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This upload flow is one-way: repository files are sent to ReadMe. If edits on either side need to stay aligned, ReadMe describes a separate bi-directional sync option. That involves repository permissions and branch protections, so assess those settings as part of the integration rather than treating a one-way upload as two-way synchronization. Keep the API key in the platform’s secret store, not in the workflow file.
Quick Recap
Verify the workflow’s result
- Push a change that should affect the README and confirm the workflow runs for the intended branch.
- Check the generated Markdown in the expected destination: the repository file or the ReadMe project.
- If using path filters, test both a matching change and a change outside the configured paths.
- If GitHub still displays unexpected content, check the README location priority and look for duplicates.
- If using ReadMe, confirm the project architecture, matching
rdmeversion, secret availability, target branch, and repository permissions.
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