Title: plugin readme.txt files
Last modified: August 18, 2016

---

# plugin readme.txt files

 *  [syncbox](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syncbox/)
 * (@syncbox)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/)
 * Could everyone that makes plugins PLEASE either put your readme.txt (or read_me.
   txt) file INSIDE your plugin’s folder or else name it pluginname_readme.txt?
 * So many zip files ask to overwrite readme.txt or read_me.txt that it’s hard to
   keep track of the “important” information supposedly inside this file…
 * It doesn’t seem like much to ask and it seems a logical thing for a developer
   to know to do. Don’t you think?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [petit](https://wordpress.org/support/users/petit/)
 * (@petit)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370375)
 * Dear syncbox. This will never happen.
    You don’t need to have the readme.txt 
   files in the plugins directory on the server.
 * Everytime I download any ZIP or other type of package, I unpack it into its on
   newly created directory/folder.
    That way you never get any conflicts. After 
   having a look through the readme.txt, I upload only the file I need to the server
   and keep my local directory for reference.
 * How about that ?
 *  [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/)
 * (@kafkaesqui)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370384)
 * That’s what I do as well, petit. However, some people do extract plugin zip (
   or whatever) files directly on their server, which makes it a bit of a problem
   for them.
 *  [petit](https://wordpress.org/support/users/petit/)
 * (@petit)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370507)
 * That’s true Kaf, and syncbox, you have point there. It would be a good thing 
   to have all the readme files in the plugins directory too. I just don’t think
   we can persuade all plugin authors to adhere to a standard of, say “myplugin_readme.
   txt”, which would of course be a nice thing to have.
 *  Thread Starter [syncbox](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syncbox/)
 * (@syncbox)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370510)
 * I typically unpack into the plugins folder so that I
 * a) have the zip file there in case something gets corrupted and I need a new 
   set of files (don’t want to have to go get it again)
    b) I extract per the author’s
   suggestions and this is where the issue exists. Why do plugin authors’ assume
   their readme file is the only one? c) not all plugin authors place their readme
   file inside a folder with the other plugin files.
 * It’s just a suggestion. By doing something like geoposition_readme.txt as opposed
   to readme.txt, I KNOW which file goes with which php file. Seems logical to me
   to prefix your files with the plugin or author name (or some combo of both) to
   prevent exactly this kind of problem. Keeps the files closer together in the 
   directory, too.
 *  [petit](https://wordpress.org/support/users/petit/)
 * (@petit)
 * [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370540)
 * I completely agree 😉

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘plugin readme.txt files’ is closed to new replies.

 * 5 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [petit](https://wordpress.org/support/users/petit/)
 * Last activity: [20 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-readmetxt-files/#post-370540)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics