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Oct 11, 2025
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(sdks) Document auto-generated reference.md file, clarify README.md info #1218

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1fcca69
clarify readme info and document reference.md file
devalog Oct 11, 2025
35159ef
Update configure-readme.mdx
dannysheridan Oct 11, 2025
ce586a6
Update configure-readme.mdx
dannysheridan Oct 11, 2025
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10 changes: 7 additions & 3 deletions fern/products/sdks/guides/configure-readme.mdx
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---
title: Customize README
description: Guide to configuring the README in your SDK
description: Guide to configuring the README.md in SDKs
---

By default, the README for your SDKs is [generated programmatically](./sdk-user-features) and contains information about how your users can interact with your API. You can customize the content and structure of these README files across all of your SDKs by configuring the `readme` section in `generators.yml`.
Each SDK includes a `README.md` file in its root directory. This Markdown file provides an overview of the SDK and instructions for working with the associated API.

By default, Fern [generates the README automatically](./sdk-user-features) with usage examples and API details.

Although each SDK has its own README, the content can be configured globally through the `readme` section in the `generators.yml` file.

## Configuration options

<Markdown src="/products/sdks/snippets/readme-options.mdx" />

## Additional customization

For customization beyond these configuration options, you can [manually modify the README](/products/sdks/custom-code.mdx) and add it to your `.fernignore` file to prevent it from being overwritten during regeneration.
To go beyond the available configuration options, the `README.md` file can be [manually edited](/products/sdks/custom-code.mdx).
Add it to the `.fernignore` file to prevent it from being overwritten during regeneration.
10 changes: 9 additions & 1 deletion fern/products/sdks/guides/generated-sdk.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -3,14 +3,22 @@ title: SDK user features
description: How your customers can use your SDK
---

Fern-generated SDKs provide a consistent set of features across all languages to help developers interact with your API. Usage information is auto-generated in your SDK's README, [which you can customize](./readme).
Fern-generated SDKs provide a consistent set of features across all languages to help developers interact with your API. Usage information is auto-generated in your SDK's `README.md`, [which you can customize](./readme).

## Installation and basic usage

Users install SDKs using standard package managers (npm for TypeScript, pip for Python, Maven/Gradle for Java, etc.) from language-specific registries.

Users initialize the client with your API's base URL and any required authentication, then call methods on the client to interact with your API. Generated SDKs support modern runtimes across languages.

## Reference

The `README.md` file links to an auto-generated `reference.md` file
([example](https://github.com/intercom/python-intercom/blob/HEAD/reference.md))
that lists all available API methods organized by resource, including method
signatures with parameter types, usage examples, and request/response structures
for each endpoint.

## Error handling

When the API returns a 4xx or 5xx status code, the SDK throws an error that includes the status code, error message, response body, and raw response object.
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