# Criteria for a List to Be Considered Awesome: The Official sindresorhus/awesome Manifesto > Discover the official criteria for an awesome list. Learn essential requirements like personal recommendations, descriptive text, badges, licensing, and submission rules. - Repository: [Sindre Sorhus/awesome](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome) - Tags: best-practices - Published: 2026-07-07 --- **To be considered awesome, a curated list must contain only personally recommended items with explanatory descriptions, display the official Awesome badge, adopt a CC0 license, include contribution guidelines, and satisfy submission prerequisites including a 30-day maturity period.** The sindresorhus/awesome repository enforces strict quality standards for all submitted lists. According to the Awesome manifesto defined in [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) and supplementary creation guidelines in [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md), authors must satisfy specific criteria spanning content curation, document structure, and community governance. These rules ensure that every list in the collection maintains exceptional utility and long-term viability. ## Core Content Quality Standards ### Only Truly Awesome Items Every entry must represent something you can personally recommend after thorough research. According to [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 9-10, you should "rather leave stuff out than include too much," ensuring high signal-to-noise ratio through selective curation. ### Explain Why Each Item Is Awesome Each entry requires a descriptive comment justifying its inclusion. The manifesto at [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 55-58 mandates that maintainers "comment on why something is awesome," providing readers with immediate value propositions without requiring external clicks. ### Clear List Purpose and Grammatical Correctness The README must open with a concise description defining the list's scope and coverage, as required by [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 59-62. Additionally, [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 63-66 enforce grammatical correctness throughout the document and pull request descriptions. ## Structural and Formatting Requirements ### Display the Official Awesome Badge Place the official badge at the top of your README next to the title. As specified in [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 15-25, you may use the plain, flat, or flat-2 style: ```markdown # Awesome My‑Toolset [![Awesome](https://awesome.re/badge.svg)](https://awesome.re) A curated collection of the best tools for XYZ. ``` ### Consistent Styling and Organization Maintain uniform formatting with a table of contents and categorized entries. According to [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 79-82, descriptions should end with periods, and the overall structure must follow established conventions for scannability. ## Legal and Community Standards ### Appropriate License Use a permissive CC0 license for maximum content reuse freedom. The manifesto at [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 67-72 specifically discourages MIT, BSD, or GPL for pure-content lists, as software licenses create unnecessary friction for curated collections. ```markdown ## License This list is released under the Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal license. See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details. ``` ### Contribution Guidelines Include a [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) file or reference customized guidelines. As documented in [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 73-77, this practice orientates future contributors toward your preferred submission format and quality standards. ```markdown ## Contributing We welcome improvements! Please read our [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) before opening a pull request. ``` ### Respect Community Opinion Maintain collaborative governance by remaining willing to reconsider decisions if community consensus emerges against your choices. This requirement from [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 83-86 ensures lists evolve to serve collective needs rather than individual preferences. ## Submission Prerequisites ### Avoid Duplication Before creating a new list, search the existing collection. According to [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md) lines 3-5, if a similar list exists, you must contribute to it "instead of making your own." ### 30-Day Maturity Period Wait at least 30 days after initial creation before submitting a pull request. As stated in [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md) lines 5-6, this cooling-off period allows content to stabilize and demonstrates long-term maintenance commitment. ## Practical Implementation Guide Meeting the awesome list criteria requires implementing specific formatting patterns. Here is a compliant structure incorporating all requirements: ```markdown # Awesome Developer Tools [![Awesome](https://awesome.re/badge.svg)](https://awesome.re) A curated list of essential developer utilities for modern web development. ## Table of Contents - [Editors](#editors) - [CLI Tools](#cli-tools) ## Editors - [SuperEditor](https://github.com/example/super-editor) – A lightweight code editor with built‑in linting. *(Why it’s awesome: sub‑second startup, zero‑config setup)* ## CLI Tools - [FastDeploy](https://github.com/example/fast-deploy) – Automated deployment scripts. *(Why it’s awesome: works with any CI/CD provider)* ## Contributing Please read the [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on our submission process. ## License This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal](LICENSE) license. ``` ## Summary - **Quality over quantity**: Include only personally recommended items with explanatory descriptions per [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 9-10 and 55-58. - **Visual compliance**: Display the official Awesome badge and maintain grammatical correctness as required by [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 15-25 and 63-66. - **Legal clarity**: Adopt CC0 licensing and include contribution guidelines according to [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 67-77. - **Submission readiness**: Wait 30 days post-creation and verify no duplicate lists exist before submitting, following [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md) lines 3-6. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What license should I use for an awesome list? Use CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) for maximum permissiveness. The manifesto at [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 67-72 specifically recommends CC0 over MIT, BSD, or GPL for content lists, as software licenses create unnecessary legal barriers for curated content reuse. ### How long should I wait before submitting my list to the awesome repository? You must wait at least 30 days after creating the list. According to [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md) lines 5-6, this maturity period ensures the list has stabilized and demonstrates your commitment to long-term maintenance before community review. ### Why does every item need a description explaining why it is awesome? Descriptive comments fulfill the "comment on why something is awesome" requirement from [`awesome.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/awesome.md) lines 55-58. These explanations save readers time by communicating value propositions directly, preventing the list from becoming a bare link dump that requires external investigation. ### Can I submit a list that covers the same topic as an existing awesome list? No. The guidelines in [`create-list.md`](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome/blob/main/create-list.md) lines 3-5 explicitly require searching existing lists first. If a similar list exists, you should contribute to it rather than fragmenting the ecosystem with a competing collection.