This is the catchphrase: what does this project do and how is it unique?
Here is an additional quick introduction, if necessary.
Why does this project exist? Come on, don't delete this part. Fill it. Yes it's hard, but it's perhaps the most important part of the README.
As to why this project exist, it's to serve as a template for future open source PHP projects. Of course, feel free to fork it and make your own recipe.
Describe how to install the project/library/framework/…
Make sure your installation instructions work by testing them!
Describe how to use the project. A gif or a short code example is the best way to show how it works. Also keep paragraphs short and sentences simple: not everybody speaks english well.
For the sake of the example here is how you can use this project template as a basis for your own repository:
git clone https://github.com/mnapoli/project-template.git my-project
cd my-project
# Remove the git repository metadata
rm -rf .git/
# Start a brand new repository
git init
git add .Easy peasy! Now you just have to code.
Make sure your examples work by testing them! I didn't test mine and I should feel ashamed.