Sourced*

Migration

Migrate from ReadMe to Sourced: developer portal checklist

· 4 min read · Sourced

  • readme
  • migration
  • api-docs
  • openapi
  • sdk

ReadMe is good at polished developer portals: guides, interactive reference pages, metrics, changelogs, custom styling, and team collaboration. Sourced is narrower by design. It is for API teams that want one OpenAPI workflow to produce docs, TypeScript and Python SDK previews, package readiness, and launch checks.

The migration question is not "which docs UI do we like?" It is "where should the API contract live, and what else should it generate?" If you are searching for a ReadMe alternative, keep that distinction clear: developer portal migration and OpenAPI release workflow are related, but not identical.

When to consider switching

Sourced is a fit if:

  • OpenAPI should be the source of truth for reference docs.
  • SDK generation is part of the docs workflow, not a separate project.
  • You want free hosted review docs before paying for production.
  • You need npm/PyPI readiness next to the docs preview.
  • You want release approvals before publishing or DNS changes.

ReadMe may remain the better fit if your docs are mostly editorial guides, forums, recipes, custom pages, and interactive dashboards, with SDK generation handled somewhere else.

Export and inventory ReadMe first

Before generating anything new, collect:

  • current OpenAPI definitions
  • guide pages and Markdown/MDX content
  • API reference categories and endpoint order
  • changelog entries
  • custom HTML/CSS/JS
  • reusable snippets
  • docs metrics you still need
  • custom domain and SSL settings
  • redirects and 404 rules
  • llms.txt or AI-facing exports
  • SDK examples embedded in guide pages

As of August 31, 2026, ReadMe's official pricing includes a free Starter plan and a paid Pro plan, with AI features and plan limits that may change over time. Treat pricing as a migration input, not the whole decision.

Sourced keeps evaluation free: unlimited previews and up to 2 hosted noindex docs review sites. Launch is $99/month per API project for production docs on Sourced-controlled URLs, repo sync, registry readiness/approved publishing, and team review. Scale is $349/month and adds more API projects, more hosted docs sites, more team capacity, and production custom domains.

What moves into Sourced

Move API-contract work into Sourced:

  • OpenAPI parsing and validation
  • generated API reference
  • TypeScript SDK preview
  • Python SDK preview
  • llms.txt
  • docs review URL
  • release readiness
  • npm and PyPI setup checks
  • custom-domain docs checklist

Keep editorial work deliberate:

  • quickstarts
  • migration guides
  • product concepts
  • examples that are not represented in OpenAPI
  • customer-facing release notes

Sourced has a docs editor for browser drafts and "copy for your agent" edits; published docs changes still need the normal review/publish path. The contract should still come from OpenAPI. That is the point.

Hard part: portal features are not all API contract

ReadMe sites often contain dashboards, changelog entries, metrics, custom components, and product onboarding pages that do not belong in a generated API reference. Keep those pages only if they help a developer make an API call. Everything else should either stay in ReadMe, move to a general docs CMS, or redirect to a focused Sourced docs page.

Migration steps

  1. Export or locate the OpenAPI file ReadMe uses.
  2. Upload it to Sourced and generate a docs preview.
  3. Compare endpoint coverage against the ReadMe reference.
  4. Port high-value guide pages and snippets.
  5. Generate TypeScript and Python SDK previews from the same spec.
  6. Check package names, examples, and auth setup.
  7. Build a redirect map from old ReadMe routes to Sourced docs routes.
  8. Keep Sourced review URLs noindex.
  9. Cut over the production custom domain only after approval.
  10. Submit the final sitemap after the production docs host is live.

Preserve these URLs

The most common ReadMe migration regression is search traffic falling into 404s. Preserve:

  • homepage docs URL
  • reference overview
  • authentication guide
  • top five endpoint pages by traffic
  • changelog
  • SDK install guides
  • support/contact page

If an endpoint route changes, add a 301 redirect. If a guide is intentionally removed, redirect it to the closest surviving concept page.

Prompt for an AI agent

Migrate our ReadMe API docs workflow to Sourced.
Inventory OpenAPI definitions, reference routes, guides, changelog, custom domain, redirects, custom CSS/JS, metrics, llms.txt, and embedded SDK examples.
Generate Sourced docs and TypeScript/Python SDK previews from the canonical OpenAPI file.
Compare endpoint coverage, docs URLs, auth examples, SDK install snippets, README examples, sitemap, and noindex/index behavior.
Keep preview docs noindex. Do not cut over DNS or publish packages until I approve the exact action.
Return blockers, redirect map, and release-readiness checklist.

Bottom line

Move from ReadMe to Sourced when your docs are really an OpenAPI release workflow wearing a portal costume. Keep ReadMe or another docs CMS when the hard part is editorial collaboration. Sourced is strongest when docs, SDKs, and release readiness need to move together.

Start free, read about free OpenAPI docs hosting before custom-domain launch, or compare ReadMe pricing.