CodingWithCalvin · CalvinAllen · Dec 22, 2025 · Dec 22, 2025
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -1,26 +1,131 @@
-# Couchbase Explorer (BETA / PREVIEW)
+# Couchbase Explorer for Visual Studio
 
-A Visual Stuio extension that adds a host of Couchbase & Capella data management and query capabilities right into your IDE!
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="resources/logo.png" alt="Couchbase Explorer Logo" width="128" />
+</p>
 
-## License
+<p align="center">
+  <strong>Browse, explore, and manage your Couchbase data directly from Visual Studio</strong>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="#features">Features</a> •
+  <a href="#installation">Installation</a> •
+  <a href="#getting-started">Getting Started</a> •
+  <a href="#roadmap">Roadmap</a> •
+  <a href="#contributing">Contributing</a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/v/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge" alt="Marketplace Version" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/i/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge" alt="Marketplace Installations" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge" alt="License" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer/release_build_and_deploy.yml?style=for-the-badge" alt="Build Status" />
+</p>
+
+---
+
+> **Note:** This extension is currently in **BETA / PREVIEW**. We're actively developing new features and would love your feedback!
+
+## Features
+
+Couchbase Explorer brings powerful database management capabilities directly into your Visual Studio workflow:
+
+### Connection Management
+- **Multiple Connections** - Save and manage connections to multiple Couchbase Server instances
+- **Secure Credential Storage** - Passwords are securely stored using Windows Credential Manager
+- **SSL/TLS Support** - Connect securely to your clusters with SSL encryption
+- **Connection Testing** - Verify your connection settings before saving
+
+### Data Browsing
+- **Hierarchical Tree View** - Navigate your cluster structure: Buckets → Scopes → Collections → Documents
+- **Lazy Loading** - Efficient loading of large datasets with batched document retrieval
+- **Document Viewer** - View document contents in a formatted JSON editor with syntax highlighting
+- **Refresh Support** - Refresh any level of the tree to see the latest data
+
+### Document Operations
+- **View Documents** - Double-click or right-click to open documents in a dedicated editor tab
+- **Copy JSON** - Quickly copy document contents to clipboard
+- **Copy Document ID** - Copy document IDs for use in your code
+
+## Installation
+
+### From Visual Studio Marketplace
+
+1. Open Visual Studio
+2. Go to **Extensions** → **Manage Extensions**
+3. Search for "**Couchbase Explorer**"
+4. Click **Download** and restart Visual Studio
+
+### From VSIX File
+
+1. Download the latest `.vsix` file from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer/releases)
+2. Double-click the file to install
+3. Restart Visual Studio
 
-[![License - MIT](https://img.shields.io/github/license/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)](https://img.shields.io/github/license/codingwithcalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)
+## Getting Started
 
-## Build Status
+### Opening Couchbase Explorer
 
-![GitHub Workflow Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer/release_build_and_deploy.yml?style=for-the-badge)
+1. Go to **View** → **Couchbase Explorer**
+2. The tool window will appear (by default, docked near Server Explorer)
 
-## Marketplace Status
+### Adding a Connection
 
-[![Marketplace Installations](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/i/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/i/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge) [![Marketplace Downloads](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/d/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/d/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)
-[![Marketplace Version](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/v/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/v/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge) [![Marketplace Rating](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/r/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)](https://img.shields.io/visual-studio-marketplace/r/codingwithcalvin.VS-CouchbaseExplorer?style=for-the-badge)
+1. Click the **Add Connection** button in the toolbar
+2. Enter a friendly name for your connection
+3. Enter your Couchbase Server hostname or IP address
+4. Provide your username and password
+5. Enable SSL/TLS if required
+6. Click **Test Connection** to verify
+7. Click **Save**
+
+### Browsing Data
+
+1. Right-click your connection and select **Connect**
+2. Expand the tree to browse: **Buckets** → **Scopes** → **Collections** → **Documents**
+3. Double-click any document to view its contents
+
+## Requirements
+
+- **Visual Studio 2022** or **Visual Studio 2026** (x64 and ARM64 supported)
+- **Couchbase Server** 7.0+ or **Couchbase Capella** (Capella support coming soon)
+
+## Roadmap
+
+We're actively working on new features! Here's what's coming:
+
+- [ ] **Couchbase Capella Support** - Connect to cloud-hosted Capella clusters
+- [ ] **N1QL Query Editor** - Write and execute N1QL queries
+- [ ] **Document Editing** - Create, update, and delete documents
+- [ ] **Index Management** - View and manage indexes
+- [ ] **Search Integration** - Full-text search capabilities
+- [ ] **Import/Export** - Bulk data operations
+
+Have a feature request? [Open an issue](https://github.com/CodingWithCalvin/VS-CouchbaseExplorer/issues/new)!
+
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions are welcome! Whether it's bug reports, feature requests, or pull requests - we appreciate all feedback.
+
+### Development Setup
+
+1. Clone the repository
+2. Install [Visual Studio 2022 or 2026](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/) with the **Visual Studio extension development** workload
+3. Install the [Extensibility Essentials 2022](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MadsKristensen.ExtensibilityEssentials2022) extension
+4. Open `src/CodingWithCalvin.CouchbaseExplorer.sln`
+5. Press F5 to launch the experimental instance
+
+## License
 
-## Prerequisite
+This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
 
-In order to use this extension, you must have access to a Couchbase server or hosted Capella database instance.
+## Disclaimer
 
-## Contributions
+This extension is an independent, community-driven project and is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Couchbase, Inc.** Couchbase and Capella are trademarks of Couchbase, Inc.
 
-Contributions are welcome! Issues, PRs, etc. This extension is very much in "preview mode", and looking for active feedback and contributors!
+---
 
-For cloning and building this project yourself, make sure to install the [Extensibility Essentials 2022 extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MadsKristensen.ExtensibilityEssentials2022) for Visual Studio which enables some features used by this project.
+<p align="center">
+  Made with ❤️ by <a href="https://github.com/CodingWithCalvin">Coding With Calvin</a>
+</p>