diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 333b8f9..c4ec72c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,152 @@ necessary for fetching and updating the packages.
   `nix/sources.nix` file that returns the sources as a Nix object.
 * [Show](#show): shows the packages' information.
 
+The next two sections cover [common use cases](#use-cases) and [full command
+description](#commands).
+
+### Use cases
+
+This covers three use cases:
+
+* [Bootstrapping a Nix project](#bootstrapping-a-nix-project).
+* [Tracking a different a different nixpkgs branch](#tracking-a-nixpkgs-branch).
+* [Fetching packages from custom URLs](#using-custom-urls).
+
+#### Bootstrapping a Nix project
+
+There is an `init` command that is useful when starting a new Nix project or
+when porting an existing Nix project to the niv versioning:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv init
+...
+$ tree
+.
+├── default.nix
+├── nix
+│   ├── default.nix
+│   ├── packages.nix
+│   ├── sources.json
+│   └── sources.nix
+└── shell.nix
+
+1 directory, 6 files
+```
+
+The files `default.nix`, `nix/default.nix` and `nix/packages.nix` are useful
+defaults for any Nix project. The file `nix/sources.json` is the file used by
+niv to store versions and is initialized with niv and nixpkgs:
+
+``` json
+{
+    "nixpkgs": {
+        "url": "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs-channels/archive/....tar.gz",
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "branch": "nixos-18.09",
+        "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs-channels",
+        "sha256": "...",
+        "description": "Nixpkgs/NixOS branches that track the Nixpkgs/NixOS channels",
+        "rev": "..."
+    },
+    "niv": {
+        "homepage": "",
+        "url": "https://github.com/nmattia/niv/archive/....tar.gz",
+        "owner": "nmattia",
+        "branch": "master",
+        "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+        "repo": "niv",
+        "sha256": "...",
+        "description": "Manager for third-party packages in Nix",
+        "rev": "..."
+    }
+}
+```
+
+The content of this file can be used from Nix by importing `nix/sources.nix` as
+done in the generated `nix/default.nix` file:
+
+``` nix
+{ sources ? import ./sources.nix }:
+with
+  { overlay = _: pkgs:
+      { inherit (import sources.niv {}) niv;
+        packages = pkgs.callPackages ./packages.nix {};
+      };
+  };
+import sources.nixpkgs
+  { overlays = [ overlay ] ; config = {}; }
+```
+
+The files `default.nix`, `shell.nix` and `nix/packages.nix` are placeholders
+for your project.
+
+#### Tracking a nixpkgs branch
+
+The `init` command sets the `nix/sources.json` file to track the latest commit
+present on nixpkgs 18.09 when the command was run. Run this commit to track
+update to the latest commit:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update nixpkgs
+```
+
+To change the branch being tracked run this command:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update -b nixos-19.03             # equivalent to --branch nixos-19.03
+```
+
+#### Importing packages from GitHub
+
+The `add` command will infer information about the package being added, when
+possible. This works very well for GitHub repositories. Run this command to add
+[jq] to your project:
+
+
+``` shell
+$ niv add stedolan/jq
+```
+
+The following data was added in `nix/sources.json` for `jq`:
+
+``` json
+{
+  "homepage": "http://stedolan.github.io/jq/",
+  "url": "https://github.com/stedolan/jq/archive/....tar.gz",
+  "owner": "stedolan",
+  "branch": "master",
+  "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+  "repo": "jq",
+  "sha256": "...",
+  "description": "Command-line JSON processor",
+  "rev": "..."
+}
+```
+
+#### Using custom URLs
+
+It is possible to use niv to fetch packages from custom URLs. Run this command
+to add the Haskell compiler [GHC] to your `nix/sources.json`:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv add ghc   \
+    -v 8.4.3    \
+    -t 'https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghc/<version>/ghc-<version>-i386-deb8-linux.tar.xz'
+```
+
+The option `-v` sets the "version" attribute to `8.4.3`. The option `-t` sets a
+template that can be reused by niv when fetching a new URL (see the
+documentation for [add](#add) and [update](#update)).
+
+For updating the version of GHC used run this command:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update ghc -v 8.6.2
+```
+
+### Commands
+
 ```
 NIV - Version manager for Nix projects
 
@@ -57,7 +203,7 @@ Available commands:
 
 ```
 
-### Add
+#### Add
 
 ```
 Examples:
@@ -84,7 +230,7 @@ Available options:
 
 ```
 
-### Update
+#### Update
 
 ```
 Examples:
@@ -110,7 +256,7 @@ Available options:
 
 ```
 
-### Drop
+#### Drop
 
 ```
 Examples:
@@ -126,7 +272,7 @@ Available options:
 
 ```
 
-### Init
+#### Init
 
 ```
 Usage: niv init 
@@ -137,7 +283,7 @@ Available options:
 
 ```
 
-### show
+#### show
 
 ```
 Usage: niv show 
@@ -148,3 +294,5 @@ Available options:
 ```
 
 [Nix]: https://nixos.org/nix/
+[jq]: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/
+[GHC]: https://www.haskell.org/ghc/
diff --git a/README.tpl.md b/README.tpl.md
index da013ad..a0b7eca 100644
--- a/README.tpl.md
+++ b/README.tpl.md
@@ -39,38 +39,186 @@ necessary for fetching and updating the packages.
   `nix/sources.nix` file that returns the sources as a Nix object.
 * [Show](#show): shows the packages' information.
 
+The next two sections cover [common use cases](#use-cases) and [full command
+description](#commands).
+
+### Use cases
+
+This covers three use cases:
+
+* [Bootstrapping a Nix project](#bootstrapping-a-nix-project).
+* [Tracking a different a different nixpkgs branch](#tracking-a-nixpkgs-branch).
+* [Fetching packages from custom URLs](#using-custom-urls).
+
+#### Bootstrapping a Nix project
+
+There is an `init` command that is useful when starting a new Nix project or
+when porting an existing Nix project to the niv versioning:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv init
+...
+$ tree
+.
+├── default.nix
+├── nix
+│   ├── default.nix
+│   ├── packages.nix
+│   ├── sources.json
+│   └── sources.nix
+└── shell.nix
+
+1 directory, 6 files
+```
+
+The files `default.nix`, `nix/default.nix` and `nix/packages.nix` are useful
+defaults for any Nix project. The file `nix/sources.json` is the file used by
+niv to store versions and is initialized with niv and nixpkgs:
+
+``` json
+{
+    "nixpkgs": {
+        "url": "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs-channels/archive/....tar.gz",
+        "owner": "NixOS",
+        "branch": "nixos-18.09",
+        "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs-channels",
+        "sha256": "...",
+        "description": "Nixpkgs/NixOS branches that track the Nixpkgs/NixOS channels",
+        "rev": "..."
+    },
+    "niv": {
+        "homepage": "",
+        "url": "https://github.com/nmattia/niv/archive/....tar.gz",
+        "owner": "nmattia",
+        "branch": "master",
+        "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+        "repo": "niv",
+        "sha256": "...",
+        "description": "Manager for third-party packages in Nix",
+        "rev": "..."
+    }
+}
+```
+
+The content of this file can be used from Nix by importing `nix/sources.nix` as
+done in the generated `nix/default.nix` file:
+
+``` nix
+{ sources ? import ./sources.nix }:
+with
+  { overlay = _: pkgs:
+      { inherit (import sources.niv {}) niv;
+        packages = pkgs.callPackages ./packages.nix {};
+      };
+  };
+import sources.nixpkgs
+  { overlays = [ overlay ] ; config = {}; }
+```
+
+The files `default.nix`, `shell.nix` and `nix/packages.nix` are placeholders
+for your project.
+
+#### Tracking a nixpkgs branch
+
+The `init` command sets the `nix/sources.json` file to track the latest commit
+present on nixpkgs 18.09 when the command was run. Run this commit to track
+update to the latest commit:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update nixpkgs
+```
+
+To change the branch being tracked run this command:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update -b nixos-19.03             # equivalent to --branch nixos-19.03
+```
+
+#### Importing packages from GitHub
+
+The `add` command will infer information about the package being added, when
+possible. This works very well for GitHub repositories. Run this command to add
+[jq] to your project:
+
+
+``` shell
+$ niv add stedolan/jq
+```
+
+The following data was added in `nix/sources.json` for `jq`:
+
+``` json
+{
+  "homepage": "http://stedolan.github.io/jq/",
+  "url": "https://github.com/stedolan/jq/archive/....tar.gz",
+  "owner": "stedolan",
+  "branch": "master",
+  "url_template": "https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/archive/<rev>.tar.gz",
+  "repo": "jq",
+  "sha256": "...",
+  "description": "Command-line JSON processor",
+  "rev": "..."
+}
+```
+
+#### Using custom URLs
+
+It is possible to use niv to fetch packages from custom URLs. Run this command
+to add the Haskell compiler [GHC] to your `nix/sources.json`:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv add ghc   \
+    -v 8.4.3    \
+    -t 'https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghc/<version>/ghc-<version>-i386-deb8-linux.tar.xz'
+```
+
+The option `-v` sets the "version" attribute to `8.4.3`. The option `-t` sets a
+template that can be reused by niv when fetching a new URL (see the
+documentation for [add](#add) and [update](#update)).
+
+For updating the version of GHC used run this command:
+
+``` shell
+$ niv update ghc -v 8.6.2
+```
+
+### Commands
+
 ```
 replace_niv_help
 ```
 
-### Add
+#### Add
 
 ```
 replace_niv_add_help
 ```
 
-### Update
+#### Update
 
 ```
 replace_niv_update_help
 ```
 
-### Drop
+#### Drop
 
 ```
 replace_niv_drop_help
 ```
 
-### Init
+#### Init
 
 ```
 replace_niv_init_help
 ```
 
-### show
+#### show
 
 ```
 replace_niv_show_help
 ```
 
 [Nix]: https://nixos.org/nix/
+[jq]: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/
+[GHC]: https://www.haskell.org/ghc/