diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d151ebb..db38197 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,70 @@
-# SwitchFriendWatch
-Tool to send email notifications about Nintendo Switch friend activity
+# Switch Friend Watch
+This tool uses smtplib and system commands to send you emails about Nintendo Switch friend activity, gathering data from well-known Switch API tool [samuelthomas2774/nxapi](https://github.com/samuelthomas2774/nxapi).
+
+# Python Dependencies
+This script depends on PyYAML and smtplib. Other imports should be installed by default.
+
+# Installing nxapi
+This script relies on being able to send commands through the operating system to a Node.js tool called nxapi. This tool is on GitHub: [samuelthomas2774/nxapi](https://github.com/samuelthomas2774/nxapi).
+
+## Install Node.js
+nxapi is based on Node.js, so you will need to install it.
+
+For Windows:
+```powershell
+winget install OpenJS.NodeJS
+```
+
+For Ubuntu:
+```bash
+sudo apt install nodejs
+```
+
+Follow separate instructions for your OS if you aren't using Windows or Ubuntu.
+
+## Install nxapi
+npm should have been installed when Node.js was installed, so you can install nxapi with this command:
+```bash
+npm install -g nxapi
+```
+The -g flag is required because by default only global npm packages are in the PATH.
+
+## Connect your Nintendo Account
+Run `nxapi nso auth` and it will tell you how to authenticate with your Nintendo Account.
+
+# Configuration
+The script calls from a configuration file located at `<home folder>/.littlebitstudios/switchfriendwatch/configuration.yaml`.
+
+This is the structure of the file:
+```yaml
+email:
+  debugmode: false # enable this if you're troubleshooting smtplib
+  enabled: true # leave this true, setting this false will suppress emails
+  pass: 'password' # SMTP password, if a service uses 2FA you may need a specific app password
+  port: 465 # SMTP port, check with your email provider
+  sendfrom: example@example.com # the source email address
+  sendtest: 'off' # send a test email by setting this to 'watched' or 'unwatched' and running the script
+  sendto: you@example.com # the email you want to receive notifications at
+  server: smtp.example.com # the SMTP server of the source email address
+  user: example@example.com # SMTP username, this is usually the source email address but could be different depending on provider
+lastcheck: '2024-05-27T13:49:22.643963' # do not change this, the script uses this timestamp as a reference for when it last ran
+watched: # list of watched players
+- Player
+watchedonly: false # set this to true to only be notified about watched players
+windowsmode: false # set this to true if running on a Windows machine
+```
+
+# Usage
+To run the script once you have created the configuration file, just run `python3 <path to file>` like any other Python script.
+
+The script is designed to be automated (using cron on Linux or possibly Task Scheduler on Windows), where it runs every so often to see if the status of your friend list has changed. If people go online, then it will send you an email about it assuming that email is enabled in the configuration.
+
+# Recommendations
+I recommend running this on a Linux machine that stays on 24/7, such as a home server. This can also be run on your main computer under Windows/Mac/Linux, but notifications would stop if you shut down your computer. 
+
+If you want a beginner's home server, maybe look into a Linux-based single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi or a barebones x86 computer like a NUC. Commercial home server products such as the ZimaBoard, ZimaCube, or Umbrel Home rely heavily on Docker containers and I don't know if I could containerize this script since it relies on two different scripting frameworks (Node.js and Python).
+
+# Credits
+The Nintendo Switch gaming system and Nintendo Accounts are owned by Nintendo Co. Ltd. and its regional subsidiaries.
+
+nxapi is a tool created by [@samuelthomas2774](https://github.com/samuelthomas2774).
\ No newline at end of file