How to show the license overview in GitHub?

Question

but when I add the same LICENSE to my repo no overview is shown.

How to achieve this?

Answer 1

If you use GitHub's built in way of adding a license, either when you create a repo or through adding a new file, it adds the overview/preview as well.

I don't know of a way to add the overview when you upload your own license file (not through GitHub's way of adding a license).

Answer 2

The license overview in GitHub is only displayed if GitHub can recognize your license. To recognize licenses, GitHub relies on the open source project Licensee. Common reasons for unrecognized licenses include:

1. The license is not in its own file. The license text needs to be, in full, in its own file, preferably LICENSE or LICENSE.md. The name of the license is insufficient, as is the full content in the README.md.

2. You made an addendum to the license text. Licensee expects a near-perfect match to the original license text (rf. choosealicense.com). Any additional title or footnote will prevent recognition.

3. Licensee does not support your license. Licensee only recognizes licenses registered on choosealicense.com. The code behind this website is open source and new licenses can be submitted.