diff --git a/MASTODON_SETUP.md b/MASTODON_SETUP.md
index 6ad6b69..a6606a4 100644
--- a/MASTODON_SETUP.md
+++ b/MASTODON_SETUP.md
@@ -313,9 +313,12 @@ python -c "from src.govbot.db.models import init_db; init_db('govbot.db')"
 
 ## Security Considerations
 
+**📖 See [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) for the complete security guide.**
+
 ### Credentials
 
-- **Never commit** `config/config.yaml` to version control
+- **Never commit** `config/config.yaml` to version control (it's in `.gitignore`)
+- **Never commit** `*_clientcred.secret` or `*_usercred.secret` files (also gitignored)
 - Store credentials securely
 - Use environment variables for production:
   ```bash
diff --git a/QUICKSTART.md b/QUICKSTART.md
index 9a4f9ba..f3cf707 100644
--- a/QUICKSTART.md
+++ b/QUICKSTART.md
@@ -32,11 +32,16 @@ pip install -e .
 # Copy example config
 cp config/config.example.yaml config/config.yaml
 
-# Edit with your settings
-# At minimum, update the AI model configuration
+# Edit with your credentials and settings
 nano config/config.yaml
 ```
 
+**⚠️ IMPORTANT - Security Notice**:
+- `config/config.yaml` contains your secrets (API tokens, passwords)
+- This file is automatically gitignored - it will NEVER be committed
+- Never share this file or commit it to version control
+- See [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) for complete security guidance
+
 For local models with Ollama:
 ```yaml
 ai:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a8c78d0..c2002ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,13 +65,42 @@ uv pip install -e .
 uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
 ```
 
-## Configuration
+## Quick Start
 
-1. Copy `config/config.example.yaml` to `config/config.yaml`
-2. Edit with your settings:
-   - Mastodon instance URL and credentials
-   - AI model preferences (local/cloud)
-   - Path to your constitution file
+### 1. Install Dependencies (above)
+
+### 2. Configure (Credentials Required)
+
+```bash
+# Copy the template
+cp config/config.example.yaml config/config.yaml
+
+# Edit with your credentials
+nano config/config.yaml
+```
+
+**⚠️ IMPORTANT**: `config/config.yaml` contains your secrets and is automatically ignored by git. Never commit this file.
+
+Configure:
+- Platform credentials (Mastodon access tokens, Discord bot tokens, etc.)
+- AI model settings (Ollama local models or cloud API keys)
+- Constitution path and database location
+
+For detailed setup instructions:
+- **Mastodon**: See [MASTODON_SETUP.md](MASTODON_SETUP.md)
+- **Security**: See [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) for credential management
+
+### 3. Set AI API Keys (if using cloud models)
+
+```bash
+# For OpenAI
+llm keys set openai
+
+# For Anthropic Claude
+llm keys set anthropic
+```
+
+These are stored securely in `~/.llm/keys.json` (also gitignored)
 
 ## Usage
 
@@ -94,6 +123,24 @@ Your constitution should be a markdown file that describes:
 
 See `constitution.md` for an example based on Social.coop's bylaws.
 
+## Documentation
+
+- **[QUICKSTART.md](QUICKSTART.md)** - Get started quickly with CLI testing
+- **[MASTODON_SETUP.md](MASTODON_SETUP.md)** - Complete Mastodon deployment guide
+- **[PLATFORMS.md](PLATFORMS.md)** - Guide for implementing new platform adapters
+- **[SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md)** - Credential management and security best practices
+- **[constitution.md](constitution.md)** - Example governance constitution
+
+## Security Note
+
+**Never commit these files** (already in `.gitignore`):
+- `config/config.yaml` - Contains your credentials
+- `govbot.db` - Your governance database
+- `.env` files - Environment variables
+- `*.token`, `*.key`, `*.secret` files
+
+See [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) for complete security guide.
+
 ## Development Status
 
 This is early-stage software. Current phase: Core infrastructure and agentic reasoning engine.
@@ -105,3 +152,5 @@ This is early-stage software. Current phase: Core infrastructure and agentic rea
 ## Contributing
 
 This project is in early development. Contributions and feedback welcome!
+
+**For platform developers**: See [PLATFORMS.md](PLATFORMS.md) to add support for Discord, Telegram, Matrix, or other platforms.