diff --git a/config/README.md b/config/README.md
index 6f0f93a..cbab430 100644
--- a/config/README.md
+++ b/config/README.md
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 # Files
 ### [about.template](./about.template)
-The customizable part of the content page, will eventually be replaced with a markdown file
-### [names.conf](./names.conf)
-Information about the installation location of ThreadR
-- domain name
-- ThreadR directory on that domain
+The customizable part of the content page, HTML code for now, will eventually be replaced with a markdown file
+### [instance.conf](./instance.conf)
+configuration for a specific instance
+- domain_name=<public facing domain name of the instance>
+- threadr_dir=<directory on the webhost>
+- db_username=<mysql user>
+- db_password=<mysql password>
 
-Format: <config option>=<value>
+The format is strictly `<option>=<value>` because the mechanism used to load the config values is very simple. Don’t add additional whitespace for fancy formatting. Things *will* break. You have been warned.
 
-This format is strictly enforced because the mechanism to load the config is very primitive. Don’t add additional whitespace for fancy formatting. Things *will* break. You have been warned.
-
-How it is integrated: exec section of variable grabbler `/<config option>=/s/.*=//p" config/names.conf`
+The config is loaded once on deployment by the "variable grabbler" macro processor with `["exec","echo -n \"$(sed --quiet \"/<option>=/s/.*=//p\" config/instance.conf)\""]`.
 
 ### [README.md](./README.md)
 this file
diff --git a/macros/README.md b/macros/README.md
index 4814bb6..1c76871 100644
--- a/macros/README.md
+++ b/macros/README.md
@@ -1,15 +1,27 @@
 # Files
-### [variable_grabbler.pass0.json](./variable_grabbler.pass0.json), [variable_grabbler.pass1.json](./variable_grabbler.pass1.json), [variable_grabbler.pass2.json](./variable_grabbler.pass2.json)
-These are the the config files for ../variable_grabbler.py.
-A short description of what the variables do and where they should go:
-  * `%NAVBAR%` (in HTML part of PHP file) → the Navbar, also includes an automatic logout-function if the user is in a place where they should never be logged in (triggered by absence of the $login variable)
-  * `%SET_LOGIN_VARIABLE%` (in PHP code) → sets the $login variable in PHP by detecting if the user has a valid logged in session
-  * `%NO_CHEAP_LOGIN_STEALING%` (in PHP code, before any non-header data is sent to client) → prevents the most primitive cookie stealing attempts, nothing advanced though
-  * `%BANNER_COOKIES%` (in HTML part of PHP file) → the cookie banner that every web page has
-  * `%PLEAZE_NO_CACHE%` (in PHP code, before any non-header data is sent to client) → requests the browser to not cache this page
-  * `%FORCE_LOGOUT%` (in PHP code) → logout immediately (obviously less common than the other variables...)
-  * `%CONTENT_DIR%` (anywhere in code) → the path to the ThreadR directory (without domain name)
-  * `%STYLESHEET%` (in HTML) → adds the tag linking the stylesheet
-  * `%REQUIRE_LOGIN%` (in PHP code, before any non-header data is sent to client) → sends users to the login page if they are not logged in
+### [[DIR] templates](./templates)
+contains the templates used by the macro processor
+### [pass0_templates.json](./pass0_templates.json)
+Macros that insert templates
+- `%NAVBAR%` the navigation bar at the top of the website (requires PHP)
+- `%BANNER_COOKIES%` the cookie banner (requires PHP)
+### [pass1_misc.json](./pass1_misc.json)
+Miscellaneous macros
+- `%STYLESHEET%` links stylesheet (HTML <head> section)
+- `%PLEAZE_NO_CACHE%` tell the browser not to cache this page (PHP, before any data is sent to the client)
+- `%COLOR_BEIGE%`, `%COLOR_ORANGE%`, `%COLOR_BLUE%`, `%COLOR_PINK%`, `%COLOR_CYAN%` color codes, format: #XXXXXX
+### [pass2_session.json](./pass2_session.json)
+Session handling macros
+- `%REQUIRE_LOGIN%` go to login page if not logged in
+- `%NO_CHEAP_SESSION_STEALING%` make sure that IP and user agent stay the same, otherwise end session
+- `%SET_LOGIN_VARIABLE%` sets the variable $login based on whether the user is logged in
+- `%FORCE_LOGOUT%` end session right here and now
+### [pass3_install-config.json](./pass3_install-config.json)
+Macros that grab the configuration values and inject them into the instance
+- `%DOMAIN_NAME%` the domain name of the instance
+- `%CONTENT_DIR%` the directory of the ThreadR home page on the webhost
+- `%DB_PASSWORD%` password for the MySQL server
+- `%DB_USERNAME%` username for the MySQL server
+- `%ABOUT_PAGE%` the template for the about page
 ### [README.md](./README.md)
 this file
diff --git a/macros/templates/README.md b/macros/templates/README.md
index bd09eae..d4be0a1 100644
--- a/macros/templates/README.md
+++ b/macros/templates/README.md
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 contains the navbar, depends on a variable in PHP to determine which field on the navbar should be highlighted
 ### [banner_cookies.template](./banner_cookies.template)
 contains the cookie banner
+### [README.md](./README.md)
+this file
