diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d67dcdc..22c6ada 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,26 +9,86 @@ on every `BufWritePre`.
 
 ![tidy](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/59481467/142785684-96559135-88e7-4c50-a848-56f2c65262ef.gif)
 
+## install
+- Packer with default configuration and lazy-loading
 
-## install 
-- Packer
+```lua
+use{
+    "mcauley-penney/tidy.nvim",
+     config = function()
+        require "tidy".setup{}
+    end,
+    event  = "BufWritePre"
+}
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+### default
+
+Tidy comes with the below default configuration:
 
 ```lua
-use "McAuleyPenney/tidy.nvim"
+local M = {
+    config = {
+        eof_quant = -1,  -- the amount of empty lines to leave at the end of
+                         -- the file; -1 = no lines, 0 = 1 line, no limit;
+                         -- only applies if "eof" given to "fmts"
+
+        fmts = {         -- the types of formattings to apply
+            "eof",       -- removes lines at end of file
+            "multi",     -- condenses multiple newlines into one
+            "sof",       -- removes lines at start of file
+            "ws"         -- removes trailing whitespace
+        }
+    }
+}
 ```
 
-or with lazy-loading
+### how to customize
+
+To customize which formattings will apply, give a list to the `setup` function:
 
 ```lua
-use{ "McAuleyPenney/tidy.nvim", event = "BufWritePre" }
-``` 
+use{
+    "mcauley-penney/tidy.nvim",
+    config = function()
+        require "tidy".setup{
+            fmts = {
+                "eof",
+                "ws"
+            }
+       }
+   end,
+   event  = "BufWritePre"
+}
+```
+
+### formatting styles
+
+- `eof`: remove a variable amount of newlines at end of file
+
+![eof](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/59481467/146851029-d1c47cfa-a25f-4ea0-b33e-faac6153b5f6.gif)
+
+- `multi`: condenses multiple newlines into one
+
+![condense](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/59481467/146851295-aa77bcb0-d5b3-4c0a-9857-5eb1043e48c9.gif)
+
+- `sof`: removes lines at start of file
+
+![sof](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/59481467/146851203-d7d7c3dd-8c2f-4267-bb71-fde1f95fc88f.gif)
+
+- `ws`: remove whitespace
 
+![whitespace](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/59481467/146851131-c39e9ba8-851f-4a12-9eb5-609f8f7b29ab.gif)
 
 ## Credits:
-- [Vim Tips Wiki entry for removing unwanted spaces](https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Remove_unwanted_spaces#Automatically_removing_all_trailing_whitespace)
-   
-- ib., the author of [this stack overflow answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/7501902)
-    
+- [Vim Tips Wiki entry](https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Remove_unwanted_spaces#Automatically_removing_all_trailing_whitespace)
+for removing unwanted spaces
+- ib., the author of [this stack overflow answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/7501902), for how to remove empty lines at the
+end of the buffer
+    - @blackboardd for how to choose how many lines will be kept
 - [This line](https://github.com/gpanders/editorconfig.nvim/blob/ae3586771996b2fb1662eb0c17f5d1f4f5759bb7/lua/editorconfig.lua#L180)
 in [gpanders/editorconfig.nvim](https://github.com/gpanders/editorconfig.nvim) for exposing me to the `keepjumps`
 and `keeppatterns` modifiers
+- [Vim Tips Wiki entry](https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Remove_unwanted_empty_lines) for condensing multiple empty lines
diff --git a/lua/tidy/init.lua b/lua/tidy/init.lua
index 45e7697..3ade149 100644
--- a/lua/tidy/init.lua
+++ b/lua/tidy/init.lua
@@ -1,23 +1,54 @@
--- MP
+local M = {
+    config = {
+        eof_quant = -1,
+        fmts = {
+            "sof",
+            "eof",
+            "multi",
+            "ws"
+        }
+    }
+}
 
+function M.setup(user_config)
 
-local M = {}
+    -- integrate user configuration
+    M.config = vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", M.config, user_config or {})
 
+    vim.cmd[[
+    augroup Tidy
+        au!
+        au BufWritePre * lua require( "tidy" ).tidy_up()
+    augroup END
+    ]]
+end
 
 function M.tidy_up()
+    local cmd_mods = ":keepjumps keeppatterns silent! "
 
-    -- get tuple of cursor position before making changes
-    local pos = vim.api.nvim_win_get_cursor( 0 )
+    local patterns = {
+        -- delete all new lines at beginning of file
 
-    -- delete all whitespace, see source 1
-    vim.cmd[[:keepjumps keeppatterns %s/\s\+$//e]]
+        sof = [[%s/\%^\n*/]],
+        -- delete all lines at end of buffer, see source 2
 
-    -- delete all lines at end of buffer, see source 2
-    vim.cmd[[:keepjumps keeppatterns silent! 0;/^\%(\n*.\)\@!/,$d]]
+        eof = [[0;/^\%(\n*.\)\@!/ + ]] .. M.config.eof_quant ..  ",$d",
+        -- compress all instances of multiple newlines into one
 
-    -- get row count after line deletion
-    local end_row = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count( 0 )
+        multi = [[:%s/\n\{2,}/\r\r/e]],
+        -- delete all whitespace, see source 1
+        ws = [[%s/\s\+$//e]]
+    }
+
+    -- get tuple of cursor position before making changes
+    local pos = vim.api.nvim_win_get_cursor(0)
 
+    for _, fmt_type in ipairs(M.config.fmts) do
+        vim.cmd(cmd_mods .. patterns[fmt_type])
+    end
+
+    -- get row count after line deletion
+    local end_row = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(0)
 
     --[[
         if the row value in the original cursor
@@ -32,8 +63,7 @@ function M.tidy_up()
         pos[1] = end_row
     end
 
-    vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor( 0, pos )
+    vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor(0, pos)
 end
 
-
 return M
diff --git a/plugin/tidy.vim b/plugin/tidy.vim
deleted file mode 100644
index f1297e9..0000000
--- a/plugin/tidy.vim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-
-augroup Tidy
-    au!
-    au BufWritePre * lua require( "tidy.init" ).tidy_up()
-augroup END