diff --git a/java/hello-world/README.md b/java/hello-world/README.md
index be867fc2..78b2179b 100644
--- a/java/hello-world/README.md
+++ b/java/hello-world/README.md
@@ -3,20 +3,150 @@
 This is a simple application that demonstrates using the native HBase API
 to connect to and interact with Cloud Bigtable.
 
-## Provision a cluster
+See the [documentation for this
+sample](https://cloud.google.com/bigtable/docs/samples-java-hello) for a brief
+explanation of the code.
 
-Follow the instructions in the [user documentation](https://cloud.google.com/bigtable/docs/creating-cluster)
-to create a Google Cloud Platform project and Cloud Bigtable cluster if necessary.
-You'll need to reference your project id, zone and cluster id to run the application.
+<!-- START doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update -->
+<!-- DON'T EDIT THIS SECTION, INSTEAD RE-RUN doctoc TO UPDATE -->
+**Table of Contents**
 
-## Run the application
+- [Downloading the sample](#downloading-the-sample)
+- [Costs](#costs)
+- [Before you begin](#before-you-begin)
+  - [Installing Maven](#installing-maven)
+  - [Creating a Project in the Google Cloud Platform Console](#creating-a-project-in-the-google-cloud-platform-console)
+  - [Enabling billing for your project.](#enabling-billing-for-your-project)
+  - [Install the Google Cloud SDK.](#install-the-google-cloud-sdk)
+  - [Setting Google Application Default Credentials](#setting-google-application-default-credentials)
+- [Provisioning a cluster](#provisioning-a-cluster)
+- [Running the application](#running-the-application)
+- [Cleaning up](#cleaning-up)
 
-First, set your [Google Application Default Credentials](https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/application-default-credentials)
-and [install Maven](http://maven.apache.org/guides/getting-started/maven-in-five-minutes.html) if necessary.
+<!-- END doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update -->
 
 
-    $ mvn package
-    $ mvn exec:java -Dbigtable.projectID=<myProject> -Dbigtable.clusterID=<myCluster> -Dbigtable.zone=<myZone>
+## Downloading the sample
+
+Download the sample app and navigate into the app directory:
+
+1.  Clone the [Cloud Bigtable examples repository][github-repo], to your local
+    machine:
+
+        git clone https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/cloud-bigtable-examples.git
+
+    Alternatively, you can [download the sample][github-zip] as a zip file and
+    extract it.
+
+2.  Change to the Hello World code sample directory.
+
+        cd cloud-bigtable-examples/java/hello-world
+
+[github-repo]: https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/cloud-bigtable-examples
+[github-zip]: https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/cloud-bigtable-examples/archive/master.zip
+
+
+## Costs
+
+This sample uses billable components of Cloud Platform, including:
+
++   Google Cloud Bigtable
+
+Use the [Pricing Calculator][bigtable-pricing] to generate a cost estimate
+based on your projected usage.  New Cloud Platform users might be eligible for
+a [free trial][free-trial].
+
+[bigtable-pricing]: https://cloud.google.com/products/calculator/#id=1eb47664-13a2-4be1-9d16-6722902a7572
+[free-trial]: https://cloud.google.com/free-trial
+
+
+## Before you begin
+
+This sample assumes you have [Java 8][java8] installed.
+
+[java8]: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/
+
+### Installing Maven
+
+These samples use the [Apache Maven][maven] build system. Before getting
+started, be sure to [download][maven-download] and [install][maven-install] it.
+When you use Maven as described here, it will automatically download the needed
+client libraries.
+
+[maven]: https://maven.apache.org
+[maven-download]: https://maven.apache.org/download.cgi
+[maven-install]: https://maven.apache.org/install.html
+
+### Creating a Project in the Google Cloud Platform Console
+
+If you haven't already created a project, create one now. Projects enable you to
+manage all Google Cloud Platform resources for your app, including deployment,
+access control, billing, and services.
+
+1. Open the [Cloud Platform Console][cloud-console].
+1. In the drop-down menu at the top, select **Create a project**.
+1. Give your project a name.
+1. Make a note of the project ID, which might be different from the project
+   name. The project ID is used in commands and in configurations.
+
+[cloud-console]: https://console.cloud.google.com/
+
+### Enabling billing for your project.
+
+If you haven't already enabled billing for your project, [enable
+billing][enable-billing] now.  Enabling billing allows the application to
+consume billable resources such as running instances and storing data.
+
+[enable-billing]: https://console.cloud.google.com/project/_/settings
+
+### Install the Google Cloud SDK.
+
+If you haven't already installed the Google Cloud SDK, [install the Google
+Cloud SDK][cloud-sdk] now. The SDK contains tools and libraries that enable you
+to create and manage resources on Google Cloud Platform.
+
+[cloud-sdk]: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/
+
+### Setting Google Application Default Credentials
+
+Set your [Google Application Default
+Credentials][application-default-credentials] by [initializing the Google Cloud
+SDK][cloud-sdk-init] with the command:
+
+		gcloud init
+
+Alternatively, create a service account key and set the
+`GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS` environment variable to the service account
+key file path.
+
+[cloud-sdk-init]: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/initializing
+[application-default-credentials]: https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/application-default-credentials
+
+
+## Provisioning a cluster
+
+Follow the instructions in the [user
+documentation](https://cloud.google.com/bigtable/docs/creating-cluster) to
+create a Google Cloud Platform project and Cloud Bigtable cluster if necessary.
+You'll need to reference your project id, zone and cluster id to run the
+application.
+
+
+## Running the application
+
+Set the following environment variables or replace them with the appropriate
+values in the `mvn` commands. Set:
+
++   `GCLOUD_PROJECT` to the project ID,
++   `BIGTABLE_CLUSTER` to the Bigtable cluster ID,
++   `BIGTABLE_ZONE` to the Bigtable compute zone (example: us-central1-b).
+
+Build and run the sample using Maven.
+
+    mvn package
+    mvn exec:java -Dbigtable.projectID=${GCLOUD_PROJECT} \
+        -Dbigtable.clusterID=${BIGTABLE_CLUSTER} \
+        -Dbigtable.zone=${BIGTABLE_ZONE}
 
 You will see output resembling the following, interspersed with informational logging
 from the underlying libraries:
@@ -29,15 +159,22 @@ from the underlying libraries:
         Hello HBase!
     HelloWorld: Delete the table
 
-## Understanding the code
 
-This application leverages the [HBase Native API](http://hbase.apache.org/book.html#hbase_apis)
-to make calls to Cloud Bigtable. It demonstrates several basic concepts of working with
-Cloud Bigtable via this API:
+## Cleaning up
+
+To avoid incurring extra charges to your Google Cloud Platform account, remove
+the resources created for this sample.
+
+1.  Go to the Clusters page in the [Cloud
+    Console](https://console.cloud.google.com).
+
+    [Go to the Clusters page](https://console.cloud.google.com/project/_/bigtable/clusters)
+
+1.  Click the cluster name.
+
+1.  Click **Delete**.
+
+    ![Delete](https://cloud.google.com/bigtable/img/delete-quickstart-cluster.png)
+
+1. Type the cluster ID, then click **Delete** to delete the cluster.
 
-* Creating a Connection to Cloud Bigtable via `BigtableConfiguration`, a Cloud Bigtable extension
-to the native API
-* Using the `Admin` interface to create, disable and delete a `Table`
-* Using the `Connection` to get a `Table`
-* Using the `Table` to write rows via a `Put`, lookup a row via a `Get`, and scan across
-multiple rows using a `Scan`