Creating PRDs

Use the PRD skill to generate detailed Product Requirements Documents for your features

The PRD skill helps you create structured, actionable Product Requirements Documents that are ready for implementation with Ralph.

Using the PRD Skill

The PRD skill can be invoked in multiple ways:

Amp

Load the prd skill and create a PRD for [your feature description]

The skill automatically triggers when you use phrases like:

• “create a prd”
• “write prd for”
• “plan this feature”
• “requirements for”
• “spec out”

The PRD Workflow

1. Provide Feature Description

   Start by describing the feature you want to build. Be as detailed or brief as you like - the skill will ask clarifying questions.

   Example:

   Create a PRD for a task priority system that lets users mark tasks as high, medium, or low priority
   
2. Answer Clarifying Questions

   The skill will ask 3-5 essential questions with lettered options for quick responses.

   Example questions:

   1. What is the primary goal of this feature?
      A. Improve user onboarding experience
      B. Increase user retention
      C. Reduce support burden
      D. Other: [please specify]
   
   2. Who is the target user?
      A. New users only
      B. Existing users only
      C. All users
      D. Admin users only
   
   3. What is the scope?
      A. Minimal viable version
      B. Full-featured implementation
      C. Just the backend/API
      D. Just the UI
   

   You can respond quickly: 1C, 2C, 3A

3. Review Generated PRD

   The skill generates a comprehensive PRD with all required sections and saves it to tasks/prd-[feature-name].md.

PRD Structure

The generated PRD includes:

1. Introduction/Overview

Brief description of the feature and the problem it solves.

2. Goals

Specific, measurable objectives in bullet format.

3. User Stories

Each story includes:

• Title: Short descriptive name (e.g., “US-001: Add priority field to database”)
• Description: “As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]”
• Acceptance Criteria: Verifiable checklist of what “done” means

User stories are automatically sized to be completable in one Ralph iteration (one context window).

4. Functional Requirements

Numbered list of specific functionalities:

- FR-1: The system must allow users to...
- FR-2: When a user clicks X, the system must...

5. Non-Goals (Out of Scope)

Explicit boundaries for what the feature will NOT include.

6. Design Considerations (Optional)

• UI/UX requirements
• Links to mockups if available
• Existing components to reuse

7. Technical Considerations (Optional)

• Known constraints or dependencies
• Integration points with existing systems
• Performance requirements

8. Success Metrics

Measurable outcomes for the feature.

9. Open Questions

Remaining questions or areas needing clarification.

Example PRD Output

Here’s what a generated PRD looks like:

# PRD: Task Priority System

## Introduction

Add priority levels to tasks so users can focus on what matters most. Tasks can be marked as high, medium, or low priority, with visual indicators and filtering to help users manage their workload effectively.

## Goals

- Allow assigning priority (high/medium/low) to any task
- Provide clear visual differentiation between priority levels
- Enable filtering and sorting by priority
- Default new tasks to medium priority

## User Stories

### US-001: Add priority field to database
**Description:** As a developer, I need to store task priority so it persists across sessions.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Add priority column to tasks table: 'high' | 'medium' | 'low' (default 'medium')
- [ ] Generate and run migration successfully
- [ ] Typecheck passes

### US-002: Display priority indicator on task cards
**Description:** As a user, I want to see task priority at a glance so I know what needs attention first.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Each task card shows colored priority badge (red=high, yellow=medium, gray=low)
- [ ] Priority visible without hovering or clicking
- [ ] Typecheck passes
- [ ] Verify in browser using dev-browser skill

Writing for Autonomous Implementation

The PRD skill writes documents optimized for AI agents and junior developers:

Best Practices

• Explicit and unambiguous - No room for interpretation
• Minimal jargon - Or explains technical terms
• Concrete examples - Shows exactly what’s needed
• Numbered requirements - Easy to reference and track
• Verifiable criteria - Can be checked programmatically

Acceptance Criteria Requirements

All acceptance criteria must be verifiable, not vague.

Good criteria (verifiable):

• “Add status column to tasks table with default ‘pending’”
• “Filter dropdown has options: All, Active, Completed”
• “Clicking delete shows confirmation dialog”
• “Typecheck passes”

Bad criteria (vague):

• “Works correctly”
• “User can do X easily”
• “Good UX”
• “Handles edge cases”

UI Story Requirements

For any story that changes the user interface, the acceptance criteria must include:

- [ ] Verify in browser using dev-browser skill

This ensures Ralph will visually verify frontend changes work correctly.

Output Location

PRDs are saved to:

tasks/prd-[feature-name].md

The filename uses kebab-case derived from your feature description.

Next Steps

After creating your PRD:

1. Review the generated document
2. Make any manual adjustments if needed
3. Convert the PRD to JSON format for Ralph execution

The PRD skill only creates the document - it does NOT start implementation. That’s what Ralph is for!