ralph

name	ralph
description	Convert an existing PRD into prd.json format for Ralph autonomous agent execution. Use when you have a PRD and want to run it through the Ralph loop. Triggers on: convert this prd, turn this into ralph format, create prd.json, ralph json.

Ralph PRD Converter

Converts existing PRDs to the prd.json format that Ralph uses for autonomous execution.

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The Job

Take a PRD (markdown file or text) and convert it to .ralph/prd.json.

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Output Format

{
  "project": "[Project Name]",
  "branchName": "ralph/[feature-name-kebab-case]",
  "description": "[Feature description from PRD title/intro]",
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "[Story title]",
      "description": "As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]",
      "acceptanceCriteria": ["Criterion 1", "Criterion 2", "Typecheck passes"],
      "priority": 1,
      "passes": false,
      "notes": ""
    }
  ]
}

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Story Size: The Number One Rule

Each story must be completable in ONE Ralph iteration (one context window).

Ralph spawns a fresh Claude/Amp instance per iteration with no memory of previous work. If a story is too big, the LLM runs out of context before finishing and produces broken code.

Right-sized stories:

• Add a database column and migration
• Add a UI component to an existing page
• Update a server action with new logic
• Add a filter dropdown to a list

Too big (split these):

• "Build the entire dashboard" — Split into: schema, queries, UI components, filters
• "Add authentication" — Split into: schema, middleware, login UI, session handling
• "Refactor the API" — Split into one story per endpoint or pattern

Rule of thumb: If you cannot describe the change in 2-3 sentences, it is too big.

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Story Ordering: Dependencies First

Stories execute in priority order. Earlier stories must not depend on later ones.

Correct order:

1. Schema/database changes (migrations)
2. Server actions / backend logic
3. UI components that use the backend
4. Dashboard/summary views that aggregate data

Wrong order:

1. UI component (depends on schema that does not exist yet)
2. Schema change

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Acceptance Criteria: Must Be Verifiable

Each criterion must be something Ralph can CHECK, not something 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"
• "Tests pass"

Bad criteria (vague):

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

Always include as final criterion:

"Typecheck passes"

For stories with testable logic, also include:

"Tests pass"

<% if (playwright) { %>

For stories that change UI, also include:

<% if (playwright === 'cli') { -%>
"Verify in browser using Playwright CLI"
<% } else { -%>
"Verify in browser using Playwright MCP tools"
<% } -%>

<% if (playwright === 'cli') { -%> Frontend stories are NOT complete until visually verified. Ralph will use playwright-cli to navigate to the page, take snapshots/screenshots, and confirm changes work. <% } else { -%> Frontend stories are NOT complete until visually verified. Ralph will use Playwright MCP tools to navigate to the page, interact with the UI, and confirm changes work. <% } -%> <% } %>

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Conversion Rules

1. Each user story becomes one JSON entry
2. IDs: Sequential (US-001, US-002, etc.)
3. Priority: Based on dependency order, then document order
4. All stories: passes: false and empty notes
5. branchName: Derive from feature name, kebab-case, prefixed with ralph/
6. Always add: "Typecheck passes" to every story's acceptance criteria

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Splitting Large PRDs

If a PRD has big features, split them:

Original:

"Add user notification system"

Split into:

1. US-001: Add notifications table to database
2. US-002: Create notification service for sending notifications
3. US-003: Add notification bell icon to header
4. US-004: Create notification dropdown panel
5. US-005: Add mark-as-read functionality
6. US-006: Add notification preferences page

Each is one focused change that can be completed and verified independently.

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Example

Input PRD:

# Task Status Feature

Add ability to mark tasks with different statuses.

## Requirements

- Toggle between pending/in-progress/done on task list
- Filter list by status
- Show status badge on each task
- Persist status in database

Output prd.json:

{
  "project": "TaskApp",
  "branchName": "ralph/task-status",
  "description": "Task Status Feature - Track task progress with status indicators",
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "Add status field to tasks table",
      "description": "As a developer, I need to store task status in the database.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Add status column: 'pending' | 'in_progress' | 'done' (default 'pending')",
        "Generate and run migration successfully",
        "Typecheck passes"
      ],
      "priority": 1,
      "passes": false,
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "id": "US-002",
      "title": "Display status badge on task cards",
      "description": "As a user, I want to see task status at a glance.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Each task card shows colored status badge",
        "Badge colors: gray=pending, blue=in_progress, green=done",
        "Typecheck passes"<% if (playwright === 'cli') { %>,
        "Verify in browser using Playwright CLI"<% } else if (playwright === 'mcp') { %>,
        "Verify in browser using Playwright MCP tools"<% } %>
      ],
      "priority": 2,
      "passes": false,
      "notes": ""
    }
  ]
}

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Archiving Previous Runs

Before writing a new prd.json, check if there is an existing one from a different feature:

1. Read the current .ralph/prd.json if it exists
2. Check if branchName differs from the new feature's branch name
3. If different AND .ralph/progress.txt has content beyond the header:
   • Create archive folder: .ralph/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-feature-name/
   • Copy current prd.json and progress.txt to archive
   • Reset progress.txt with fresh header

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Checklist Before Saving

Before writing .ralph/prd.json, verify:

• Previous run archived (if prd.json exists with different branchName, archive it first)
• Each story is completable in one iteration (small enough)
• Stories are ordered by dependency (schema to backend to UI)
• Every story has "Typecheck passes" as criterion <% if (playwright === 'cli') { -%>
• UI stories have "Verify in browser using Playwright CLI" as criterion <% } else if (playwright === 'mcp') { -%>
• UI stories have "Verify in browser using Playwright MCP tools" as criterion <% } -%>
• Acceptance criteria are verifiable (not vague)
• No story depends on a later story