| name | prd-to-issues |
| description | Break a PRD into dependency-ordered vertical slice GitHub issues. Activate when the user says "break down PRD", "create issues from PRD", or "slice the PRD". Not for writing PRDs, triaging bugs, or creating non-implementation issues. |
PRD to Issues
Convert a PRD into independently-grabbable GitHub issues using thin end-to-end vertical slices (tracer bullets).
Activation guard: Only run when the user explicitly asks to decompose a PRD into issues. Do not activate on general issue creation or bug triage requests.
Step 1: Load the PRD and Explore
Locate the PRD. Ask the user for the GitHub issue number or read from /tmp/prd-{name}/prd-draft.md.
If the PRD is a GitHub issue, fetch it:
gh issue view <number>
Explore the codebase if not already familiar. Identify affected modules, integration layers, and existing patterns.
Step 2: Draft and Validate Slices
Break the PRD into tracer bullet issues. Each issue is a thin vertical slice that cuts through ALL integration layers end-to-end.
Slicing rules:
- Each slice delivers a narrow but COMPLETE path through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
- A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
- Prefer many thin slices over few thick ones
- Mark each slice AFK (can be merged without human input) or HITL (requires a decision). Prefer AFK.
Present the proposed breakdown to the user as a numbered list:
| # | Title | Type | Blocked By | User Stories |
|---|
| 1 | {name} | AFK | — | US-1, US-3 |
| 2 | {name} | AFK | #1 | US-2 |
| 3 | {name} | HITL | #1 | US-4 |
Ask the user:
- Does the granularity feel right?
- Are the dependency relationships correct?
- Should any slices be merged or split?
- Are the HITL/AFK labels correct?
Iterate until the user approves.
Step 3: Create GitHub Issues
For each approved slice, create a GitHub issue in dependency order (blockers first) so real issue numbers can be referenced.
Copy the template from assets/issue-template.md and fill it for each slice.
gh issue create --title "{Slice Title}" --body-file /tmp/prd-{name}/slice-{n}.md
Do NOT close or modify the parent PRD issue.
Non-Negotiable Acceptance Criteria
The issue breakdown is NOT complete unless ALL of these are true:
Output
- Artifacts: GitHub issues (one per slice)
- Pipeline:
prd-discover → prd-interview → prd-draft → this skill