| name | prd-authoring |
| description | Standard for authoring product PRDs in docs/prd/: state the problem, users, requirements, and success; assign PRD-{AREA}-{NN} IDs; link down to specs. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| category | documentation |
| agent_types | ["product","product-owner","pm"] |
| tags | ["prd","product","requirements","authoring","standards"] |
| effort | medium |
| user-invocable | true |
| progressive_disclosure | {"entry_point":{"summary":"Author product PRDs in docs/prd/ using the PRD-{AREA}-{NN} grammar, a product-owned template (problem, users, requirements, acceptance, metrics), and a product lifecycle. PRDs are realized by engineering specs.","when_to_use":"When defining a product problem and its requirements, creating a docs/prd/{area}.md file, adding PRD-{AREA}-{NN} requirements, running product/user/market research, or mapping requirements to implementing specs.","quick_start":"1. Read docs/prd/README.md for ID grammar 2. Pick/create the area file from TEMPLATE.md 3. State problem, users, requirements 4. Add acceptance criteria + success metrics 5. Fill the Linked Specs table"},"references":["prd-template.md","prd-research-practices.md","prd-lifecycle.md","prd-to-spec-linkage.md","ia-and-categories.md"]} |
PRD Authoring
Overview
This skill is the agent-facing entry point to the Product PRD Standard: how to write
Product Requirements Documents in docs/prd/. A PRD answers what problem, for which users,
what requirements, and what success looks like — and is owned by Product (Product Owner /
PM).
It has a distinct engineering companion — keep the roles separate:
prd-authoring (this skill) = authoring product PRDs. State the problem, target users,
goals, user stories, requirements, acceptance criteria, and success metrics; assign stable
PRD-{AREA}-{NN} IDs; run product/user/market research; map requirements down to implementing
specs.spec-authoring = engineering specs (a separate, engineering-owned standard —
docs/specs/, SPEC-{SUBSYSTEM}-{NN}~{rev}). Specs implement PRD requirements.spec-linked-docs = traceability between specs and source code.
PRD ≠ SPEC. A PRD is a product requirements doc (PRD-{AREA}-{NN}, in docs/prd/,
owned by Product). A SPEC is an engineering behavior contract (SPEC-{SUBSYSTEM}-{NN}~{rev},
in docs/specs/, owned by Engineering). A PRD requirement is realized by one or more
specs; list them in the Linked Specs table. Do not put inputs/outputs/error contracts in a
PRD — that is the spec's job.
Full standard: docs/prd/README.md.
This skill orients and links; README.md is the authoritative, portable standard, and
docs/prd/TEMPLATE.md is the copy-pasteable document.
Use this skill, do not duplicate it. SKILL.md is a concise router. The detailed rules live
in docs/prd/README.md and the five reference files below. Read the reference you need.
When to Use
- Defining a product problem and turning it into stable requirements.
- Creating a new
docs/prd/{area}.md file for a product area.
- Adding a governed
PRD-{AREA}-{NN} requirement to an existing PRD.
- Running product / user / market / competitive research and recording it.
- Mapping requirements to the engineering spec(s) that implement them (Linked Specs table).
- Moving a PRD through its lifecycle (Draft → Review → Approved → In-development → Shipped).
If your task is instead authoring the engineering contract, use spec-authoring.
Core Model (at a glance)
A PRD is product-owned: one product area = one file (docs/prd/{area}.md). Each governed
requirement has a stable {#PRD-{AREA}-{NN}} ID. A PRD document carries:
- Header — Title, Status, Owner = Product, Version, Last-updated, Related specs/ADRs.
- Problem & Context — the why.
- Target Users / Personas, Goals & Non-Goals, User Stories / JTBD.
- Requirements — Functional & Non-functional, each a stable
PRD-{AREA}-{NN} item.
- Acceptance Criteria, Success Metrics / KPIs.
- Scope & Out-of-Scope, Risks & Assumptions, Open Questions.
- Linked Specs — the PRD→SPEC traceability table.
- References — research + sources.
PRD IDs have no ~{rev} suffix — requirements evolve via lifecycle and supersession, not a
tilde counter.
The copy-pasteable template is docs/prd/TEMPLATE.md
(and references/prd-template.md explains how to fill it).
Quick Start
- Read the grammar.
docs/prd/README.md §3 defines
PRD-{AREA}-{NN} and the declaration rule. Do not invent IDs.
- Pick or create the area file. One product area = one file. See
references/ia-and-categories.md.
- Apply the template. Copy
docs/prd/TEMPLATE.md;
fill problem, users, requirements, acceptance criteria, success metrics. Guidance in
references/prd-template.md.
- Ground it in research. Non-obvious requirements cite product/user/market research. See
references/prd-research-practices.md.
- Map requirements to specs. Fill the Linked Specs table; engineering authors the specs and
cites the PRD ID back. See
references/prd-to-spec-linkage.md.
- Manage the lifecycle. Draft → Review → Approved → In-development → Shipped → Superseded.
See
references/prd-lifecycle.md.
Reference Files
Relationship to Specs
A PRD states what and why; a spec states the engineering contract that realizes it. The two
are distinct standards (distinct dirs, IDs, owners, templates) with a bidirectional link: the
PRD's Linked Specs table points down to implementing SPEC-{SUBSYSTEM}-{NN}~{rev} IDs; each
spec section cites the PRD-{AREA}-{NN} it implements up. Read spec-authoring when you need
to understand or coordinate the engineering side.
