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The PRD Generator skill (/prd) creates detailed Product Requirements Documents that are clear, actionable, and suitable for implementation by Ralph or human developers.

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Overview

The skill follows a structured workflow:
  1. Receive a feature description from the user
  2. Ask 3-5 essential clarifying questions (with lettered options)
  3. Generate a structured PRD based on answers
  4. Save to tasks/prd-[feature-name].md
The PRD skill does NOT start implementing. It only creates the planning document.

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Usage

Invoke the skill with any of these trigger phrases: 
Create a PRD for adding user authentication
Write PRD for notification system
Plan this feature: task priority levels
Spec out the dashboard redesign
Or explicitly load it: 
Load the prd skill and create a PRD for [feature description]

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Workflow

1

Describe Your Feature

Provide a brief description of what you want to build. The more context you provide, the better the questions will be.
Create a PRD for adding priority levels to tasks (high, medium, low)
2

Answer Clarifying Questions

The skill asks 3-5 critical questions with lettered options. Answer quickly using shorthand:
1A, 2C, 3B, 4D: We want full CRUD but start with read-only
3

Review Generated PRD

The skill generates a complete PRD and saves it to tasks/prd-[feature-name].md. Review and edit as needed before converting to JSON.

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Clarifying Questions

The skill asks only critical questions where your initial prompt is ambiguous. Questions focus on:
  • Problem/Goal - What problem does this solve?
  • Core Functionality - What are the key actions?
  • Scope/Boundaries - What should it NOT do?
  • Success Criteria - How do we know it’s done?

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Question Format

Questions use a multiple-choice format for quick responses: 
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 with 1A, 2C, 3B for quick iteration.

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PRD Structure

The generated PRD includes these sections:

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1. Introduction/Overview

Brief description of the feature and the problem it solves.

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2. Goals

Specific, measurable objectives in a bullet list.

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3. User Stories

Each story includes:
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Title
string
required
Short descriptive name (e.g., “Add priority field to database”)
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Description
string
required
Standard format: “As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]”
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Acceptance Criteria
array
required
Verifiable checklist of what “done” means. Each story must include:
  • Specific verifiable criteria
  • “Typecheck/lint passes”
  • [UI stories only] “Verify in browser using dev-browser skill”

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User Story Format

### 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
Stories should be small enough to implement in one focused session. If a story feels too large, it should be split into multiple stories.

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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...
Requirements must be explicit and unambiguous.

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5. Non-Goals (Out of Scope)

What this feature will NOT include. This is critical for managing scope creep.

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6. Design Considerations (Optional)

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

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7. Technical Considerations (Optional)

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

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8. Success Metrics

How will success be measured? 
- Reduce time to complete X by 50%
- Increase conversion rate by 10%

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9. Open Questions

Remaining questions or areas needing clarification.

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Writing Guidelines

The PRD may be read by junior developers or AI agents, so:
  • Be explicit and unambiguous - Avoid assumptions
  • Avoid jargon or explain it - Don’t assume domain knowledge
  • Provide enough detail - Include purpose and core logic
  • Number requirements - For easy reference (FR-1, FR-2, etc.)
  • Use concrete examples - Show, don’t just tell

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Example PRD

Here’s a complete example of a generated PRD: 
# 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

### US-003: Add priority selector to task edit
**Description:** As a user, I want to change a task's priority when editing it.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Priority dropdown in task edit modal
- [ ] Shows current priority as selected
- [ ] Saves immediately on selection change
- [ ] Typecheck passes
- [ ] Verify in browser using dev-browser skill

### US-004: Filter tasks by priority
**Description:** As a user, I want to filter the task list to see only high-priority items when I'm focused.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Filter dropdown with options: All | High | Medium | Low
- [ ] Filter persists in URL params
- [ ] Empty state message when no tasks match filter
- [ ] Typecheck passes
- [ ] Verify in browser using dev-browser skill

## Functional Requirements

- FR-1: Add `priority` field to tasks table ('high' | 'medium' | 'low', default 'medium')
- FR-2: Display colored priority badge on each task card
- FR-3: Include priority selector in task edit modal
- FR-4: Add priority filter dropdown to task list header
- FR-5: Sort by priority within each status column (high to medium to low)

## Non-Goals

- No priority-based notifications or reminders
- No automatic priority assignment based on due date
- No priority inheritance for subtasks

## Technical Considerations

- Reuse existing badge component with color variants
- Filter state managed via URL search params
- Priority stored in database, not computed

## Success Metrics

- Users can change priority in under 2 clicks
- High-priority tasks immediately visible at top of lists
- No regression in task list performance

## Open Questions

- Should priority affect task ordering within a column?
- Should we add keyboard shortcuts for priority changes?

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Story Size Guidelines

Each user story should be completable in one focused session. Use these guidelines:

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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

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Too Large ❌ (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’s too big.

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Acceptance Criteria Best Practices

Acceptance criteria must be verifiable, not vague:

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Good Criteria ✅

  • “Button shows confirmation dialog before deleting”
  • “Filter dropdown has options: All, Active, Completed”
  • “API returns 404 when task not found”
  • “Typecheck passes”

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Bad Criteria ❌

  • “Works correctly” (too vague)
  • “Good UX” (not measurable)
  • “Handles edge cases” (which ones?)
  • “User can do X easily” (not verifiable)

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Required Criteria

Every story must include: 
- [ ] Typecheck/lint passes
UI stories must also include: 
- [ ] Verify in browser using dev-browser skill

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Output Location

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Format
string
default:"Markdown (.md)"
PRDs are generated in markdown format for easy editing and version control
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Location
string
default:"tasks/"
All PRDs are saved to the tasks/ directory in your project root
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Filename
string
default:"prd-[feature-name].md"
Filenames use kebab-case with the prd- prefix

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Next Steps

After generating a PRD:
  1. Review and edit - Refine the PRD based on team feedback
  2. Convert to JSON - Use the Ralph Converter skill to create prd.json
  3. Run Ralph - Execute the autonomous implementation loop

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Checklist

Before saving a PRD, verify:
  • Asked clarifying questions with lettered options
  • Incorporated user’s answers
  • User stories are small and specific
  • Functional requirements are numbered and unambiguous
  • Non-goals section defines clear boundaries
  • Saved to tasks/prd-[feature-name].md

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