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Product Requirements Document Template
This template provides a comprehensive structure for creating Product Requirements Documents (PRDs). Adapt sections based on your needs and project scope.
Document Header
Product/Feature Name: [Name] Status: [Draft | In Review | Approved] Author: [Your Name] Stakeholders: [List key stakeholders] Date Created: [YYYY-MM-DD] Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD] Version: [1.0]
Executive Summary
One-liner: [Single sentence describing the product/feature]
Overview: [2-3 paragraph summary of what you're building, why, and expected impact]
Quick Facts:
- Target Users: [Primary user segment]
- Problem Solved: [Core problem being addressed]
- Key Metric: [Primary success metric]
- Target Launch: [Date or Quarter]
Table of Contents
- Problem Statement
- Goals & Objectives
- User Personas
- User Stories & Requirements
- Success Metrics
- Scope
- Technical Considerations
- Design & UX Requirements
- Timeline & Milestones
- Risks & Mitigation
- Dependencies & Assumptions
- Open Questions
- Stakeholder Sign-Off
Problem Statement
The Problem
[Clearly articulate the problem you're solving. What pain point exists today?]
Current State
[Describe how users currently handle this problem, including workarounds]
Impact
User Impact:
- [How this affects users]
- [Quantify if possible: "Users spend 30 minutes daily on workarounds"]
Business Impact:
- [How this affects the business]
- [Include metrics: "Costs us $X in support tickets monthly"]
Why Now?
[Explain the urgency or strategic importance of solving this now]
Goals & Objectives
Business Goals
- [Goal 1]: [Description and expected impact]
- [Goal 2]: [Description and expected impact]
- [Goal 3]: [Description and expected impact]
User Goals
- [Goal 1]: [What users want to achieve]
- [Goal 2]: [What users want to achieve]
- [Goal 3]: [What users want to achieve]
Non-Goals
[What we're explicitly NOT trying to achieve with this effort]
User Personas
Primary Persona: [Name/Type]
Demographics:
- Age range: [Range]
- Role/Title: [Role]
- Tech savviness: [Low/Medium/High]
- Location: [Geographic info if relevant]
Behaviors:
- [Key behavior pattern 1]
- [Key behavior pattern 2]
- [Key behavior pattern 3]
Needs & Motivations:
- [What they need to accomplish]
- [What drives their decision-making]
Pain Points:
- [Current frustration 1]
- [Current frustration 2]
- [Current frustration 3]
Quote: "[Verbatim user quote that captures their perspective]"
Secondary Persona: [Name/Type]
[Repeat structure as needed for additional personas]
User Stories & Requirements
Epic: [Epic Name]
Must-Have Stories (P0)
Story 1: [Feature Name]
User Story:
As a [user type],
I want to [perform action],
So that [achieve benefit/value].
Acceptance Criteria:
- Given [context], when [action], then [expected outcome]
- Given [context], when [action], then [expected outcome]
- Edge case: [Specific scenario]
Priority: Must Have (P0) Effort: [T-shirt size: XS/S/M/L/XL] Dependencies: [List any dependencies]
Story 2: [Feature Name]
[Repeat structure]
Should-Have Stories (P1)
[List P1 stories using same format]
Nice-to-Have Stories (P2)
[List P2 stories using same format]
Functional Requirements
| Req ID | Description | Priority | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR-001 | [Requirement description] | Must Have | Open |
| FR-002 | [Requirement description] | Should Have | Open |
| FR-003 | [Requirement description] | Nice to Have | Open |
Non-Functional Requirements
| Req ID | Category | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFR-001 | Performance | Page load time | < 2 seconds |
| NFR-002 | Availability | Uptime SLA | 99.9% |
| NFR-003 | Security | Data encryption | AES-256 |
| NFR-004 | Accessibility | WCAG compliance | Level AA |
Success Metrics
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Primary Metric (North Star)
Metric: [Your North Star Metric] Definition: [How it's calculated] Current Baseline: [Current value] Target: [Target value by launch + X months] Why This Metric: [Why this measures success]
Secondary Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Metric 1] | [Value] | [Value] | [When] |
| [Metric 2] | [Value] | [Value] | [When] |
| [Metric 3] | [Value] | [Value] | [When] |
Measurement Framework
Framework Used: [AARRR / HEART / Custom]
Acquisition:
- [Metric and target]
Activation:
- [Metric and target]
Retention:
- [Metric and target]
Revenue:
- [Metric and target]
Referral:
- [Metric and target]
Analytics Implementation
Events to Track:
[event_name_1]- [When triggered][event_name_2]- [When triggered][event_name_3]- [When triggered]
Dashboards:
- [Link to primary dashboard]
- [Link to secondary dashboard]
Scope
In Scope
Phase 1 (MVP):
- [Feature/capability 1]
- [Feature/capability 2]
- [Feature/capability 3]
Phase 2 (Post-MVP):
- [Feature/capability 1]
- [Feature/capability 2]
Out of Scope
Explicitly Excluded:
- [Item 1 and why it's excluded]
- [Item 2 and why it's excluded]
- [Item 3 and why it's excluded]
Future Considerations
Potential Future Enhancements:
- [Enhancement 1]
- [Enhancement 2]
- [Enhancement 3]
Technical Considerations
High-Level Architecture
[Describe the technical approach, architecture diagram link, or key architectural decisions]
Technology Stack
Frontend:
- [Framework/library]
- [Key dependencies]
Backend:
- [Language/framework]
- [Key services]
Infrastructure:
- [Hosting platform]
- [Database]
- [Caching layer]
API Requirements
New Endpoints:
GET /api/v1/[endpoint]- [Description]POST /api/v1/[endpoint]- [Description]PUT /api/v1/[endpoint]- [Description]
External APIs:
- [Third-party API 1]
- [Third-party API 2]
Security Requirements
- Authentication: [Method: JWT, OAuth, etc.]
- Authorization: [RBAC, ABAC, etc.]
- Data Encryption: [At rest and in transit]
- Compliance: [GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.]
- Rate Limiting: [Limits and throttling strategy]
Performance Requirements
- Response Time: [Target: e.g., < 200ms p95]
- Throughput: [Requests per second]
- Concurrency: [Concurrent users supported]
- Database: [Query performance targets]
- Caching: [Cache hit rate targets]
Scalability
- Expected Load: [Users, requests, data volume]
- Growth Projections: [12-month forecast]
- Scaling Strategy: [Horizontal/vertical, auto-scaling]
Data Considerations
Data Model:
- [Key entities and relationships]
Storage Requirements:
- [Estimated storage needs]
- [Retention policies]
Data Migration:
- [Migration plan if updating existing data]
- [Rollback strategy]
Privacy & Compliance:
- PII handling: [How personal data is handled]
- Data deletion: [User data deletion process]
- Audit logging: [What's logged and retained]
Design & UX Requirements
User Experience Principles
[Key UX principles guiding this feature]
User Flows
Primary Flow:
- [Step 1]
- [Step 2]
- [Step 3]
- [Final state]
Alternative Flows:
- [Alternative scenario 1]
- [Error handling flow]
Visual Design
Design Assets:
- [Link to Figma/Sketch files]
- [Link to design system]
Key Screens:
- [Screen 1]: [Link to mockup]
- [Screen 2]: [Link to mockup]
- [Screen 3]: [Link to mockup]
Design System Components:
- [Component 1 from design system]
- [Component 2 from design system]
- [New components needed]
Interaction Patterns
- [Pattern 1: e.g., "Click to expand"]
- [Pattern 2: e.g., "Drag to reorder"]
- [Pattern 3: e.g., "Inline editing"]
Accessibility (a11y)
Requirements:
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance
- Keyboard navigation support
- Screen reader compatibility
- Color contrast ratios (4.5:1 for text)
- Focus indicators visible
- Alternative text for images
- Semantic HTML structure
Testing:
- Keyboard-only navigation test
- Screen reader test (NVDA/JAWS)
- Color contrast verification
- Automated a11y testing (axe/Lighthouse)
Responsive Design
Breakpoints:
- Mobile: 320px - 767px
- Tablet: 768px - 1023px
- Desktop: 1024px+
Platform-Specific Considerations:
- [iOS-specific requirements]
- [Android-specific requirements]
- [Web-specific requirements]
Timeline & Milestones
Target Launch Date: [YYYY-MM-DD or Q#]
Phases
| Phase | Deliverables | Owner | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Requirements finalized, design approved | PM/Design | [Date] | [Date] |
| Design | High-fidelity mockups, user testing | Design | [Date] | [Date] |
| Development | Backend + frontend implementation | Engineering | [Date] | [Date] |
| QA | Testing complete, bugs resolved | QA | [Date] | [Date] |
| Beta | Beta testing with select users | PM/QA | [Date] | [Date] |
| Launch | Production release | Engineering | [Date] | [Date] |
| Post-Launch | Monitoring, iteration based on data | PM/Engineering | [Date] | [Date] |
Key Milestones
- [Date]: Kickoff meeting
- [Date]: Design review
- [Date]: Technical design review
- [Date]: Development complete
- [Date]: QA complete
- [Date]: Beta launch
- [Date]: General availability
- [Date]: Post-launch review
Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Impact | Probability | Mitigation Strategy | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Risk 1: e.g., "API partner delays"] | High | Medium | [Strategy: e.g., "Build with mock data, switch when ready"] | [Name] |
| [Risk 2] | Medium | High | [Strategy] | [Name] |
| [Risk 3] | Low | Low | [Strategy] | [Name] |
Contingency Plans
If [scenario occurs]:
- Action plan: [Steps to take]
- Decision maker: [Who makes the call]
- Trigger: [What indicates this scenario]
Dependencies & Assumptions
Dependencies
Internal:
- [Dependency 1: e.g., "Design system update"]
- [Dependency 2: e.g., "API v2 completion"]
- [Dependency 3]
External:
- [Dependency 1: e.g., "Third-party API approval"]
- [Dependency 2]
Assumptions
- [Assumption 1: e.g., "Users have updated to app version 2.0+"]
- [Assumption 2: e.g., "Budget approved for $X infrastructure costs"]
- [Assumption 3]
Open Questions
Track unresolved items that need decisions:
-
[Question 1]
- Context: [Why this matters]
- Options: [List options being considered]
- Owner: [Who will decide]
- Deadline: [When decision needed]
-
[Question 2]
- Context:
- Options:
- Owner:
- Deadline:
Stakeholder Sign-Off
| Stakeholder | Role | Review Status | Approved | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | Product Lead | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
| [Name] | Engineering Lead | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
| [Name] | Design Lead | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
| [Name] | QA Lead | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
| [Name] | Security | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
| [Name] | Legal/Compliance | ⏳ Pending / ✅ Complete | ☐ | - |
Appendix
References
- [User research findings link]
- [Competitive analysis link]
- [Market research link]
- [Technical design doc link]
Related Documents
- [Link to design files]
- [Link to API documentation]
- [Link to test plan]
Glossary
- [Term 1]: [Definition]
- [Term 2]: [Definition]
- [Term 3]: [Definition]
Change Log
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | [YYYY-MM-DD] | [Name] | Initial draft |
| 1.1 | [YYYY-MM-DD] | [Name] | [Changes made] |
Document Usage Notes
When to use this template:
- Major new features
- New products
- Significant product enhancements
- Cross-functional initiatives
When NOT to use this template:
- Minor bug fixes
- Small UI tweaks
- Maintenance tasks
- Simple A/B tests
Customization:
- Remove sections not relevant to your project
- Add sections specific to your domain
- Adjust detail level based on project scope
- Use "Lean PRD" format for smaller projects
Best Practices:
- Start with problem, not solution
- Keep it concise but complete
- Use specific, measurable language
- Include visual aids (mockups, diagrams)
- Review with all stakeholders
- Keep it updated as understanding evolves