How to Write a Product Requirements Document (PRD)

How to Write a Product Requirements Document (PRD)


When making a product, it is important to ensure that all the desired capabilities are included in the final deliverable. A product requirements document (PRD) is a detailed outline of all product requirements that explains the value of the product as well as its purpose or feature. The product manager is responsible for creating the product requirements document to communicate to the product team and stakeholders. Traditional project management methodologies are most common when using a product requirements document, but product requirements documents have been used in more agile environments with an iterative and adaptive planning approach. How to write a PRD is a crucial step in project planning, but what makes up the PRD and how do you create one?

It must be a thorough, clear process and it must also be details of every capability required for the release. Each project is different, but the following is a good start on how to build a workable product requirement document.
The most important details in a product requirement document are the project information, objectives and goals, assumptions and constraints, background and strategic fit. Project information includes the stakeholders, target release date, and general information about the product. Objectives and goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Assumptions and constraints should include what users expect from the final deliverable. Background and strategic fit should include any issues or problems that the project will solve over the course of its life cycle.

The scope of a project should outline the product features, user stories, and requirements. It should also include the minimum functionality for the product to be publicly released, clarifying the scope of user testing and making sure the product is user-friendly. Finally, it should record success metrics and catalog exclusions to save the team from going down dead ends.