Product Requirements Document: Template + Examples

A product requirements document (PRD) is the single source of truth for what you’re building, who it’s for, and how you’ll know it worked. It translates strategy into buildable scope—without turning into a 40-page spec nobody reads.

If your team is stuck in “but I thought…” loops, a good PRD fixes that fast. Below, you’ll get the essential sections, a copy-paste template, and a practical way to keep it lightweight while still being crystal clear.

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Software PRD template that teams actually use

A strong software PRD template is short, skimmable, and testable. It should be detailed enough that engineering can estimate and QA can validate—but not so detailed that you’re designing the solution in the doc.

Here’s a practical structure you can reuse:

• Problem statement: What pain are we solving, and for whom?
• Goal + success metrics: What does “better” look like (conversion, time saved, revenue, NPS)?
• User stories / jobs-to-be-done: What users need to do (not UI screens).
• Scope: In-scope vs out-of-scope (this prevents scope creep more than anything).
• Requirements: Functional requirements + key edge cases and constraints.
• Dependencies & risks: Legal, data, integrations, platform limits, timelines.
• Rollout + tracking: Launch plan, analytics events, monitoring, and support notes.

If you want a high-signal reference on what “good” looks like, SVPG’s PRD guidance is a great benchmark for staying outcome-focused without over-specifying.

First-hand example from delivery work: on a B2B onboarding project, the “requirements” were scattered across Slack threads and Figma comments. We condensed them into a one-page PRD: one goal metric (activation), three must-have flows, and a clear out-of-scope list. The next sprint planning went from “debate-heavy” to “estimate-heavy”—because everyone finally had the same definition of success.

If you’re trying to make that repeatable, our product ownership support focuses on turning fuzzy ideas into build-ready tickets and PRDs.

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MRD template vs PRD template

Teams often ask whether they need an MRD, a PRD, or both. A simple way to think about it:

• An MRD template (Market Requirements Document) clarifies the market and business context: target segments, competitive landscape, pricing/positioning constraints, and why now.
• A prd template turns that context into a build plan: user needs, scope, requirements, and delivery/measurement details.

If you’re early in discovery (or launching into a new market), an MRD helps you avoid building the wrong thing. If you’re already aligned on the “why” and need to execute, a PRD is the faster tool.

If you’re aligning stakeholders on what belongs in a PRD (and what doesn’t), Atlassian’s PRD overview is a useful “shared language” reference.

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PRD product decisions: keep it lightweight, not vague

A PRD should protect focus, not create bureaucracy. The secret is writing requirements at the right altitude.

Use these guardrails for every prd product decision:

• Write outcomes, not implementations: “User can export CSV for selected date range” beats “Add button top-right.”
• Call out non-goals: If it’s not in scope, say it explicitly.
• Define success upfront: If the PRD can’t name a measurable success condition, it’s not ready.
• Handle edge cases early: Permissions, error states, empty states, and limits are where projects derail.

If you do need a deeper “spec-style” companion doc (especially for complex workflows), Sequoia’s piece on writing a product spec is a helpful model for being rigorous without drowning in detail.

When you’re prioritizing what makes it into the PRD (and what doesn’t), a lightweight scoring approach helps. If you want a structured way to prioritize beyond gut feel, our product strategy consulting can help you build a repeatable decision framework.

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FAQs

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Conclusion

A great product requirements document doesn’t try to be perfect—it tries to be shared, clear, and decision-ready. If your PRD makes scope obvious, success measurable, and edge cases testable, you’ll reduce rework and speed up delivery without adding process drag.

Treat it as a living alignment tool, not a paperwork artifact, and your product requirements document becomes one of the highest-leverage docs your team writes.

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