PRD templates: Standard, MVP, and AI-Optimized
Three PRD templates for different situations. Copy the one you need, fill in the sections, delete the prompts.
How to choose:
- Standard PRD — new product, large team, full specification
- MVP PRD — startup, hypothesis validation, quick launch
- AI-Optimized PRD — building with Cursor, Claude Code, Bolt, or another AI agent
More on each format: PRD — the complete guide.
Standard PRD
Full template with 14 sections. For a new product that needs a detailed specification for the team.
# PRD — [Product Name]
## Overview
- **Product Name:**
- **Author:**
- **Date:**
- **Version:**
- **Status:** Draft / In Review / Approved
## 1. Problem Statement
What problem exists? Who suffers from it? What evidence do we have?
## 2. Target Users
- **Primary persona:** [role, context, needs]
- **Secondary persona:** [role, context, needs]
- **Who is NOT a target user:** [explicitly exclude]
## 3. Proposed Solution
What are we building? Describe at the feature level, not the implementation level.
## 4. Scope
| IN | OUT |
|----|-----|
| | |
## 5. Success Metrics
| Metric | Target | How Measured | Timeline |
|--------|--------|-------------|----------|
| | | | |
## 6. Assumptions & Constraints
- Assumptions:
- Constraints (budget, deadlines, technology):
## 7. Functional Requirements
### P0 — Must Have
- [ ]
### P1 — Should Have
- [ ]
### P2 — Nice to Have
- [ ]
## 8. Non-Functional Requirements
- Performance:
- Security:
- Scalability:
- Availability:
## 9. User Stories
As a [persona], I want [action], so that [benefit].
## 10. Wireframes / Mockups
[Link to designs]
## 11. Technical Approach
Architecture, dependencies, integrations.
## 12. Timeline & Milestones
| Phase | Deliverable | Date |
|-------|------------|------|
| | | |
## 13. Risks & Dependencies
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|--------|-----------|
| | | |
## 14. Open Questions
- [ ]
MVP PRD
Minimal template with six sections. For quick launches and hypothesis validation.
More: MVP PRD — guide.
# MVP PRD — [Product Name]
- **Author:**
- **Date:**
- **MVP deadline:**
## 1. Problem Statement
What problem are we testing? What evidence suggests it exists?
If no data: "We believe [users] struggle with [problem] because [signal]."
## 2. Target Users
- **Pilot segment:** [specific group]
- **NOT for MVP:** [who we exclude]
## 3. Proposed Solution
Minimal version: what the user can do and what they get.
## 4. Scope (IN/OUT)
| IN (MVP) | OUT (post-MVP) |
|----------|---------------|
| | |
The OUT list should be three to four times longer than IN.
## 5. P0 Requirements
- [ ]
- [ ]
- [ ]
## 6. Success Metrics
| Metric | Target | How Measured |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| | | |
Measurable within two to four weeks after launch.
AI-Optimized PRD
Template for building with AI agents. Phase-based structure with dependencies and testable outputs.
More: AI-Optimized PRD — guide.
# AI-Optimized PRD — [Product Name]
- **Author:**
- **Date:**
## Problem Statement
[For people: context and justification]
## Target Users
- **Primary:** [who and what they need]
- **Not for:** [who we exclude]
## Success Metrics
| Metric | Target | How Measured |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| | | |
## Technical Constraints
- **Stack:** [languages, frameworks, versions]
- **Existing codebase:** [key files and patterns]
- **API contracts:** [external services, data formats]
- **Prohibitions:** [what the AI agent must NOT do]
## Phase 1: [Name]
**Dependencies:** None
**Scope:** [what this phase covers]
**Out of scope:** [what is excluded]
**Tasks:**
1.
2.
3.
**Testable output:**
- [how to verify — e.g., "API returns 200", "test passes"]
## Phase 2: [Name]
**Dependencies:** Phase 1
**Scope:**
**Out of scope:**
**Tasks:**
1.
2.
**Testable output:**
-
## AI Instructions
- Do not modify files not mentioned in the current phase
- Do not install dependencies without explicit instruction
- Do not create files outside specified directories