If you want your product to be developed and released successfully, you need to write well-organized product requirement documents. Project requirement documents ensure that your projects are successful, determine what steps your team will take during the development phase of your product, and ensure that your product is ready for release. If you want to write a product requirement document but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered!

In this article, we’ll explore templates that will streamline your product requirement document writing process.

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Let’s dive in!

TL; DR

  • Product requirement documents serve as a guide to determine the course of a product and prepare it for release.
  • You can speed up and simplify your product requirement document writing process with PRD templates.
  • PRD templates have benefits such as saving time and money, and standard PRD quality.
  • You can use versatile AI assistants such as TextCortex to generate personalized PRD templates.

What is a Product Requirement Document?

A product requirement document is a framework that conveys everything to your team members about a product and its development process. The product requirement document can be shaped and edited according to the changes in your project. It can serve as a common information source for all employees. Product requirement documents highlight the functions, features, and criteria of a product.

What is a PRD template?

A product requirement document template is a guide designed to help you, or your product manager create a functional and useful PRD. Using a PRD template helps teams streamline the process, ensuring high-quality and well-organized product requirement documents. The product requirement document template should outline problems, goals, objectives, constraints, technical requirements, and release criteria.

Benefits of a Product Requirement Document Template

The most critical benefit of product requirement document templates is that they guide the PRD writing process. Even if you are writing a PRD for the first time, you can manage the entire process and create a well-written document with PRD templates. Some of the product requirement document template benefits include:

  • Time Saving
  • Well-organized Document
  • Standardize the Process
  • Clarity
  • Set Objectives and Goals
  • Wallet-Friendly

How to Create a Product Requirement Document Template?

If you need a product requirement document template and are looking for one that is specifically customized for your product, AI tools are the solution for you. You can generate PRD templates customized for your product using AI tools that offer features that can analyze your internal data, such as knowledge bases. If you are looking for a company AI assistant who can create all documentation templates, including PRDs, we recommend that you put TextCortex on your radar.

Create Custom PRD Templates via TextCortex

With TextCortex, you can generate custom templates for all documents you need in your company, including product requirement documents. Thanks to TextCortex knowledge bases, it can generate output by working integrated with your company's internal data. For example, you can upload documents related to your product to TextCortex knowledge bases and ask it to generate an actionable PRD template.

What’s more, with the TextCortex AI agent, you can build AI agents that will automate repetitive tasks such as documentation, template generation, data analysis, translation, grammar & spelling fixes. Thus, you can save time, focus your main team on main tasks, and boost overall company efficiency.

Product Requirement Document Template 

Here’s a basic Product Requirement Document (PRD) template in a format suitable for a .docx document. You can copy and paste this into a .docx file and then customize it to fit your specific needs.

Product Requirement Document (PRD)
1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Purpose:
    • Briefly state the purpose of this document. (e.g., "This document outlines the requirements for the development of the [Product Name] feature within the [Application Name] platform.")
  • 1.2 Goals:
    • What are the overall business goals this product/feature aims to achieve? (e.g., "Increase user engagement by 15%", "Reduce customer support tickets related to [problem] by 20%", "Expand into the [market] market.")
  • 1.3 Target Audience:
    • Who is the intended audience for this document? (e.g., "Product Managers, Developers, Designers, QA Testers, Marketing Team")
  • 1.4 Scope:
    • Clearly define what is included and, importantly, what is not included in this release/version of the product/feature. (e.g., "This PRD covers the user interface, functionality, and data requirements for the [Feature Name] feature. It does not include integration with [External System], which will be addressed in a future release.")
2. Background & Context
  • 2.1 Problem Statement:
    • Clearly and concisely describe the problem this product/feature is trying to solve. Why is it important to solve this problem? What are the current pain points? (e.g., "Users are struggling to [task] because [reason]. This results in [negative consequence].")
  • 2.2 User Personas (Optional, but Recommended):
    • Describe the key user types who will interact with the product/feature. Include details like: 
      • Name
      • Job title/Role
      • Demographics (optional)
      • Goals related to the product
      • Pain points related to the problem
      • Technical proficiency
  • 2.3 Market Analysis (Optional):
    • Briefly describe the market landscape and competitive analysis, if relevant. (e.g., "Competitor A offers [feature], but lacks [feature]. Competitor B offers [feature], but is more expensive.")
3. Product Overview
  • 3.1 Product Description:
    • Provide a high-level overview of the product/feature. What does it do? What are its key functionalities? How does it fit into the existing ecosystem?
  • 3.2 Key Features:
    • List the essential features of the product/feature. Provide a brief description of each. (e.g., 
      • Feature 1: User Authentication - Allows users to securely log in to the application.
      • Feature 2: Data Visualization - Provides interactive charts and graphs to display key data metrics.
      • Feature 3: Reporting - Enables users to generate custom reports based on various data filters.)
  • 3.3 User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX):
    • Describe the desired user experience. Include: 
      • User Flow: Describe the steps a user takes to complete a key task within the product/feature. (Consider including a diagram or flowchart as a separate attachment.)
      • UI Mockups/Wireframes: (Highly Recommended) Include links to visual representations of the user interface (e.g., InVision prototype, Figma design, sketches). If you don't have these, describe the general layout and key elements. (e.g., "The main screen will consist of a navigation bar at the top, a central data display area, and a filter panel on the left.")
      • Style Guide/Design System References: Refer to any existing style guides or design systems to ensure consistency.
4. Detailed Requirements
This is the most important section. Break down the requirements into functional and non-functional categories. Use clear, concise language. Use "shall" to indicate mandatory requirements.
  • 4.1 Functional Requirements:
    • Describe what the system should do. Focus on the specific functionalities and behaviors. Use numbered lists for clarity.
    • Example:
      1. The system shall allow users to register for an account using their email address and a password.
      2. The system shall validate the email address format during registration.
      3. The system shall send a confirmation email to the registered email address.
      4. The system shall allow users to reset their password if they forget it.
      5. The system shall display an error message if the user enters incorrect login credentials.
      6. The system shall allow the user to upload a profile picture.
      7. The system shall store the profile picture securely.
  • 4.2 Non-Functional Requirements:
    • Describe how the system should perform. Focus on quality attributes like performance, security, usability, reliability, and scalability.
    • Example:
  • Performance: 
    1. The system shall load all pages within 3 seconds.
    2. The system shall be able to handle 1,000 concurrent users without performance degradation.
  • Security: 
    1. The system shall encrypt all sensitive data at rest and in transit.
    2. The system shall comply with [Relevant Security Standard, e.g., GDPR, HIPAA].
    3. The system shall have proper authentication and authorization mechanisms.
  • Usability: 
    1. The system shall be intuitive and easy to use for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
    2. All error messages shall be clear and provide helpful guidance to the user.
  • Reliability: 
    1. The system shall have an uptime of 99.9%.
    2. The system shall have a robust backup and recovery mechanism.
  • Scalability: 
    1. The system shall be able to scale to accommodate future growth in user base and data volume.
  • Accessibility: 
    1. The system shall comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility guidelines.
5. Release Criteria/Acceptance Criteria
  • Describe the conditions that must be met for the product/feature to be considered complete and ready for release. These criteria should be measurable and testable.
    • Example: 
      • All functional requirements outlined in Section 4.1 have been implemented and tested.
      • All non-functional requirements outlined in Section 4.2 have been met.
      • User acceptance testing (UAT) has been completed successfully.
      • All critical bugs have been resolved.
      • The product/feature has been deployed to the production environment without any major issues.
      • Documentation (user guides, API documentation) is complete and accurate.
6. Out of Scope
  • Explicitly list any features or functionalities that are not included in this release, even if they might seem related. This helps to manage expectations. (e.g., "Integration with [External System].", "Support for [Specific Language].", "Advanced reporting features.")
7. Open Issues/Risks
  • Identify any outstanding questions, unresolved issues, or potential risks associated with the product/feature. (e.g., "Need to confirm compatibility with [Operating System].", "Potential risk of delays due to dependency on [External Vendor].")
8. Future Considerations (Optional)
  • Briefly mention any potential future enhancements or features that are not planned for this release but may be considered in the future.
9. Glossary (Optional)
  • Define any technical terms or acronyms used in the document that may not be familiar to all readers.
10. Appendices (Optional)
  • Include any supporting documents, such as: 
    • User flow diagrams
    • Wireframes
    • Mockups
    • Data models
    • API specifications
Document Control
  • Version History:
    • | Version | Date | Author | Changes |
    • | ------- | ---------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------- |
    • | 1.0 | 2023-10-27 | [Your Name] | Initial Draft |
    • | 1.1 | 2023-10-30 | [Your Name] | Added User Persona section |
  • Approval:
    • | Role | Name | Signature | Date |
    • | ---------------- | ------------- | --------- | ---------- |
    • | Product Manager | | | |
    • | Engineering Lead | | | |
    • | Design Lead | | | |

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Create Product Requirement Documents?

The fastest, easiest, and most effective way to create a product requirement document is to use a PRD template. If you want to generate customized PRD templates for your product, you can utilize AI assistants such as TextCortex.

What is PRD and BRD?

PRD stands for product requirement documents and highlights the needs, steps, and requirements of releasing a product. On the other hand, BRD stands for business requirement document and highlights the objectives, goals, processes, and workflows of a business.

Who owns product requirement document?

Usually, the product manager prepares a product requirement document. In some cases, the PRD writing task may be undertaken by an employee with deep knowledge of the product or by the product owner.