What Are the Sections in the 8-Section PRD Template? Complete Guide

The 8-section PRD template contains eight standardized sections: Summary, Contacts, Background, Objective, Market Segment(s), Value Proposition(s), Solution (with four subsections), and Release.

The phuryn/pm-skills repository provides a structured approach to product management through executable skills. According to the source code in pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md, the 8-section PRD template offers a standardized framework for documenting product requirements that captures what, why, who, how, and when for any product initiative.

The Eight Sections Defined

The template is documented in [pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md#L26-L64) and consists of the following sections:

1. Summary

The Summary section provides a brief 2-3 sentence overview describing what the PRD covers. This serves as an executive summary for stakeholders who need to quickly understand the document's purpose without reading the full specification.

2. Contacts

The Contacts section lists names, roles, and comments for key stakeholders. This ensures accountability by clearly identifying who is responsible for decisions regarding the product or feature, including product owners, engineering leads, and design stakeholders.

3. Background

The Background section establishes context for the initiative. It explains why the problem exists, why the solution is needed now, and any recent changes that enable this initiative to succeed. This historical context helps teams understand the urgency and feasibility of the proposal.

4. Objective

The Objective section defines the overarching goal, its business impact, and alignment with company vision. According to the template specification, objectives should follow the SMART OKR format, including measurable key results that define success criteria for the initiative.

5. Market Segment(s)

The Market Segment(s) section defines the target audience based on jobs-to-be-done rather than demographics. It also documents any constraints that might affect the solution, such as regulatory requirements or technical limitations.

6. Value Proposition(s)

The Value Proposition(s) section articulates the customer jobs and needs being solved, the benefits delivered, and pains avoided. It may include competitive differentiation analysis using frameworks like the Value Curve, clearly stating why customers should choose this solution over alternatives.

7. Solution

The Solution section provides detailed technical and UX specifications, divided into four subsections:

• 7.1 UX/Prototypes: Wireframes, user flows, and visual design specifications
• 7.2 Key Features: Detailed feature specifications and functionality descriptions
• 7.3 Technology: Optional technical architecture decisions and stack recommendations
• 7.4 Assumptions: Unproven beliefs that the solution depends upon, which should be validated

8. Release

The Release section outlines timeline and scope, specifying what can be shipped in the first version versus future iterations. The template emphasizes using relative timeframes (e.g., "0-2 months") rather than exact dates to maintain flexibility while planning.

Implementation in the Repository

The 8-section PRD template is implemented as the create-prd skill within the pm-execution module. The /write-prd command, defined in pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md, scaffolds new PRDs using this exact structure.

When you invoke the /write-prd command, it generates a markdown file following the template defined in pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md, ensuring consistency across all product documentation in your organization.

Practical Example: Creating a PRD with the Template

Below is a minimal markdown skeleton that follows the eight-section structure. This can be copied into a new file (e.g., PRD-MyFeature.md) and filled in with your specific content:

# 1. Summary

A short description of the product/feature.

# 2. Contacts

- **Product Owner** – Jane Doe – [email protected]
- **Engineering Lead** – John Smith – [email protected]

# 3. Background

Explain the context, why the problem exists now, and any recent changes that make this initiative possible.

# 4. Objective

- **Goal:** Increase user retention by 15 % within six months.
- **Key Results:**
  - MAU growth ≥ 10 %
  - NPS increase ≥ 5 points

# 5. Market Segment(s)

Target users: power-users who need advanced analytics; constraints: GDPR compliance.

# 6. Value Proposition(s)

- **Jobs:** Quickly generate custom reports.
- **Benefits:** Saves 3 hours/week per user.
- **Differentiation:** Real-time data refresh, unlike competitor X.

# 7. Solution

## 7.1 UX/Prototypes

- Wireframe link: https://example.com/wireframe

## 7.2 Key Features

- Feature A: Export to CSV
- Feature B: Interactive dashboards

## 7.3 Technology

- Backend: Node.js + PostgreSQL (optional)

## 7.4 Assumptions

- Users will adopt the new UI within 2 weeks.

# 8. Release

- **Phase 1 (0–2 months):** Core export and dashboard.
- **Phase 2 (3–4 months):** Advanced analytics modules.

Summary

• The 8-section PRD template provides a complete framework covering Summary, Contacts, Background, Objective, Market Segments, Value Propositions, Solution, and Release.
• The template is defined in pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md (lines 26-64) and implemented through the /write-prd command.
• Section 7 (Solution) includes four subsections: UX/Prototypes, Key Features, Technology, and Assumptions.
• The template emphasizes jobs-to-be-done over demographics and relative timeframes over fixed dates.
• This structure ensures all PRDs capture what, why, who, how, and when in a stakeholder-friendly format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the 8-section PRD template?

The 8-section PRD template standardizes product requirement documentation across teams, ensuring every critical aspect—from stakeholder contacts to release timelines—is captured consistently. According to the phuryn/pm-skills repository, this structure helps product managers create comprehensive yet concise documents that are easily understood by engineering, design, and business stakeholders.

How does the Solution section differ from the Background section?

The Background section (Section 3) explains the context and reasoning behind the initiative—the "why now" and historical factors—while the Solution section (Section 7) details the actual implementation approach including wireframes, feature specifications, and technical architecture. Background focuses on justification; Solution focuses on execution.

Where is the PRD template defined in the pm-skills repository?

The template structure is defined in [pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/create-prd/SKILL.md) between lines 26-64. The implementation of the command that generates PRDs using this template is located in pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md.

Can I customize the sections for my specific use case?

While the template defines eight standard sections, the repository structure suggests flexibility within the framework—particularly in Section 7 (Solution), where Technology and Assumptions are marked as optional. Teams can adapt the specific content depth while maintaining the core eight-section structure to ensure consistency across the organization.

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