# Understanding the prd.json Schema for User Stories and Passes Status in Ralph

> Explore the prd.json schema in Ralph to understand how the passes flag tracks user story completion status, automating your development workflow.

- Repository: [Ryan Carson/ralph](https://github.com/snarktank/ralph)
- Tags: api-reference
- Published: 2026-04-13

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**The [`prd.json`](https://github.com/snarktank/ralph/blob/main/prd.json) schema defines a JSON structure where each user story includes a `passes` boolean flag that indicates whether all acceptance criteria and automated checks have succeeded, enabling the Ralph automation loop to track completion status without manual intervention.**

The [`prd.json`](https://github.com/snarktank/ralph/blob/main/prd.json) file serves as the product requirements document for projects managed by Ralph, an autonomous development agent. Understanding the [`prd.json`](https://github.com/snarktank/ralph/blob/main/prd.json) schema for user stories and passes status is essential for teams leveraging the snarktank/ralph repository to automate their development workflow, as this structure dictates how the AI interpre