PRD to prd.json Converter

Converts existing PRDs to the prd.json format that brave-core-bot uses for autonomous execution.

The Job

Take a PRD (markdown file or text) and convert it to prd.json in your brave-core-bot directory.

Output Format

{
  "project": "[Project Name]",
  "repository": "[owner/repo]",
  "description": "[Feature description from PRD title/intro]",
  "config": {
    "workingDirectory": "[Git repo path, e.g., src/brave]",
    "testExecutionRequired": true
  },
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "[Story title]",
      "description": "As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Criterion 1",
        "Criterion 2",
        "Tests pass"
      ],
      "priority": 1,
      "status": "pending",
      "branchName": null,
      "prNumber": null,
      "prUrl": null,
      "lastActivityBy": null
    }
  ]
}

Story Size: The Number One Rule

Each story must be completable in ONE iteration (one context window).

The bot spawns a fresh Claude instance per iteration with no memory of previous work. If a story is too big, the LLM runs out of context before finishing and produces broken code.

Right-sized stories:

• •Add a database column and migration
• •Add a UI component to an existing page
• •Update a server action with new logic
• •Add a filter dropdown to a list

Too big (split these):

• •"Build the entire dashboard" - Split into: schema, queries, UI components, filters
• •"Add authentication" - Split into: schema, middleware, login UI, session handling
• •"Refactor the API" - Split into one story per endpoint or pattern

Rule of thumb: If you cannot describe the change in 2-3 sentences, it is too big.

Story Ordering: Dependencies First

Stories execute in priority order. Earlier stories must not depend on later ones.

Correct order:

1. •Schema/database changes (migrations)
2. •Server actions / backend logic
3. •UI components that use the backend
4. •Dashboard/summary views that aggregate data

Wrong order:

1. •UI component (depends on schema that does not exist yet)
2. •Schema change

Acceptance Criteria: Must Be Verifiable

Each criterion must be something the bot can CHECK, not something vague.

Good criteria (verifiable):

• •"Add status column to tasks table with default 'pending'"
• •"Filter dropdown has options: All, Active, Completed"
• •"Clicking delete shows confirmation dialog"
• •"Typecheck passes"
• •"Tests pass"

Bad criteria (vague):

• •"Works correctly"
• •"User can do X easily"
• •"Good UX"
• •"Handles edge cases"

Always include as final criterion:

"Typecheck passes"

For stories with testable logic, also include:

"Tests pass"

For test fixes, determine test location DURING prd.json creation:

IMPORTANT: When converting a test fix PRD to prd.json, you MUST determine the test location first and write the correct acceptance criteria directly.

Before writing the prd.json:

1. •Run git grep TestClassName ../src/brave and git grep TestClassName ../src
2. •Based on where the test is found, write the specific test command

For Brave tests (found in ../src/brave):

"acceptanceCriteria": [
  "Fix the failing test condition",
  "Run npm run build from src/brave (must pass)",
  "Run npm run test -- brave_browser_tests --gtest_filter=TestName (must pass 5 consecutive times)"
]

For Chromium tests (found in ../src/chrome or similar):

"acceptanceCriteria": [
  "Fix the failing test condition",
  "Run npm run build from src/brave (must pass)",
  "Run npm run test -- browser_tests --gtest_filter=TestName (must pass 5 consecutive times)"
]

Do NOT use conditional criteria like [For Brave tests only] - write the exact command based on your research.

Test fixes are NOT complete until the specific test passes consistently (5 times).

Conversion Rules

1. •Each user story becomes one JSON entry
2. •IDs: Sequential (US-001, US-002, etc.)
3. •Priority: Based on dependency order, then document order (lower number = higher priority)
4. •All stories start as: status: "pending", branchName: null, prNumber: null, prUrl: null, lastActivityBy: null
5. •Always add: Test execution commands to every story's acceptance criteria

Splitting Large PRDs

If a PRD has big features, split them:

Original:

"Add user notification system"

Split into:

1. •US-001: Add notifications table to database
2. •US-002: Create notification service for sending notifications
3. •US-003: Add notification bell icon to header
4. •US-004: Create notification dropdown panel
5. •US-005: Add mark-as-read functionality
6. •US-006: Add notification preferences page

Each is one focused change that can be completed and verified independently.

Example

Input PRD:

# Task Status Feature

Add ability to mark tasks with different statuses.

## Requirements
- Toggle between pending/in-progress/done on task list
- Filter list by status
- Show status badge on each task
- Persist status in database

Output prd.json:

{
  "project": "TaskApp",
  "repository": "owner/task-app",
  "description": "Task Status Feature - Track task progress with status indicators",
  "config": {
    "workingDirectory": ".",
    "testExecutionRequired": true
  },
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "Add status field to tasks table",
      "description": "As a developer, I need to store task status in the database.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Add status column: 'pending' | 'in_progress' | 'done' (default 'pending')",
        "Generate and run migration successfully",
        "Tests pass"
      ],
      "priority": 1,
      "status": "pending",
      "branchName": null,
      "prNumber": null,
      "prUrl": null,
      "lastActivityBy": null
    },
    {
      "id": "US-002",
      "title": "Display status badge on task cards",
      "description": "As a user, I want to see task status at a glance.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Each task card shows colored status badge",
        "Badge colors: gray=pending, blue=in_progress, green=done",
        "Tests pass"
      ],
      "priority": 2,
      "status": "pending",
      "branchName": null,
      "prNumber": null,
      "prUrl": null,
      "lastActivityBy": null
    },
    {
      "id": "US-003",
      "title": "Add status toggle to task list rows",
      "description": "As a user, I want to change task status directly from the list.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Each row has status dropdown or toggle",
        "Changing status saves immediately",
        "UI updates without page refresh",
        "Tests pass"
      ],
      "priority": 3,
      "status": "pending",
      "branchName": null,
      "prNumber": null,
      "prUrl": null,
      "lastActivityBy": null
    },
    {
      "id": "US-004",
      "title": "Filter tasks by status",
      "description": "As a user, I want to filter the list to see only certain statuses.",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Filter dropdown: All | Pending | In Progress | Done",
        "Filter persists in URL params",
        "Tests pass"
      ],
      "priority": 4,
      "status": "pending",
      "branchName": null,
      "prNumber": null,
      "prUrl": null,
      "lastActivityBy": null
    }
  ]
}

Archiving Previous Runs

Before writing a new prd.json, check if there is an existing one from a different feature:

1. •Read the current prd.json if it exists
2. •Check if branchName differs from the new feature's branch name
3. •If different AND progress.txt has content beyond the header:
   • •Create archive folder: archive/YYYY-MM-DD-feature-name/
   • •Copy current prd.json and progress.txt to archive
   • •Reset progress.txt with fresh header

The run.sh script handles this automatically when you run it, but if you are manually updating prd.json between runs, archive first.

Checklist Before Saving

Before writing prd.json, verify:

• • Previous run archived (if prd.json exists with different branchName, archive it first)
• • Each story is completable in one iteration (small enough)
• • Stories are ordered by dependency (schema to backend to UI)
• • Every story has "Typecheck passes" as criterion
• • UI stories have "Verify in browser using dev-browser skill" as criterion
• • Acceptance criteria are verifiable (not vague)
• • No story depends on a later story