prd-converter

Converts existing PRDs to the prd.json format that Aha Loop uses for autonomous execution.

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The Job

Take a PRD (markdown file or text) and convert it to prd.json in the scripts/aha-loop directory.

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Output Format (v2)

{
  "version": 2,
  "prdId": "[PRD-XXX from roadmap or PRD filename]",
  "project": "[Project Name]",
  "branchName": "aha-loop/[feature-name-kebab-case]",
  "description": "[Feature description from PRD title/intro]",
  "changeLog": [],
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "[Story title]",
      "description": "As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]",
      "acceptanceCriteria": [
        "Criterion 1",
        "Criterion 2",
        "Typecheck passes"
      ],
      "priority": 1,
      "passes": false,
      "researchTopics": [
        "Question about technology or best practice",
        "Question about existing patterns"
      ],
      "researchCompleted": false,
      "learnings": "",
      "implementationNotes": "",
      "notes": ""
    }
  ]
}

New v2 Fields Explained

| Field | Purpose | |-------|---------| | version | Schema version (always 2) | | prdId | PRD identifier (e.g., PRD-001) for commit message prefixes | | changeLog | Array of plan modifications made during execution | | researchTopics | Questions to investigate before implementing the story | | researchCompleted | Whether research phase is done for this story | | learnings | Knowledge gained during implementation (filled by Aha Loop) | | implementationNotes | Guidance from research phase for implementation |

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Story Size: The Number One Rule

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

Aha Loop spawns a fresh AI 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.

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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

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Acceptance Criteria: Must Be Verifiable

Each criterion must be something the execution engine 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 stories that change UI, also include:

"Verify in browser using dev-browser skill"

Frontend stories are NOT complete until visually verified. Aha Loop will use the dev-browser skill to navigate to the page, interact with the UI, and confirm changes work.

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Conversion Rules

1. Version: Always set "version": 2
2. prdId: Set from roadmap PRD ID (e.g., PRD-001) or derive from PRD filename
3. Each user story becomes one JSON entry
4. IDs: Sequential (US-001, US-002, etc.)
5. Priority: Based on dependency order, then document order
6. All stories: passes: false, researchCompleted: false, empty notes, learnings, implementationNotes
7. branchName: Derive from feature name, kebab-case, prefixed with aha-loop/
8. Always add: "Typecheck passes" to every story's acceptance criteria
9. researchTopics: Extract from PRD's Research Topics section, or generate if story involves:
   • Unfamiliar third-party libraries
   • Multiple implementation approaches
   • Performance-sensitive code
   • Complex integrations
10. changeLog: Initialize as empty array []

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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.

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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 (v2):

{
  "version": 2,
  "prdId": "PRD-001",
  "project": "TaskApp",
  "branchName": "aha-loop/task-status",
  "description": "Task Status Feature - Track task progress with status indicators",
  "changeLog": [],
  "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",
        "Typecheck passes"
      ],
      "priority": 1,
      "passes": false,
      "researchTopics": [
        "Best practices for enum columns in this database",
        "Migration rollback strategies"
      ],
      "researchCompleted": false,
      "learnings": "",
      "implementationNotes": "",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "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",
        "Typecheck passes",
        "Verify in browser using dev-browser skill"
      ],
      "priority": 2,
      "passes": false,
      "researchTopics": [
        "Existing badge components in codebase",
        "Accessible color schemes for status indicators"
      ],
      "researchCompleted": false,
      "learnings": "",
      "implementationNotes": "",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "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",
        "Typecheck passes",
        "Verify in browser using dev-browser skill"
      ],
      "priority": 3,
      "passes": false,
      "researchTopics": [],
      "researchCompleted": false,
      "learnings": "",
      "implementationNotes": "",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "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",
        "Typecheck passes",
        "Verify in browser using dev-browser skill"
      ],
      "priority": 4,
      "passes": false,
      "researchTopics": [
        "URL state management patterns in this codebase"
      ],
      "researchCompleted": false,
      "learnings": "",
      "implementationNotes": "",
      "notes": ""
    }
  ]
}

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

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Checklist Before Saving

Before writing prd.json, verify:

• [ ] Version set to 2
• [ ] prdId set (from roadmap or PRD filename, e.g., PRD-001)
• [ ] 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
• [ ] Complex stories have relevant researchTopics
• [ ] All stories have researchCompleted: false initially
• [ ] changeLog initialized as empty array

Research Topics Guidelines

When to add research topics:

• Story uses unfamiliar library → "How to use [library] for [task]"
• Multiple approaches possible → "Compare [approach A] vs [approach B]"
• Performance matters → "Performance implications of [approach]"
• Existing patterns unknown → "Existing patterns for [feature] in codebase"

When to skip research topics:

• Simple CRUD operations
• Copy-paste from existing similar code
• Well-understood patterns already used in project
• Story builds directly on previous story's learnings