name: prd-to-issues description: "Break a PRD into independently grabbable GitHub issues with dependency relationships. Use when asked to 'break this PRD into issues', 'create issues from PRD', 'plan the work', 'create a kanban', or after writing a PRD to prepare work for execution."
PRD to Issues
Output "Read PRD to Issues skill." to chat to acknowledge you read this file.
Pipeline position: /grill-me → /write-a-prd → /architect → /prd-to-issues → /do-work → shft
Use this skill to create GitHub issues from a finalized PRD or plan. Use /architect for deeper analysis and planning before issue creation.
Process
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Locate the PRD — find the PRD wherever it exists (GitHub issue, local file, or in the conversation).
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Explore the codebase — understand the existing architecture, conventions, and relevant code paths needed to break the work into slices.
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Draft vertical slices — break the PRD into tracer bullets (vertical slices). Each slice should wire through all layers end-to-end rather than building horizontally (all backend → all UI → all routes). Phase 1 should always be the simplest possible end-to-end wiring.
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Categorize each slice:
- AFK — can be implemented and merged without human interaction. Prefer AFK where possible.
- Human-in-the-loop (HITL) — requires human interaction such as an architectural decision, design review, or taste judgment.
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Create a QA issue — always create a final issue with a detailed manual QA plan for all items that require human verification. This is the last issue in the dependency chain.
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Quiz the user — present the proposed breakdown and ask:
- Does the granularity feel right?
- Are the dependency relationships correct?
- Should any slices be split further?
- Are the correct slices marked as HITL vs AFK?
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Create GitHub issues — generate issues using this template:
# [Slice Title]
**Type:** AFK | HITL
**Parent PRD:** #[issue-number]
**Blocked by:** #[issue-number], #[issue-number]
## Description
[What this slice accomplishes end-to-end]
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Specific, testable criteria]
Handoff
After issues are created, offer:
/do-work— start implementing the first slice- Save plan to
working/— if context is high or multi-session work, follow the standard handoff protocol (@~/dotfiles/instructions/handoff.instructions.md) to persist the issue list and dependency order. Include @-references to the parent PRD issue.