Feature Spec
Write detailed feature specs for SaaS, mobile apps, and APIs with user flows, requirements, and success metrics. Generate complete specs in 10 minutes.
Overview
Generate complete feature specifications in under 10 minutes with user flows, functional requirements, non-functional requirements, success metrics, and implementation dependencies for product development and engineering handoffs.
Use Cases
- Write feature specs for two-factor authentication before Q1 security sprint
- Generate API endpoint specifications during sprint planning sessions
- Create mobile app feature documentation for iOS push notification features
- Document SaaS dashboard features with user flows before engineering kickoff
- Spec out payment integration features with compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, SOC 2)
- Write feature requirements for enterprise SSO implementation in under 15 minutes
Benefits
You’ll ship features faster with clear requirements. This template helps you:
- Save 4+ hours per feature specification by generating structured docs automatically
- Reduce engineering clarification questions by 70% with complete user flows and requirements
- Maintain consistency across 50+ feature specs with standardized format
- Get stakeholder approval faster with clear success metrics and scope boundaries
- Onboard new PMs in days instead of weeks with documented spec examples
- Track feature dependencies across teams without spreadsheet chaos
Template
Create a feature specification for:
Feature name: {{featureName}}
Product: {{product}}
Problem statement:
{{problem}}
Target users: {{targetUsers}}
User story:
{{userStory}}
Success metrics: {{successMetrics}}
Include:
- Feature overview and goals
- User flows and scenarios
- Functional requirements
- Non-functional requirements (performance, security, etc.)
- Success metrics
- Dependencies and assumptions
- Out of scope
- Open questions
Priority: {{priority}}
Properties
- featureName: Single-line Text
- product: Single-line Text
- problem: Multi-line Text
- targetUsers: Multiple Selection (default:
Paid users)- Options: Free users, Paid users, Enterprise customers, New users, Power users, and 1 more
- userStory: Multi-line Text
- successMetrics: Multiple Selection (default:
User adoption rate, Engagement metrics)- Options: User adoption rate, Engagement metrics, Task completion rate, Time to value, Customer satisfaction (NPS/CSAT), and 2 more
- priority: Single Selection (default:
P1)- Options: P0 (Critical), P1 (High), P2 (Medium), P3 (Low)
Example Output
Here’s what you get when you generate a spec for a two-factor authentication feature:
FEATURE SPECIFICATION: Two-Factor Authentication
OVERVIEW
Implement two-factor authentication to address enterprise security requirements
and compliance needs (SOC 2, GDPR). Current password-only auth creates risk
for customers storing sensitive business data.
USER FLOWS
1. Enabling 2FA: User navigates to settings > security > enable 2FA >
scan QR code > verify code > save backup codes
2. Login with 2FA: User enters password > prompted for 2FA code >
enters code > authenticated
3. Recovery: User loses device > uses backup code > logs in >
can disable/re-enable 2FA
4. Disabling 2FA: User navigates to security settings > enters password >
confirms disable
5. Lost device: User contacts support > verifies identity >
support disables 2FA
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Support TOTP-based authentication (Google Authenticator, Authy compatible)
- Generate and display QR codes for easy setup
- Provide 10 single-use backup codes per user
- Allow users to disable 2FA with password confirmation
- Support admin-level 2FA enforcement for enterprise accounts
- Send email notifications when 2FA is enabled/disabled
- Rate limit 2FA attempts (5 attempts per 15 minutes)
NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Performance: 2FA verification under 200ms latency
Security: Store secrets encrypted at rest, rate limit verification attempts
Reliability: 99.9% uptime for verification service
Usability: Setup completion in under 2 minutes for average user
Compliance: TOTP implementation meets SOC 2 Type II requirements
Scalability: Support 100,000 concurrent verification requests
SUCCESS METRICS
Adoption: 60% of paid users enable 2FA within 90 days
Security: Reduce account compromise incidents by 85%
Engagement: 95% of users who start setup complete it
Business: Meet enterprise customer security requirements for 3 pending deals
DEPENDENCIES
- Email service for notifications
- Encrypted storage system for TOTP secrets
- Mobile-responsive settings interface
ASSUMPTIONS
- Users have smartphones with camera for QR scanning
- Email delivery works reliably for notifications
- Support team can handle identity verification for recovery
OUT OF SCOPE
- SMS-based 2FA (security concerns, future consideration)
- Hardware security key support (evaluate for v2)
- Biometric authentication
- Remember this device for 30 days
OPEN QUESTIONS
Product: Should we require 2FA for all admin users by default?
Technical: Do we build TOTP library in-house or use vetted open source?
Business: What's the support process for users locked out of accounts?
UX: Do we show 2FA setup during onboarding or defer to settings?
This spec is production-ready for engineering handoff and stakeholder review.
Common Mistakes
When writing feature specs, teams often miss critical details that cause delays later:
Vague success metrics like “improve user experience” don’t help you measure if the feature worked. Define specific numbers like “reduce checkout abandonment from 35% to 25%” or “achieve 50% adoption in 60 days.”
Missing non-functional requirements means you spec the happy path but forget performance, security, and error handling. If your API endpoint needs to handle 10,000 requests per second or your feature needs GDPR compliance, write it in the spec.
Incomplete user flows that only document the success case ignore what happens when users make mistakes, lose their device, or hit edge cases. Map out error states, recovery paths, and “what if” scenarios.
Scope creep in disguise happens when you don’t explicitly list what’s out of scope. If you’re building search but won’t support voice search or natural language queries in v1, say it clearly.
No dependencies listed means you discover mid-sprint that your feature needs the email service to be upgraded or the mobile app to support a new API version. Document technical dependencies, team dependencies, and external service requirements.
Unclear target users like “all users” make it impossible to prioritize. If enterprise customers need this for compliance but free users would rarely use it, that affects your roadmap and success metrics.
Frequently Used With
- PRD Template - Start with a PRD, then create detailed feature specs for each component
- User Story - Break down your feature spec into sprint-ready user stories
- Release Notes - Turn shipped features into customer-facing release notes