Write a technical spec

This prompt writes a technical spec from the problem and requirements you give, with a clear structure.

text-technical-spec-writer — chatgpt — 37 words

Write a technical specification for [FEATURE OR SYSTEM].

Problem: [PROBLEM]
Requirements: [REQUIREMENTS]
Constraints: [CONSTRAINTS]

Include goals and non-goals, proposed design, data model, API changes, alternatives considered, security and privacy notes, testing plan, rollout plan and open questions.

Edit in the builder Copy & open ChatGPT ↗Copy & open Gemini ↗Copy & open Claude ↗

Have a colleague from another team read it; unclear parts show up immediately.

Get a better result

What you will get

A spec with goals and non-goals, a proposed design, data model, API changes, alternatives considered, security and privacy notes, a testing plan, a rollout plan and open questions.

Why it works

A spec is a tool for catching problems before code is written, so the prompt asks for sections that expose risk: non-goals, alternatives, security and rollout. Listing constraints keeps the design realistic. As the tip says, a reader from another team finds unclear parts quickly, and the open questions section gives them a place to go.

Common mistake

The design fills in details it does not know.

Fix: Ask it to list assumptions in the open questions section instead of deciding them silently.

Also watch for

The alternatives are weak straw men. Name one option your team is really considering, and ask for honest pros and cons.
There is no way to roll back. Ask for the rollout plan to include a feature flag or a step to undo, and what signal would trigger it.

Try a variation: one-page version

Ask for a one-page summary for stakeholders outside engineering: the problem, the plan, the risk and the date.

Still not right? Reply with this

Turn the open questions into a table with who can answer each one and what decision depends on it, and mark which ones block starting work.