Requirements document template

Include stakeholders who represent business needs, end users who will interact with the final product, technical team members who understand implementation possibilities, and project managers who oversee timeline and resource constraints. This collaborative approach ensures your requirements document balances business goals, user experience needs, and technical feasibility while creating shared ownership of the final specifications.

Categorize requirements using the MoSCoW method (Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Won’t-have) based on business value, technical dependencies, and resource constraints. Involve key stakeholders in prioritization discussions to ensure alignment, and document the reasoning behind priority decisions. This structured approach helps development teams focus on critical functionality first while managing stakeholder expectations about what will be delivered when.

Avoid ambiguous language like “user-friendly” or “fast” without measurable criteria, incomplete requirements that don’t address error conditions or edge cases, and also overly technical specifications that constrain implementation unnecessarily. Don’t forget to document assumptions and constraints that affect implementation options. Finally, ensure requirements are actually achievable within project constraints rather than creating an unrealistic wish list.