Skip to main content
skill GitHub Copilot official · GitHub

breakdown-epic-arch — GitHub Copilot skill

Creates a high-level Epic architecture specification from a PRD. Use it when a team needs an implementation plan before development starts.

Install into GitHub Copilot · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill breakdown-epic-arch
Open on GitHub

What breakdown-epic-arch does

This skill turns an Epic PRD into a high-level architecture specification in Markdown. It sets the output path to /docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/arch.md and asks for no code apart from pseudocode for technical cases.

The specification covers an overview, a Mermaid system diagram, feature work and technical enablers. The diagram maps user, application, service, data, and infrastructure layers, including synchronous requests and asynchronous flows. The prompt uses domain-driven architecture, Docker, TypeScript/Next.js with App Router, Turborepo, tRPC, and Stack Auth as its working context. Install it when the Epic already has a PRD; for a loose product idea, the prescribed structure is too detailed.

What it helps with

  • create an architecture specification from an Epic PRD
  • draw a Mermaid diagram for system layers
  • identify technical enablers for Epic features
  • estimate technical value and Epic size
  • document a TypeScript/Next.js architecture plan

Example prompts for the agent

  • "Create an Epic architecture specification from this PRD."
  • "Build a Mermaid architecture diagram for this Epic with tRPC, PostgreSQL, and Docker."
  • "Save the architecture plan to `/docs/ways-of-work/plan/payments/arch.md`."

How to install breakdown-epic-arch

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill breakdown-epic-arch

2GitHub CLI

gh skill install github/awesome-copilot breakdown-epic-arch

3Manually: put the files in place

.github/skills/breakdown-epic-arch/SKILL.md

From the same set554

The whole set →
git-commit official github This skill reviews Git changes, stages related files, and creates Conventional Commits. Use it when you want an agent to make one commit or split work into separate commits. GitHub Copilot 47,165installs excalidraw-diagram-generator official github Turn a plain-language description into an Excalidraw diagram. Useful for mapping processes, system structure, and relationships between entities. GitHub Copilot 31,639installs multi-stage-dockerfile official github This skill guides GitHub Copilot in writing multi-stage Dockerfiles for different languages and frameworks. Use it when the final runtime image should contain fewer build dependencies. GitHub Copilot 29,688installs documentation-writer official github Skill that turns the agent into a technical writer following the Diátaxis framework: tutorials, how-to guides, reference, and explanation. Proposes structure before writing. GitHub Copilot 27,757installs prd official github Turns a feature idea into a structured PRD with user stories, technical requirements, and risks. Use it when planning a software feature or an AI-powered one. GitHub Copilot 24,035installs refactor official github This skill reshapes existing code without changing its external behavior. Use it for gradual cleanup of large functions, duplication, weak types, and code smells. GitHub Copilot 22,321installs java-springboot official github Gives GitHub Copilot Spring Boot development practices, from project layout to tests and security. Use it when writing or reviewing Java application code. GitHub Copilot 21,272installs create-readme official github This skill reviews a project and creates a structured README.md. Use it when the repository needs clear documentation based on its actual files and code. GitHub Copilot 19,081installs

Similar

Questions about breakdown-epic-arch

How do I install breakdown-epic-arch in GitHub Copilot?

Install the skill with npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill breakdown-epic-arch. You can also use gh skill install github/awesome-copilot breakdown-epic-arch.

What does breakdown-epic-arch do?

It takes an Epic PRD and produces a high-level Markdown architecture specification. The output includes a Mermaid diagram, features, technical enablers, technology stack, and sizing guidance.

What technologies does breakdown-epic-arch assume?

The prompt uses TypeScript/Next.js with App Router, Turborepo, tRPC, Stack Auth, and Docker. Its diagram guidance also covers PostgreSQL, Qdrant, Redis, and n8n.

Source text

SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: breakdown-epic-arch
description: 'Prompt for creating the high-level technical architecture for an Epic, based on a Product Requirements Document.'
---

# Epic Architecture Specification Prompt

## Goal

Act as a Senior Software Architect. Your task is to take an Epic PRD and create a high-level technical architecture specification. This document will guide the development of the epic, outlining the major components, features, and technical enablers required.

## Context Considerations

- The Epic PRD from the Product Manager.
- **Domain-driven architecture** pattern for modular, scalable applications.
- **Self-hosted and SaaS deployment** requirements.
- **Docker containerization** for all services.
- **TypeScript/Next.js** stack with App Router.
- **Turborepo monorepo** patterns.
- **tRPC** for type-safe APIs.
- **Stack Auth** for authentication.

**Note:** Do NOT write code in output unless it's pseudocode for technical situations.

## Output Format

The output should be a complete Epic Architecture Specification in Markdown format, saved to `/docs/ways-of-work/plan/{epic-name}/arch.md`.

### Specification Structure

#### 1. Epic Architecture Overview

- A brief summary of the technical approach for the epic.

#### 2. System Architecture Diagram

Create a comprehensive Mermaid diagram that illustrates the complete system architecture for this epic. The diagram should include:

- **User Layer**: Show how different user types (web browsers, mobile apps, admin interfaces) interact with the system
- **Application Layer**: Depict load balancers, application instances, and authentication services (Stack Auth)
- **Service Layer**: Include tRPC APIs, background services, workflow engines (n8n), and any epic-specific services
- **Data Layer**: Show databases (PostgreSQL), vector databases (Qdrant), caching layers (Redis), and external API integrations
- **Infrastructure Layer**: Represent Docker containerization and deployment architecture

Use clear subgraphs to organize these layers, apply consistent color coding for different component types, and show the data flow between components. Include both synchronous request paths and asynchronous processing flows where relevant to the epic.

#### 3. High-Level Features & Technical Enablers

- A list of the high-level features to be built.
- A list of technical enablers (e.g., new services, libraries, infrastructure) required to support the features.

#### 4. Technology Stack

- A list of the key technologies, frameworks, and libraries to be used.

#### 5. Technical Value

- Estimate the technical value (e.g., High, Medium, Low) with a brief justification.

#### 6. T-Shirt Size Estimate

- Provide a high-level t-shirt size estimate for the epic (e.g., S, M, L, XL).

## Context Template

- **Epic PRD:** [The content of the Epic PRD markdown file]

© github · MIT · github/awesome-copilot

See also

Project sponsors

Companies that keep this analytics open
Gold sponsor

Impressions, clicks and code copies — open statistics. We keep the numbers public for the same reason NeBlask itself is public. Become a sponsor