ProdMan — VS Code Extension
AI-ready spec linting and agent brief launcher for VS Code.
What It Does
ProdMan turns agent-brief.md into a machine-readable contract that AI coding agents can actually use. The extension runs the full tight loop inside VS Code:
- Lint — 12 rules flag vague AC, missing escalation triggers, unfilled tech context, and more — as inline diagnostics, inline as you type
- Quick Fix — one-click inserts section templates directly from lint errors
- Compile — converts your brief into
compiled-spec.json (machine-readable)
- Copy to clipboard — assembled payload (spec + product context) ready to paste into any AI tool
Quick Start
Step 1: Initialize workspace
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run:
ProdMan: Initialize Workspace
This creates prodman-context/ with product.md, users.md, constraints.md, and history.md. Fill in product.md first — every command loads it automatically.
Step 2: Create a feature brief
ProdMan: Initialize Workspace → Create first feature brief
Or create features/[feature-name]/agent-brief.md manually.
Step 3: Open the brief and work with lint
Open agent-brief.md. The status bar shows:
PRODMAN ✓ Agent Ready — 12/12 rules passing
PRODMAN ⚠ Review Needed — 10/12 rules passing
PRODMAN ✗ Incomplete — 7/12 rules passing
Click a diagnostic → Apply Quick Fix to insert the missing section template.
Step 4: Launch the agent
Click ▶ Run with PRODMAN in the CodeLens (top of file) or run:
ProdMan: Launch Agent from Brief
The compiled payload is copied to clipboard. Paste into Claude, GPT-4, or any AI tool.
Commands
| Command |
Description |
ProdMan: Initialize Workspace |
Create prodman-context/ with product, users, constraints, history |
ProdMan: Launch Agent from Brief |
Lint → compile → copy payload to clipboard |
ProdMan: Compile Spec → spec.json |
Lint + compile only (no clipboard) |
ProdMan: Preview Compiled Spec |
Open read-only webview of compiled-spec.json |
ProdMan: Capture Signal |
Append a product signal to prodman-context/signals.md |
Open the ProdMan sidebar (activity bar icon) for:
- Context Health — see which
prodman-context/ files exist. Stack drift is flagged when frameworks detected in your codebase (package.json, go.mod, etc.) are not mentioned in constraints.md. Click constraints.md in the panel to open and update the Technical Constraints section.
- Signal Inbox — browse signals captured via
Capture Signal, most recent first. Use the + button in the panel header to add a new signal without leaving the sidebar.
- Feature Pipeline — see all features in
features/, their zone (derived from which files exist), and agent-brief.md readiness status at a glance.
Lint Rules
| Rule |
Description |
Severity |
| LNT-001 |
Required sections present |
Error |
| LNT-002 |
Task summary ≥ 20 words |
Error |
| LNT-003 |
Relevant files listed |
Warning |
| LNT-004 |
In Scope has ≥ 1 item |
Error |
| LNT-005 |
Out of Scope has ≥ 1 item |
Error |
| LNT-006 |
Requirements has ≥ 3 items |
Error |
| LNT-007 |
Anti-requirements has ≥ 1 item |
Warning |
| LNT-008 |
Acceptance Criteria has ≥ 3 items |
Error |
| LNT-009 |
No vague language in AC |
Warning |
| LNT-010 |
Definition of Done has ≥ 3 items |
Error |
| LNT-011 |
Escalation Triggers has ≥ 1 item |
Warning |
| LNT-012 |
Technical Context is filled in |
Error |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85+
- A workspace with at least one
features/**/agent-brief.md or prodman-context/product.md
Part of ProdMan
This extension is part of the ProdMan framework — an open-source PM toolkit for teams building with AI agents.
- CLI:
@prodman/cli — validate and compile specs from the terminal
- Core:
@prodman/core — linter and compiler as a library
- Commands: 12 AI-agnostic slash commands for the full PM workflow (Claude Code, Cursor, any AI tool)
