Requirement Extraction

---
name: Requirement Extraction
description: Turn the task brief into an explicit, ordered checklist first.
---
# Requirement Extraction

Before drafting, convert the task brief into a numbered checklist of every discrete thing the deliverable must contain or do. Working from a checklist you extracted beats working from a paragraph you remember — memory drops requirements, especially the small literal ones.

## What counts as a requirement
- Any verb of obligation: "state", "include", "list", "cite", "address", "analyze", "identify", "summarize".
- Any named item: a name, a date, a statute, a principle, a document.
- Any constraint: word/page limits, format, tone, audience, structure.
- Any conditional: "if X, then Y".

## Write the checklist as imperatives
Bad: "the brief talks about early voting dates."
Good: "1. State the early voting end date for the June 17 primary (June 14, 2025)."

The imperative names the action and the exact value, so when you draft you transcribe it and when you review you can tick it.

## Use it as the skeleton
Order your deliverable so each requirement is addressed in sequence. This guarantees coverage and makes the missing items obvious at review time. A requirement not ticked is a requirement not yet met.