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Getting Started

Introduction to Storyline - Storyline Docs

Storyline transforms PRDs into working code through a structured pipeline: Epic → Story → Spec → Implementation.

Welcome to Storyline! This guide will help you understand story-driven development and how Storyline can streamline your workflow with Claude Code.

What is Storyline?

Storyline is a CLI toolkit for Claude Code that implements a complete story-driven development workflow. It bridges the gap between product requirements and working code through clear, traceable steps.

The Pipeline

PRD/Tech Spec → Epics → User Stories → Technical Specs → Implementation
     ↓            ↓         ↓              ↓                ↓
[epic-creator] [story] [spec-story]  [develop] → [create-plans] → Code

Each step produces structured markdown files that feed into the next stage, creating full traceability from original requirements to shipped code.

Key Features

  • 📝 Epic Creation - Parse PRDs/tech specs into manageable epics
  • 📖 Story Generation - Convert epics into detailed user stories
  • 🔧 Spec Creation - Transform stories into technical specifications
  • ⚡ Auto Implementation - Execute specs using Claude’s autonomous planning system
  • 🔗 Full Traceability - Track from requirement → epic → story → spec → code
  • 📦 Git Integration - Conventional commits with semantic versioning (auto-created, never auto-pushed)
  • 🎯 Quality Control - Built-in validation at each stage

Who is Storyline For?

Storyline is built for:

  • Solo developers who want structured workflows for complex features
  • Teams looking to standardize development from requirements to code
  • Claude Code users who want to leverage AI-assisted development with clear structure
  • Anyone who values traceability and systematic approaches to building software

Core Concepts

Epic

A high-level feature or collection of related work items. Epics are parsed from PRDs and represent substantial chunks of work that get broken down into stories.

User Story

A specific piece of functionality from the user’s perspective. Stories follow the INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable).

Technical Spec

A detailed implementation plan for one or more user stories. Specs include architecture decisions, file changes, testing requirements, and acceptance criteria.

Implementation

The actual code generated by Claude using autonomous planning. Each implementation creates commits and generates a summary linking back to the original story.

Standalone vs Epic-Based Stories

New in v2.1.2: Storyline supports two workflows:

  1. Epic-Based (for major features): PRD → Epic → Story → Spec → Implementation
  2. Standalone (for bug fixes, small tasks): Story → Spec → Implementation

Getting Started

Ready to start using Storyline?

  1. Install Storyline
  2. Follow the Quick Start guide
  3. Learn about the Workflow

Getting Help

Next: Installation →