> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.getrationale.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dev handoff: export audit results as a Word doc

> Export a clean Word document from your approved audit. Select which sections to include, download the .docx, and give engineers a complete spec.

Once you approve an audit, Rationale can generate a `.docx` handoff document that packages the audit results into a clean Word file. Engineers receive a structured spec — requirements, gaps, dev specs, edge cases, and accessibility checks — without having to read through the raw audit UI.

## The approval gate

The Dev Handoff tab is locked until you approve the audit on the Summary tab. This gate exists so engineers always receive a handoff that a PM has reviewed, not an unreviewed machine output.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review the audit results">
    Work through the Summary, Requirements, Gaps & Edge Cases, and Decisions & Notes tabs. Confirm that open gaps are understood and the version is ready for engineering.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve the audit">
    On the Summary tab, click **Approve for Dev**. Approving locks the requirement list for this version and immediately unlocks the Dev Handoff tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Dev Handoff">
    Click the **Dev Handoff** tab. The tab is now accessible and shows the cleared requirements and covered edge cases.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Export the handoff document">
    Click **Create handoff doc**. A dialog opens showing all the sections available from this audit. Toggle sections on or off, then click **Download .docx** to generate and save the file.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Selecting sections

The export dialog shows every section that has content in this audit. Sections with no generated content are shown as unavailable and can't be selected.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Project summary" icon="chart-bar">
    Status, requirement counts, and the top blockers. Always available once an audit has run.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Logic Manifest" icon="list-check">
    Every PRD requirement with its clearance status and any issue notes. Available when requirements were extracted.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clearance gaps" icon="triangle-exclamation">
    Open gaps blocking the build, each with severity, the relevant PRD quote, and a suggested fix. Available when gaps were found.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dev Specs" icon="code">
    Architecture, data flow, states to handle, API contracts, and open questions derived from the audit. Available when the audit produced dev spec content.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Edge cases" icon="shuffle">
    The edge-case checklist surfaced from the audit, flagged as covered or open. Available when edge cases were found.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accessibility" icon="universal-access">
    WCAG-grounded accessibility checks for the screens reviewed. Available when the audit flagged accessibility items.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  The dialog defaults to every available section selected. Deselect sections you don't want to include before downloading. The download button shows the count of selected sections.
</Note>

## What engineers receive

The downloaded file is a standard `.docx` named `{project}-{version}-handoff.docx`. It opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Notion (via import), or any other tool that reads Word documents. The document contains:

* A title block with the project name, version, generation date, and overall build status
* A status callout showing how many requirements are cleared versus how many blockers are open
* Each selected section rendered as properly formatted Word headings, paragraphs, and bullet lists — no raw Markdown tokens

<Tip>
  Share the `.docx` directly with your engineering team, or import it into Notion as a spec page. Because it uses real Word heading styles, Notion's importer maps them to headings correctly.
</Tip>

## Handoff for PRD-to-design projects

Projects created with the **PRD to Design** gateway have their own handoff flow. Instead of the five-tab audit layout, these projects show a **Design Brief** tab, a **Gaps & Edge Cases** tab, and a **Dev Handoff** tab. The Dev Handoff tab in a PRD-to-design project is available without an approval gate, since the brief itself is the deliverable rather than an audit of existing screens.

<Warning>
  Exporting a handoff document does not mark the version as complete in Rationale. If you update the designs or PRD after exporting, run a new audit and export again so engineers have the most current spec.
</Warning>