> ## 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.

# Rationale quickstart: from sign-up to first audit

> Sign up, create your first project, choose a workflow, and run your first audit — everything you need to get Rationale working in minutes.

Rationale takes you from sign-up to a completed audit in a handful of steps. You choose a workflow that matches where your project is right now — whether you have both a spec and designs, designs only, or a spec only — then connect your sources and let Rationale do the analysis.

<Tip>
  Rationale's free plan lets you run audits on a sample project and import your own designs without entering a credit card. You can explore every part of the product before committing to a paid plan.
</Tip>

## Before you start

You'll need at least one of the following, depending on which workflow you choose:

* A **Figma file or frame URL** (e.g. `https://figma.com/file/…`) for workflows that involve designs
* A **PRD** in one of the supported formats — a Notion page, a file (`.pdf`, `.doc`, `.docx`, `.md`, `.txt`), or any public doc URL — for workflows that involve a spec

***

## Step-by-step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up">
    Go to [rationale.so](https://rationale.so) and click **See it in action**. You can create an account with Google or with an email and password. No credit card required.

    Once you're in, you land on your **Projects** workspace — a grid of all your projects, empty on first visit.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first project">
    Click **New Project** in the top-right corner. A setup flow opens in two stages:

    1. **Choose a workflow** — pick the path that matches your starting point (see the workflow descriptions below).
    2. **Add a name and connect your sources** — give the project a name, then connect the inputs the workflow requires.

    You can also press **Enter** once all inputs are filled to start immediately.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a workflow">
    Rationale offers three starting points. Pick the one that fits where your project is right now.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Match (watch for drift)">
        **Ship what was specced.** Every Figma save is audited against your PRD. Logic drift is flagged. Dev handoff is locked until requirements are covered.

        **Requires:** a PRD and a Figma file or frame URL.

        This is the recommended workflow for ongoing projects where both spec and design exist. Rationale watches for drift continuously and surfaces new gaps whenever Figma is saved.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Design to PRD">
        **Designs first. Docs follow.** Drop a Figma file and Rationale reads every frame, then writes the PRD for you.

        **Requires:** a Figma file or frame URL. No PRD needed.

        Use this when design is ahead of documentation and you need to generate or catch up on a requirements doc.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="PRD to design brief">
        **Brief your designer instantly.** Paste your spec and get back a screen-by-screen brief — components, states, edge cases — ready to design from.

        **Requires:** a PRD. No Figma file needed.

        Use this when you have a written spec but no designs yet and want to give a designer a precise brief instead of a wall of text.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your sources">
    After picking a workflow, Rationale shows you the input cards that workflow needs. Fill in what's required:

    **PRD source** (required for Match and PRD to design brief):

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Notion">
        Click **Choose a page from Notion** to open the Notion page picker. Select any page from your connected workspace. Rationale imports the full content automatically.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="File upload">
        Click the upload area and select a file. Supported formats: `.pdf`, `.doc`, `.docx`, `.md`, `.txt`.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Paste a link">
        Paste a public URL — a Google Doc, Confluence page, or any other doc link — directly into the input field.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    **Design source** (required for Match and Design to PRD):

    Paste your Figma file or frame URL into the **Design** field. The URL should look like `https://figma.com/file/…`. Rationale accepts both full file URLs and individual frame links.

    <Note>
      To connect Notion or push findings to Linear later, go to **Settings → Connections** and connect each integration with OAuth. You can revoke access at any time.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the audit">
    Once all required fields are filled, click the workflow's action button — **Start watching**, **Generate PRD**, or **Generate design brief** — or press **Enter**.

    Rationale processes your sources and streams progress in real time:

    * **Design to PRD:** reads your Figma file, downloads screen images, writes the PRD, and saves it to your project.
    * **PRD to design brief:** reads your PRD, structures a screen-by-screen brief, and saves it.
    * **Match:** creates the project immediately and begins watching for changes as soon as you save in Figma.

    When processing completes, Rationale opens your project automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review your results">
    Your project opens to a tabbed results view. Each tab focuses on a different part of the output:

    | Tab                   | What you'll find                                                                                                            |
    | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Summary**           | A high-level overview of the audit findings and overall alignment status.                                                   |
    | **Requirements**      | The full list of requirements extracted or cross-referenced from your PRD.                                                  |
    | **Gaps & edge cases** | Every gap, contradiction, missing state, or undefined behavior Rationale found, with a plain-language explanation for each. |
    | **Decisions & notes** | A record of findings you've accepted or dismissed, and any notes attached to the version.                                   |
    | **Dev handoff**       | The export-ready spec — requirements, resolved gaps, and acceptance criteria — that engineering can build from.             |

    For each gap in the **Gaps & edge cases** tab, you can accept it (confirm the issue and optionally push it to Linear) or dismiss it (mark it as not applicable).

    <Tip>
      When you're ready to hand off to engineering, open the **Dev handoff** tab and export the document. Rationale generates a clean Word document with full context attached.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Watch for drift" icon="eye" href="/workflows/match">
    Learn how to set up continuous Figma monitoring with the Match workflow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Generate a PRD from designs" icon="file-lines" href="/workflows/design-to-prd">
    See how Rationale reads Figma screens and writes requirements automatically.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Brief your designer" icon="pen-line" href="/workflows/prd-to-design">
    Turn a spec into a screen-by-screen design brief in one step.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect integrations" icon="plug" href="/integrations/figma">
    Set up Figma, Notion, Linear, and Slack to get the most out of Rationale.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>