Product constraint
A limit on what the product may be or do.
What it is
A product constraint rules something in or out for the product itself: web only in the first release, no AI features, no storing card numbers, must run in the customer's own cloud.
Why it matters
Constraints are decisions about what not to do. They protect the project from good ideas that would cost too much, take too long or cross a line the business cannot cross.
What goes wrong without it
- Someone builds the native app nobody budgeted for.
- A feature is designed that cannot legally or technically ship.
- The same "why don't we just…" discussion happens in every planning meeting.
What it gives an AI agent
Agents are generous: asked for a feature, they will add related ones. Product constraints tell them where the boundary is, so the agent says "out of scope for the first release" instead of building it.
Example: Clinic Booking
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Keep it simple for now. | The first release is web only; no native iOS or Android apps. |
How it relates to the rest
- Constrains specific requirements, or the whole project if it is linked to none.
- Can come from a decision that records the reason.
- Different from a non-functional requirement: it limits the product, it does not describe a quality to reach.
In Corpole
- Type Product Constraint (PC), in the Constraints group.
- Acceptance criteria are optional.
- A constraint with no constrains link applies to the whole project; agents receive project-wide constraints with every piece of work.