Skip to content
WorkspaceTemplates
The first pages of the Engineering RFC template

Engineering RFC

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
8 · US Letter
Style
Minimal
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 30, 2026

Every page (8)

Overview

Engineering changes that cross teams go wrong when the proposal arrives as a surprise or as a solution nobody agreed was needed. This request for comments template puts the problem first, then the design, the drawbacks, the alternatives and the questions still open, with a decide-by date in the header.

The sample is RFC-0042 at Underhill Cloud: a shared regional rate limiter that ends 3.1 times over-admission, with six consuming teams, an 8 working day review and a 120 day compatibility shim. Replace the RFC number, the figures, the teams, the API example and the reviewer comments with your own.

Useful for

  • A platform engineer proposing a change that six teams must adopt, with a review window and decide-by date
  • An architect recording why one design beat two alternatives, for the team that inherits the system
  • A tech lead running a written decision process where objections are logged and answered in the document

What's included

  • Summary page with headline figures, four key points and a recommendation band
  • Motivation page with a title block for author, reviewers, status and decide-by date
  • Detailed design page documenting one API operation with a parameters table
  • Drawbacks page with a layered architecture diagram and a request flow showing failure points
  • Alternatives page comparing three options by criteria and by score, with a recommendation
  • Glossary of terms and open questions, reviewer comments, and a make-it-yours guide page

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Set the RFC number, author, reviewers and decide-by date on the Motivation page, then rewrite the summary so a reader can accept or object after one paragraph.

  3. 3

    Replace the design, architecture and alternatives with your own, and list every team and service that changes.

  4. 4

    Record each objection with your response and whether the design changed, then mark the final status.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the document for review.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

What should an engineering RFC contain?

A summary, the motivation, the detailed design, the impact on consumers, alternatives, drawbacks, a migration plan and unresolved questions. This template has a page for each.

Is Underhill Cloud a real company?

No. The organisation, the people and every figure in this RFC are fictional sample data, written to show what a clear proposal looks like. Replace them with your own.

How long should the review window be?

Five to ten working days suits most cross-team changes. Set a decide-by date in the header so the RFC does not drift, and record the outcome as accepted, rejected or deferred.

  • #rfc-template
  • #engineering-rfc
  • #google-docs
  • #request-for-comments
  • #technical-design
  • #design-document
  • #architecture-decision

Related templates

More Google Docs templatesMore developer workflows templates

More rfc templates

See all 3

Also in Developer workflows

All developer workflows templates
Get this template

    What you get

      Use this templateSee full details

      Preparing your template…