What is a user story and what are acceptance criteria?

Question

Accepted Answer

A **user story** is a short, plain-language description of a feature told from the user's perspective. It captures *who* wants something, *what* they want, and *why*. **Acceptance criteria** define what "done" means for that story — the conditions it must satisfy to be accepted.

## The standard format

```text
As a [type of user]
I want [some goal]
so that [some benefit].

Example:
  As a returning customer
  I want to save my shipping address
  so that I don't re-enter it every order.
```

The "so that" is the most important part — it states the value, which helps the team find better solutions than the one literally requested.

## Acceptance criteria

```text
Given a logged-in customer with a saved address
When they reach checkout
Then the saved address is pre-filled
And they can edit it before confirming

✓ Testable and unambiguous
✓ Defines done — no "I thought you meant..."
```

## Good stories follow INVEST

Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable. A story too big to estimate or finish in a sprint should be split.

## Why it matters

Stories keep the team focused on *user value* rather than a list of technical tasks, and they invite conversation instead of dictating a solution.

Clear acceptance criteria prevent the most common delivery friction: building something that technically works but isn't what was actually needed.