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Acceptance Criteria Template for Agile Teams

Write clear, testable acceptance criteria for user stories using Given-When-Then format and a structured checklist to prevent scope creep and missed...

Updated 2026-03-04
Acceptance Criteria
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many acceptance criteria should a single user story have?+
Most stories need 3 to 8 criteria. Fewer than 3 usually means the story is underspecified. More than 8 suggests the story is too large and should be split into smaller stories. Use the criterion count as a signal for story sizing.
What is the difference between acceptance criteria and the definition of done?+
Acceptance criteria are story-specific. They describe the behavior and outcomes for one particular feature or change. The definition of done is team-wide. It lists the quality gates every story must pass before it can be marked complete, such as code review, test coverage, and documentation updates.
Should acceptance criteria be written by the product manager or the development team?+
The product manager typically writes the first draft of behavioral criteria because they define the expected user experience. Developers and QA then review and add technical scenarios, edge cases, and non-functional requirements. The final criteria are a shared agreement, not a one-way handoff.
Can I use acceptance criteria without the Given-When-Then format?+
Yes. GWT is the most common format because it maps directly to automated test cases, but bullet-point checklists and plain-language descriptions also work. The key requirement is that each criterion is specific enough that two people would independently agree on whether it passes or fails.
How do acceptance criteria relate to automated testing?+
Each Given-When-Then criterion translates directly into one or more automated test cases. The "Given" becomes the test setup, the "When" becomes the action, and the "Then" becomes the assertion. Teams that write criteria in GWT format find it faster to write end-to-end and integration tests because the test structure is already defined.

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