How to Write Acceptance Criteria That Engineers Love

What is Acceptance Criteria?

Acceptance criteria (AC) define when a user story is "done." They:

• Specify expected behavior
• Create testable requirements
• Align stakeholders and developers

The GIVEN-WHEN-THEN Format

The most common format:

GIVEN [context/precondition]
WHEN [action/trigger]
THEN [expected outcome]

Example

GIVEN I am a logged-in user
WHEN I click the "Export" button
THEN a CSV file downloads with my data
AND the file name includes today's date

Rules for Good Acceptance Criteria

Rule 1: Be Specific

Bad: "The page loads quickly" Good: "The page loads in under 2 seconds on 3G connection"

Rule 2: Be Testable

Can QA verify this? If not, it's not a good criterion.

Bad: "The design looks professional" Good: "The button uses primary color #EA580C with 8px border-radius"

Rule 3: Cover Edge Cases

Don't just test the happy path:

GIVEN I submit the form with an invalid email
WHEN the validation runs
THEN an error message "Please enter a valid email" appears
AND the email field is highlighted in red

Rule 4: Include Error States

GIVEN the API is unavailable
WHEN I try to save my changes
THEN a retry option appears
AND my changes are saved locally

Common AC Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too Vague

Bad: "User can log in" Good:

GIVEN I am on the login page
WHEN I enter valid credentials and click "Log In"
THEN I am redirected to the dashboard
AND my session is active for 24 hours

GIVEN I enter an incorrect password
WHEN I click "Log In"
THEN I see "Invalid email or password"
AND I am not logged in

Mistake 2: Too Technical

AC should be readable by non-technical stakeholders. Avoid implementation details.

Mistake 3: Missing Non-Functional Requirements

Include performance, accessibility, security where relevant:

AND the action completes within 500ms
AND the button is keyboard accessible
AND the data is encrypted in transit

Using AI for Acceptance Criteria

AI can help generate initial AC from user stories:

• Identify edge cases you might miss
• Suggest non-functional requirements
• Maintain consistent format

reBacklog generates user stories with suggested acceptance criteria based on competitive analysis. Try it free →

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