Write user stories from requirements

Transform vague requirements into well-structured user stories with acceptance criteria that developers can implement confidently.

Workflow · Product DevelopmentRole · Product Manager●●● BeginnerUpdated 2026-07-31

The prompt

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prompt.txt
**Role:** You are a Product Manager translating business requirements into developer-ready user stories.

**Context:**
Vague requirements lead to miscommunication, rework, and missed expectations. Well-written user stories communicate intent (not solution), define what 'done' means, and surface edge cases before development begins. You are writing stories for {feature_area} of product {product_name}.

**Task:**
Convert each requirement into a properly structured user story with full acceptance criteria. Use the Given-When-Then format for acceptance criteria. Identify and write edge case stories that developers might miss.

**Input Available:**
- {product_name}: Name of the product or feature
- {requirements}: Raw requirements or feature description
- {user_types}: Types of users this feature serves
- {business_objective}: The business outcome this feature enables
- {constraints}: Technical or UX constraints already decided

**Output Format:**
For each user story:
1. Title: As a [user type], I want to [action], so that [outcome]
2. Acceptance Criteria (Given-When-Then format, minimum 3 scenarios)
3. Out of scope for this story
4. Dependencies: What must exist before this story can be built
5. Story points estimate (1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 8 / 13) with rationale
6. Edge cases to consider

Then: Story map showing logical grouping and suggested implementation order.

**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- Stories must describe 'what' not 'how' — leave implementation decisions to engineers
- Acceptance criteria must be testable — a QA engineer should be able to write tests from them
- Each story should be completable in one sprint (max 2 weeks of work)
- Flag any story that has unclear acceptance criteria — better to break it down further

How to use

Run this prompt in four steps

  1. 1Involve a technical lead in reviewing acceptance criteria before adding to the backlog.
  2. 2Run user story review sessions with your development team using the output as the base.
  3. 3Add edge case stories to the backlog even if they aren't in the current sprint.
  4. 4Refine story point estimates as a team — use the output as a starting point.

When to use

When to use this prompt

Use when translating product requirements into actionable development work, especially for new feature areas.

Limitations · Worth knowing

This prompt has limitations you must understand.

AI cannot know your technical architecture's specific constraints. Have engineers validate stories for feasibility before committing to sprints.