user-stories — independently scanned and version-tracked by SaferSkills.
SaferSkills independently audited user-stories (Agent Skill) and scored it 100/100 (green). The audit ran 55 deterministic rules across Security, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Transparency, and Community; it found 0 high-severity and 0 lower-severity findings. The full rule-by-rule trace and per-finding evidence are below. Free, methodology-open.
Findings & checks · 0 flagged
Every scanned point with the score it earned and what moved between them.
First recorded scan — no prior version to compare against.
The primary manifest — the file an agent reads to learn what this artifact does.
Write high-quality, INVEST-compliant user stories with testable acceptance criteria.
As a [persona],
I want to [action/capability],
So that [benefit/value].Example:
As a marketing manager,
I want to export campaign reports to PDF,
So that I can share results with stakeholders who don't have system access.| Type | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Feature | As a [persona], I want to [action] so that [benefit] | As a user, I want to filter search results so that I find items faster |
| Improvement | As a [persona], I need [capability] to [goal] | As a user, I need faster page loads to complete tasks without frustration |
| Bug Fix | As a [persona], I expect [behavior] when [condition] | As a user, I expect my cart to persist when I refresh the page |
| Enabler | As a developer, I need to [technical task] to enable [capability] | As a developer, I need to implement caching to enable instant search |
| Persona | Typical Needs | Context |
|---|---|---|
| End User | Efficiency, simplicity, reliability | Daily feature usage |
| Administrator | Control, visibility, security | System management |
| Power User | Automation, customization, shortcuts | Expert workflows |
| New User | Guidance, learning, safety | Onboarding |
Adapt personas to your project. Use specific names when possible (e.g., "store owner" instead of "end user").
Validate every story before adding it to the backlog:
| Criterion | Question | Pass If... |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | Can this be developed without other uncommitted stories? | No blocking dependencies |
| Negotiable | Is the implementation flexible? | Multiple approaches possible |
| Valuable | Does this deliver user or business value? | Clear benefit in "so that" |
| Estimable | Can the team estimate this? | Understood well enough to size |
| Small | Can this complete in one iteration? | Reasonably scoped |
| Testable | Can we verify this is done? | Clear acceptance criteria |
Given [precondition/context],
When [action/trigger],
Then [expected outcome].Examples:
Given the user is logged in with valid credentials,
When they click the "Export" button,
Then a PDF download starts within 2 seconds.
Given the user has entered an invalid email format,
When they submit the registration form,
Then an inline error message displays "Please enter a valid email address."
Given the shopping cart contains items,
When the user refreshes the browser,
Then the cart contents remain unchanged.Each story should include criteria for applicable categories:
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Happy Path | Given valid input, When submitted, Then success message displayed |
| Validation | Should reject input when required field is empty |
| Error Handling | Must show user-friendly message when API fails |
| Performance | Should complete operation within 2 seconds |
| Accessibility | Must be navigable via keyboard only |
Not every category applies to every story. Use judgment.
| Size | Minimum AC Count |
|---|---|
| Small (trivial) | 2-3 criteria |
| Medium | 4-6 criteria |
| Large | 5-8 criteria |
| Too large | Split the story |
| Criterion | Red Flag | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | "After story X is done..." | Combine stories or resequence |
| Negotiable | Specific implementation in story | Focus on outcome, not solution |
| Valuable | No "so that" clause | Add benefit statement |
| Estimable | Team says "no idea" | Spike first, then story |
| Small | Too large to finish in one iteration | Split into smaller stories |
| Testable | "System should be better" | Add measurable criteria |
When a story is too large, split using one of these techniques:
| Technique | Example |
|---|---|
| By workflow step | "Create order" -> "Add items" + "Apply discount" + "Submit order" |
| By persona | "User dashboard" -> "Admin dashboard" + "Member dashboard" |
| By data type | "Import data" -> "Import CSV" + "Import Excel" |
| By operation | "Manage users" -> "Add user" + "Edit user" + "Delete user" |
| Happy path first | "Full feature" -> "Basic flow" + "Error handling" + "Edge cases" |
| Antipattern | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Solution story | "Implement React component" | "Display user profile information" |
| Compound story | "Create, edit, and delete users" | Split into three stories |
| Missing persona | "The system will..." | "As an admin, I want to..." |
| No benefit | "I want to see a button" | Add "so that [benefit]" |
| Too vague | "Improve performance" | "Reduce page load to <2 seconds" |
| Technical jargon | "Implement Redis caching" | "Enable instant search results" |
| Antipattern | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague | "Works correctly" | Specific Given-When-Then |
| Implementation details | "Use PostgreSQL query" | Focus on outcome |
| Missing unhappy path | Only success scenario | Add error cases |
| Untestable | "User is happy" | Measurable behavior |
| Too many | 15+ criteria | Split the story |
~30 seconds. Free. No account. Every finding cites a rule and a line of evidence.