User stories explained: Tips, templates, and examples

When it comes to expanding your product capabilities, software updates are the key to increasing user value. 

User stories provide an explanation of a software feature from the viewpoint of the end user. This helps Agile teams understand what users want so they can deliver the best features.

We’ve put together important details around how to write effective user stories. Learn how focusing on the end user’s experience can drive the most value. 

What is a user story?

In agile software development, user stories are brief, simple descriptions of a feature or functionality told from the customer's or end user’s perspective. They help capture the user's needs and keep the development team focused on delivering value. 

A user story can typically be summarized in one sentence: "As a [persona], I want to [software goal], so that [result]."

The purpose of writing user stories is to accurately represent how a software feature translates to user value. In other words, how does this software feature impact the end user? 

Often, the product backlog groups these stories into epics or backlog items, serving as building blocks for larger tasks. By emphasizing the user's point of view, user stories help teams maintain a clear focus on creating a seamless user experience while addressing both functional and non-functional requirements. 

You can write user stories in a lot of ways, including using sticky notes or index cards. The most effective way to create and track user stories is with project management software. It allows you to adjust, edit, and track user stories in real time, so your team knows exactly how to best serve their end users.

4 key components of user stories

Agile projects and scrum teams both structure user stories to provide clarity, allowing them to better align with user goals. A user story consists of three main components:

1. Role

This describes the type of user interacting with the software or feature. Understanding who your end users are is key to developing features that actually meet their needs.

For example, the user could be a product manager, a regular customer, or a stakeholder. By clearly defining the role, the development team creates features for the right audience.

A common structure for this part of a user story might be "As a [role]..."

2. Goal

The goal explains what the user wants to accomplish with the feature or software product. Goals are the heart of user story mapping because they highlight the functionality the user is looking for. By focusing on the goal, the team can prioritize tasks that deliver tangible value.

An example of this component might be, "...I want to [action]...," providing insight into the user’s workflow and user needs.

3. Benefit

Finally, the benefit defines why the feature is valuable. The benefit describes the result or advantage that the user will experience after using the feature. Understanding the benefits enables Agile teams to connect their work to the overall product vision.

The structure typically ends with, "...so that I can [benefit]." This component is essential in creating a testable feature that meets both user expectations and the criteria defined in the acceptance test.

4. Story points

After defining the role, goal, and benefit, the development team will often assign story points to the user story. Story points are a way to estimate the complexity, effort, and time needed to complete the story during a sprint or iteration. Agile teams use the points to size their work and ensure an appropriate balance of stories across sprints.

For example, the team might assign fewer story points to smaller user stories while awarding more points to larger, more complex stories. This helps the team manage their workflow and track progress within the product backlog.

How to write a good user story

Agile and Scrum teams often write user stories in three steps, with each step representing the end user’s viewpoint. 

1. Persona: The end user’s character or user persona

2. Need: The goal the software feature has on the end user’s journey

3. Purpose: The goal of the end user’s experience with the software feature

Your user story should contain all three of these components. Let’s dig into each of these elements to give you a better understanding of how to write an effective user story. 

Step 1. Identify the persona

To identify the end user's persona, assess your target audience. Think about the individuals the software feature will affect. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself and your team when identifying the user persona:

• Who are we building this software feature for?

• What kind of product features does the end user want?

• What are the demographics and psychographics of the end user?

There may be multiple personas in a given user story depending on the size of the target audience. 

Example persona: Kat, a project manager who leads 10 team members

Step 2. Describe the need

Explain how and why your software feature will be used by the end user. This is critical to ensuring that your team understands why the target audience would use your feature in the first place. 

When analyzing the end user's intent, consider these questions:

• What is the end user trying to accomplish?

• How will your software feature help the end user accomplish their goals?

Avoid focusing on the specific features—instead, consider what the end user is searching for and how your software will help them reach their goals. 

Example need: Help team members understand how individual tasks contribute to larger business goals.

Step 3. Define the purpose

Define the purpose by analyzing the bigger picture of the software release. Consider how the software feature fits into your internal goals. 

To help define the purpose, ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s the benefit of the software feature?

• What problem are you solving?

• How does this fit into larger goals?

The purpose here is to define the value of your software feature in relation to big-picture goals.

Example purpose: Increasing efficiency by creating a clear path.

User story template

A user story template helps teams focus on the end user’s needs and the value the feature will deliver. This structure ensures clarity and alignment across the development process.

Here’s a commonly used template for writing user stories:

“As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit].”

As an example of a user story in action:

“As a project manager, I want to track my team's progress so that I can ensure tasks align with business goals.”

Let’s breakdown this user story:

• Role: The specific type of user (e.g., customer, product manager, or stakeholder) who will interact with the feature.

  • Example: "As a project manager..."

• Goal: The action or functionality the user wants to accomplish with the software.

  • Example: "...I want to track my team's progress..."

• Benefit: The value or benefit the end user expects from the feature, connecting the story to business objectives or user satisfaction.

  • Example: "...so that I can ensure tasks align with business goals."

This template helps the team stay focused on what users need, allowing them to build features that fit with agile project management and bring real value to the end user.

User story examples

To take your understanding of Agile user stories one step further, we’ve put together a few examples. The more effective your user stories are, the more value you’ll be able to drive for the end user. 

Here are three user story examples to represent different use cases: 

User story example 1: Product development 

• As a product manager, I want a way for team members to understand how individual tasks contribute to larger business goals to motivate efficiency.

User story example 2: Customer experience

• As a repeat customer, I expect that you will save my information to streamline the checkout process.

User story example 3: Mobile application

• As a frequent app user, I want a way to digest relevant information in the quickest way possible. 

In all three examples, you can see how important it is to pose software updates from the perspective of the end user. This way, your development team will make updates with the customer’s best interest in mind.

Tips for writing an effective user story

In addition to the three steps outlined above, an effective user story should follow the 3 Cs and the INVEST acronym. Both of these help to take your user stories to the next level, resulting in more effective software updates. 

Let’s dig into each of these to gain a better understanding of what makes up an effective user story. 

3 Cs of user stories

The 3 Cs are Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. The 3 Cs break each user story into three different benchmarks, creating a more organized process. Let’s dive into each of the 3 Cs to gain a better understanding:

• Card: A written description of the user story used for sprint planning. To create and share story cards, try using a work management tool. 

• Conversation: A discussion between customers, users, and developers around the priority and potential solutions to the user story.

• Confirmation: An agreement between stakeholders that user story objectives and solutions have been reached.

The 3 Cs help to break down a user story into simple tasks. This gives a clear direction for involved stakeholders.

INVEST criteria

INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Let’s dive into these components deeper to give you a better understanding of how the INVEST criteria can help you write stronger stories:

• Independent: A user story should be independent, meaning it does not depend on other tasks and is self-contained. 

• Negotiable: A user story should be negotiable. This means it leaves room for discussion. 

• Valuable: A user story should convey value to the end user, bringing you closer to larger long-term goals. 

• Estimable: A user story should be estimated to ensure it fits within a sprint and is prioritized properly. 

• Small: A user story should be a small chunk of work that can be completed in a short amount of time. 

• Testable: A story should go through acceptance tests and meet predetermined acceptance criteria to verify quality. 

Follow the INVEST acronym to write your user stories in a specific and attainable manner.

Best practices for user stories

Writing user stories is key to success in agile methodologies. These best practices will help you write clear and effective stories that guide your team.

1. Collaborating with stakeholders

Work closely with stakeholders to create user stories. Talk to your product owner, product manager, and other key people. Gather user feedback to ensure that the stories reflect real needs.

Agile expert Mike Cohn urges teams to keep communication open to make sure everyone understands feature usage. Keeping the stories focused on real users is the goal.

2. Refining user stories during sprint planning

During sprint planning, take time to review and refine user stories. Break big stories into smaller ones. Review the acceptance criteria to clear up any confusion.

Assign story points to match the team’s capacity for the sprint. As Ron Jeffries, one of the creators of Extreme Programming, says, refining stories helps teams stay flexible and focus on what matters most.

3. Using acceptance criteria

Include clear acceptance criteria in every user story. These criteria tell your team what must happen for the story to be complete.

They also help testers check if the story meets user needs. Clear criteria help avoid misunderstandings and ensure the team knows exactly what “done” looks like. This will inform you when both functional and non-functional requirements have been satisfied.

Tools and techniques for managing user stories

Managing user stories well is important for staying organized and on track. These tools and techniques will help you handle stories effectively.

• User story mapping: User story mapping helps your team see the whole user journey. It helps teams map out stories and prioritize them. Mapping also shows how different stories fit together. It’s a beneficial way to make sure you cover all the features users need.

• Software tools for managing user stories: Tools like Jira and Asana make it simple to manage user stories. These tools let you track progress, assign tasks, and prioritize work. Many tools include features like managing story points, setting acceptance criteria, and sprint planning. They also help maintain a requirements document, which keeps everyone on the same page.

• Prioritizing user stories with MoSCoW Method: The MoSCoW Method helps teams rank user stories based on importance. Stories are sorted into four groups: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have. This methodology makes sure the most important stories get done first.

Who writes user stories?

Most commonly, the product owner writes user stories based on user research and organizes them into a list for the development team, also known as a product backlog. Though anyone can technically write user stories, it’s the product manager’s responsibility to ensure they have all of the information the development team needs in order to execute their initiatives.

Then, the development team will prioritize and decide which user stories to tackle during their sprint planning meeting. 

Who uses user stories?

Scrum and Kanban frameworks utilize user stories. 

• In Scrum, user stories help your team gain a better understanding during sprint planning. 

• In Kanban, teams pull stories into their backlog and work on them during their sprint. User stories provide teams with the context and clarification they require to manage work and meet deadlines.

Dev teams tackle user stories during a workflow or sprint to accomplish tasks and prevent scope creep. Break large user stories into multiple sprints or epics if needed. Epics are large stories broken down into multiple smaller stories. Multiple epics form an initiative.

The importance of an accurate user story

Writing user stories effectively may seem like a small piece of product development, but in reality, these stories help drive creative outcomes for new product functionality. Attention to detail is incredibly important because it helps ensure you’re investing in user needs.

Here are three ways writing accurate user stories can help you achieve user goals:

1. Put customers first: User stories place end users at the center of the conversation—an important component of the Agile framework. Your team can then prioritize user needs and focus on ways to contribute to a positive user experience. 

2. Drive innovative solutions: The deeper you dive into your end user’s persona, the more innovative your software solutions will be. Your focus is on user needs, which supports internal business goals. Effective results depend on understanding the user type you're targeting.

3. Encourage team collaboration: With multiple team members talking through and prioritizing user stories, collaboration in the workplace thrives. This brings multiple viewpoints to the table, offering new solutions to existing roadblocks. From testable outcomes to understanding product requirements, the more your team communicates, the easier it will be to reach your desired results.

Positioning updates from the user’s perspective helps create a robust user experience, which improves business value and the overall requirements gathering process.

Drive value through user experience

Putting customers first is an effective way to center the conversation around end users and ultimately drive more value. By focusing on the end user's experience, you can generate more innovative software solutions that improve the product development process. 

With Agile management software, you’ll help your Agile team get the best results. From collaborating as a team to organizing sprints, Asana can help.