What is a User Story?
A user story is a short description of a feature from the user's perspective. Learn how teams write stories and turn them into issues.
A user story is a short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the person who needs it, typically formatted as 'As a [user], I want [goal], so that [benefit]'. User stories keep the focus on the outcome rather than the implementation, and they are the standard unit of work in agile backlogs.
The user story format
The classic template — As a / I want / So that — forces three things: who the user is, what they are trying to do, and why it matters. If the 'so that' is missing or weak, the story is probably not ready.
Acceptance criteria
A story without acceptance criteria is a wish. Criteria define done in testable terms ('when I click X, Y appears'). Most disagreements about whether work is done come from stories without criteria.
Epics, stories, and tasks
An epic is a large body of work split into stories; stories are sized to fit a sprint; tasks are the technical steps inside a story. Slicing big work into stories is the skill that keeps estimates honest.
Nimbus
In Nimbus, each user story becomes an issue: assignable, searchable, labeled, and tracked on the board with its full history in the activity log.
Frequently asked questions
What is the format of a user story?
'As a [type of user], I want [something], so that [benefit].' The three clauses are the story's who, what, and why.
Who writes user stories?
The product owner or product manager usually drafts them, but anyone with insight into the user can contribute. Good stories survive a debate in planning.
Is a user story the same as a task?
No. A story describes a user-valued outcome; a task is implementation detail. A story typically breaks down into several tasks.
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