user-stories
by phurynUse the user-stories skill to turn features into backlog-ready stories with the 3 C's, INVEST criteria, design links, and testable acceptance criteria. Ideal for writing user stories, splitting features into backlog items, and user-stories for Requirements Planning with clearer scope and less guesswork.
This skill scores 78/100, which means it is a solid listing candidate for directory users: it has a clear trigger, a defined workflow for generating user stories, and enough structure to support real use, though adoption will still involve some manual interpretation. Users looking to install it should expect a practical but not deeply instrumented skill.
- Clear triggerability: the description explicitly says to use it when writing user stories, breaking down features, or defining acceptance criteria.
- Concrete workflow: it walks through analyzing the feature, identifying user roles, applying the 3 C's, and using INVEST criteria.
- Useful output framing: it specifies a story template with title, description, design links, and acceptance criteria.
- No supporting scripts, references, or resources, so users must rely on the SKILL.md instructions alone.
- The file gives process guidance but limited edge-case handling or constraints, which may leave some execution details to the agent.
Overview of user-stories skill
The user-stories skill helps you turn a feature idea into clear backlog-ready user stories using the 3 C's (Card, Conversation, Confirmation) and INVEST criteria. It is best for product managers, analysts, designers, and AI agents that need a structured user-stories guide instead of a vague “write me some stories” prompt.
What users usually want here is not just story text, but a repeatable way to define scope, capture assumptions, and produce testable acceptance criteria. The user-stories skill is strongest when you already have some feature context, a design link, or a rough problem statement and need it broken into usable stories for Requirements Planning.
What the user-stories skill does well
It produces stories with a consistent structure: role, action, benefit, design reference, and acceptance criteria. That makes it useful when you need stories that can move into sprint planning, estimation, or QA review without extra rewriting.
Best-fit use cases
Use user-stories when you are:
- splitting a feature into backlog items
- translating product requirements into story form
- defining acceptance criteria from a design or concept
- checking whether a story is small, testable, and independently valuable
Where it stands out
The skill is practical because it combines narrative clarity with delivery discipline. The 3 C's help with intent, while INVEST helps prevent oversized or ambiguous stories. That is a better fit than a generic prompt when your team cares about actionable stories, not just polished prose.
How to Use user-stories skill
Install and read the right files first
For user-stories install, use the repo's skill installation flow, then open SKILL.md first. If you want the fastest path to useful output, read the story template and step-by-step process before trying to prompt it. In this repository, SKILL.md is the only source file, so there is no separate rules folder or script behavior to learn.
Give the skill the inputs it needs
The user-stories usage pattern works best when you provide four things:
$PRODUCT: the system or product name$FEATURE: the feature to break down$DESIGN: a design link, if available$ASSUMPTIONS: key context, constraints, or unknowns
Stronger input:
- “Product: Merchant dashboard. Feature: Allow admins to bulk edit shipping methods. Design: Figma link. Assumptions: only admin users, desktop first, API already exists.”
Weaker input:
- “Write user stories for onboarding.”
Turn a rough idea into a better prompt
A good user-stories prompt explains who the user is, what changed, and what success means. Include edge cases or business rules that affect story boundaries. If you only give a feature name, the output will usually be broader and less testable.
Use the output in a planning workflow
A practical workflow is: define the feature, attach design or product context, generate stories, then review each story for INVEST fit and missing acceptance criteria. If a story is too large, ask for a split by user role, workflow step, or rule set. If it is too vague, ask for concrete acceptance criteria and negative cases.
user-stories skill FAQ
Is the user-stories skill good for Requirements Planning?
Yes. user-stories for Requirements Planning is a strong use case because it forces a feature into user-centered, testable backlog language. It is especially helpful when you need to turn stakeholder notes into stories that engineering and QA can actually use.
How is this different from a normal prompt?
A normal prompt may give you one-off story text. The user-stories skill adds a repeatable structure: 3 C's, INVEST checks, design linkage, and clear story formatting. That reduces guesswork and usually improves consistency across a backlog.
Do I need design files to use it?
No, but design links materially improve output quality. If you do not have Figma, Miro, or similar references, provide assumptions, workflows, and constraints instead. The skill can still work, but the stories may be less precise around interaction details.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, if you can describe the product and feature in plain language. The main limitation is not skill complexity; it is input quality. Better context produces better stories, especially when edge cases and user roles matter.
How to Improve user-stories skill
Provide story boundaries up front
The fastest way to improve user-stories output is to define what is in scope and what is not. Say whether the feature is for a specific role, platform, or release phase. That helps the skill produce smaller stories instead of one oversized, hard-to-estimate item.
Include rules, exceptions, and success signals
The skill works best when you specify business rules, validation needs, and what counts as done. For example, mention limits, permissions, required fields, empty states, or failure behavior. These details turn a decent story into one with usable acceptance criteria.
Ask for splits when stories are too broad
If the first output groups too much into one story, ask for a split by journey stage, persona, or condition. That is usually better than asking for a rewrite because it preserves the original intent while improving INVEST compliance.
Review for testability, not just wording
When using the user-stories skill, the common failure mode is story text that sounds good but cannot be verified. Check whether each acceptance criterion can be observed or tested. If not, feed the skill more concrete context and ask for clearer confirmation conditions.