Acceptance criteria are yes-or-no checks that say when a piece of work is finished. They work for reports, emails, designs and events, not just software. Write three to five per task. Each one should be something two people would judge the same way.
Why software teams have them and everyone else does not
Software teams write acceptance criteria because code either works or it does not. Marketing, operations and HR work feels softer, so people skip it. But the same problem happens: work is handed in, and the reviewer had a different idea of finished.
The test for a good criterion
Ask: "Could two people disagree about whether this is met?"
- "The email is clear." Yes, they could disagree. Rewrite it.
- "The start date is in the first two lines." No. Keep it.
A simple pattern
Each check names one thing you can see:
- Content: "It includes X."
- Position: "X is in the first paragraph."
- Accuracy: "Every number matches the source sheet."
- Limit: "Under 300 words." "One page."
- Format: "PDF, named Client_June_Report."
Ten examples you can copy
Monthly client report
- First line says on track, at risk or off track.
- Every number matches the dashboard on the 1st.
- One page.
Customer announcement email
- What changes, what to do, and when are in the first three lines.
- One link, to the help article.
- Reads at grade 8 or below.
Event plan
- Venue, date, budget and headcount confirmed in writing.
- A backup plan for bad weather.
Social post design
- 1080 × 1080 px PNG.
- Logo top left, brand colors only.
- Text readable on a phone.
Job posting
- Pay range stated.
- No more than six must-haves.
Where to put them
On the task, under the brief. Not in a separate doc. The person doing the work should see them before starting, and check against them before handing in.
Get started in one minute
The acceptance criteria builder takes a one-line task and suggests done checks. Edit them, then paste them into the task.
Check the work against them automatically
In M-Tracker, each task's brief lists what the work must include. When the work is attached, the first review checks it against those points and tells the person what is missing. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker gives every task a clear brief and every finished piece of work a first review, in plain words, before it reaches the manager. No screenshots, no scores.
Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.
Questions people ask
How many criteria per task?
Three to five. More than eight usually means the task should be split.
Who writes them?
The person asking for the work, ideally with the person doing it. Five minutes together saves a round of revisions.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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