Acceptance criteria: definition, example and how to measure it
Acceptance criteria are the checks a piece of work must pass to be accepted. Definition, examples for software and non-technical work, and how to write them.
Acceptance criteria are the checks a piece of work must pass before it counts as done. Each one is a short statement you can answer yes or no. "The email says the start date in the first two lines" is an acceptance criterion. "The email is good" is not.
In plain words
Before work starts, agree what "accepted" means. Write it as a short list. When the work is finished, go down the list. Every yes means that part is done.
Examples
Software (a user story):
- Given I am logged in, when I click Download on an invoice, a PDF downloads.
- The PDF shows the invoice number, date and total.
- Users without billing access do not see the button.
Non-technical work (a client report):
- The first line says whether the project is on track.
- Every number matches the source sheet.
- It fits on one page.
Acceptance criteria vs definition of done
Acceptance criteria belong to one task. A definition of done applies to every task of a kind, like "every blog post is proofread and has a meta description."
How to measure it
| Measure | How |
|---|---|
| Tasks with criteria | Tasks that have acceptance criteria ÷ all tasks |
| First-time-right | Accepted with no changes ÷ delivered |
Teams that add criteria to most tasks usually see first-time-right go up within a few weeks.
Where M-Tracker fits
In M-Tracker, a task's brief can list what it must include, and the first review checks the finished work against it. The person sees what is missing before the manager does. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
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