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user-story-refine

Refines epics into INVEST-compliant user stories with acceptance criteria and requirement traceability.

Updated Sep 10, 2026
Search Tags:#requirements traceability#backlog refinement#acceptance criteria#agile#user stories#invest criteria#epic splitting
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/serpro-workshop-fortaleza/sifap-modernization-paula --skill user-story-refine-serpro-workshop-fortaleza
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: user-story-refine
Source: https://github.com/serpro-workshop-fortaleza/sifap-modernization-paula/tree/main/.github/skills/user-story-refine
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/serpro-workshop-fortaleza/sifap-modernization-paula --skill user-story-refine-serpro-workshop-fortaleza

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Teams often struggle with oversized epics, vague feature descriptions, and stories that lack testable acceptance criteria or traceability to business requirements. This Skill guides the refinement of backlog items into well-structured, vertically sliced user stories. ## Core Features & Use Cases - INVEST Validation: Checks each story against the Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable criteria. - Vertical Splitting Patterns: Splits large stories by workflow step, business rule, data variation, CRUD operation, or happy path versus edge case—never by architecture layer. - Acceptance Criteria & Traceability: Generates Given/When/Then criteria covering success, edge, and error flows, and links every story to a REQ-ID with legacy source traceability. - Use Case: A product owner has a broad epic like "beneficiary payment management." Use this Skill to split it into small, testable stories, each with acceptance criteria and links to the original requirements. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to refine this epic into INVEST-compliant user stories with Given/When/Then acceptance criteria and REQ-ID traceability.

Frequently Asked Questions about user-story-refine

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I split an epic into user stories?▼

Split epics vertically using patterns like workflow steps, business rules, data variations, CRUD operations, or happy path versus edge cases. Each resulting story should deliver end-to-end value and satisfy the INVEST criteria rather than being divided by architecture layer.

What are the INVEST criteria for user stories?▼

INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Each story should be checked against all six criteria during refinement to ensure it is ready for sprint planning.

How do I write acceptance criteria in Given/When/Then format?▼

Write each criterion as Given a context, When an action occurs, Then an expected result follows. Cover at least one success flow, one edge case, and one error flow per story to make behavior testable.

Why should user stories not be split horizontally?▼

Horizontal splits divide work by architecture layer, such as a server story plus a UI story, which delivers no usable value per story. Vertical slicing ensures each story delivers a complete, testable piece of functionality.

What are common user story anti-patterns to avoid?▼

Avoid stories written as tasks like "add a button," acceptance criteria describing the interface instead of behavior, horizontal layer-based splits, and stories with no link to a requirement ID for traceability.

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