Functional Requirements

Time: ~7 minutes | Difficulty: Beginner

What You'll Learn

• How to write user stories
• Creating acceptance criteria

User Stories

The Format

As a [type of user]
I want to [do something]
So that [benefit/reason]

This format ensures you think about who, what, and why.

Core User Stories

Authentication Stories

Story: Register
As a new user
I want to create an account with email and password
So that I can access my private data

Story: Login
As a registered user
I want to log in with my email and password
So that I can access my data

Story: Logout
As a logged-in user
I want to log out
So that no one else can access my data on this device

Feature Stories (Notes Example)

Story: Create Note
As a logged-in user
I want to create a new note with title and content
So that I can save my thoughts

Story: View Notes
As a logged-in user
I want to see all my notes in a list
So that I can find what I've written

Story: Edit Note
As a logged-in user
I want to edit an existing note
So that I can update or fix mistakes

Story: Delete Note
As a logged-in user
I want to delete a note
So that I can remove things I no longer need

Acceptance Criteria

Each story needs acceptance criteria — specific, testable conditions.

Format

Given [context]
When [action]
Then [expected result]

Example: Register Story

#	Given	When	Then
1	I'm on registration page	I enter valid email + password (6+ chars)	Account created, logged in
2	I'm on registration page	I enter invalid email format	See error message
3	I'm on registration page	I enter password < 6 chars	See "password too short" error
4	I'm on registration page	I enter already-registered email	See "account exists" error

Example: Create Note Story

#	Given	When	Then
1	I'm logged in	I click "New Note"	I see form with title and content fields
2	I'm on new note form	I fill out and click Save	Note saved, appears in my list
3	I'm on new note form	I try to save without title	See validation error

Your Stories Checklist

Authentication (Required)

• [ ] Register with email/password
• [ ] Login with email/password
• [ ] Logout
• [ ] Protected pages require login

Your Feature (CRUD)

• [ ] Create — Add new item
• [ ] Read — View list of items
• [ ] Update — Edit existing item
• [ ] Delete — Remove item

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Continue: Technical Requirements →