Acceptance criteria are a list of requirements or conditions that a project’s deliverable or output must meet for the client, customer, or stakeholders to accept or approve it. They list the specific features, functions, and characteristics that the deliverable must have in order to be considered complete and satisfactory.
Acceptance criteria are usually set up during the project planning or requirements gathering phase. They are used to guide the development and testing of the deliverable. They can be both functional and non-functional, like how well the system works, how safe it is, how easy it is to use, and how well it works with other systems or applications.
Some examples of acceptance criteria for a piece of software could be:
The app must be able to work with at least 1,000 users at the same time without crashing.
The application must work with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and any other major web browsers.
On the login page, the minimum length of a password must be 8 characters, with at least one capital letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and one special character.
In order to be in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the app must be fully accessible to people with disabilities (ADA).
Acceptance criteria help to make sure that the deliverable meets the needs and expectations of the client, customer, or other stakeholders. They can also help to avoid misunderstandings or disagreements about the quality or completeness of the work. They give a clear standard for judging the deliverable and can help build trust and confidence in the project team and the results.
Usage
It is used in project planning and quality management.
