Create User Story

User stories capture requirements from the end-user perspective. Each story follows the format: "As a [who], I want [what], so that [why]." This structure ensures every feature has clear purpose and measurable value.

Opening the Modal

Access the creation modal through multiple paths:

• Project header: Click "New" button in user stories section
• Keyboard shortcut: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U from anywhere in project
• Empty state: Click "Create your first user story" link
• Quick create: Use global quick create menu and select "User Story"

The modal opens with your current project pre-selected. If you opened from the global menu, select workspace and project first.

Creation Modes

Traditional Mode

Write user stories in the standard format:

Template structure:

As a [type of user],
I want [some goal],
So that [some reason].

Example:

As a project manager,
I want to see sprint burndown charts,
So that I can track team velocity.

The traditional format ensures:

• Clear identification of the user persona
• Specific, actionable goal statement
• Business value justification

Writing effective stories:

1. Be specific about the user. "As a user" is too vague. Use "As a billing administrator" or "As a first-time visitor"

1. Focus on one goal. If you write "and" in the want clause, consider splitting into multiple stories

1. State measurable value. "So that I can save time" is weak. "So that I can process 50% more invoices" is actionable

AI Mode

Describe what you need in natural language. The AI generates a properly formatted user story:

Input:

Need a way for managers to approve time entries before they go to billing

Generated story:

As a team manager,
I want to review and approve time entries before export,
So that billing accuracy improves and disputes decrease.

AI mode excels when:

• Converting stakeholder requests into user story format
• Transforming bug reports into improvement stories
• Breaking down vague requirements into specific needs

Modal Fields

Title (Required)

In Traditional mode, this is your full user story text. In AI mode, this is your natural language description.

Character limit: 500 characters Best practice: Keep titles scannable. The first line should summarize the story.

Acceptance Criteria

Define what "done" means for this story. Use testable conditions:

Weak criteria:

- Should work properly
- Must be fast
- Needs to look good

Strong criteria:

- Time entries display in chronological order
- Manager can approve/reject individual entries
- Rejected entries return to submitter with required comment
- Approved entries marked with timestamp and approver name
- Page loads within 2 seconds for up to 500 entries

Format options:

Given/When/Then:

Given I am a logged-in manager
When I view pending time entries
Then I see entries grouped by team member

Checklist style:

- [ ] Filter by date range works
- [ ] Bulk approve selected entries works
- [ ] Export approved entries to CSV works

Additional Information

Context that helps during implementation:

• Links to design mockups
• Technical constraints
• Related documentation
• Stakeholder contacts
• Edge cases to consider

This field supports full Markdown formatting including links, code blocks, and images.

Priority

Set urgency level from your project's priority list:

Priority affects:

• Default sorting in backlog views
• Sprint planning suggestions
• Team workload calculations

Epic

Link the story to a parent epic for organization:

No Epic selected: Story appears in backlog without grouping Epic selected: Story groups under epic in roadmap and planning views

Create Epic inline: Click "Create new epic" to add an epic without leaving the modal. Enter title and save—the new epic is immediately selectable.

This is valuable when:

• A story reveals need for a new initiative
• Stakeholder requests a feature outside existing epics
• You're breaking down a large requirement into epic + stories

Form Validation

The create button enables when:

1. Project selected: Required for all stories
2. Title provided: Minimum 3 characters
3. Mode-appropriate content: Either traditional format or AI description

Validation errors appear inline:

• Empty title: "Title is required"
• Title too short: "Minimum 3 characters"
• No project: "Select a project first"

After Creation

Success State

The modal confirms creation with options:

Go to User Stories: Navigate to the project's user story board Create Another: Clear form, stay in modal for batch creation

What Happens

1. Story created with "Open" status
2. Appears in backlog ready for sprint planning
3. Linked to epic if selected
4. Team notified via project activity feed
5. Real-time sync across all team members' views

Keyboard Shortcuts

Best Practices

Write Independently

Each story should be completable without dependencies:

Dependent (avoid):

As a user, I want to see the dashboard that was created in US-123

Independent (preferred):

As a user, I want to see key metrics on my dashboard

Size Appropriately

Stories should complete within one sprint. If larger:

• Break into multiple stories
• Use epic to group related stories
• Consider "As a user, I want [part 1]" pattern

Include Acceptance Criteria

Every story needs testable conditions. This is not optional—it's how your team knows when work is complete.

Time investment: 5 minutes writing criteria saves 2 hours of clarification questions later.

Connect to Epics

Orphan stories create planning chaos. Even "miscellaneous improvements" deserve an epic for grouping.

Common Patterns

Feature Story

As a [user type],
I want [capability],
So that [business value].

Bug-to-Story Conversion

As a [affected user],
I want [broken thing] fixed,
So that [impact when fixed].

Technical Story

As a developer,
I want [technical improvement],
So that [maintenance/performance benefit].

Research Story

As a product manager,
I want to understand [unknown],
So that [future decisions].

Troubleshooting

Modal won't open:

• Check project permissions (need createuserstories)
• Ensure project is selected in navigation
• Try page refresh

AI mode not generating:

• Provide more detail in description
• Include context about user type and goal
• Check network connection

Can't select epic:

• Epics load after project selection
• Create new epic if none exist
• Check epic isn't archived

Priority dropdown empty:

• Priorities come from project settings
• Admin can add priorities in Project Settings → Priorities