26 ChatGPT Prompts for Writing User Stories (Igniting Inspiration Sparks)

ChatGPT is transforming the way we create user stories.

From generating initial ideas to designing user narratives, evaluating user responses, and even enhancing team interaction—its capabilities are genuinely transformative.

But with such a wealth of potential, figuring out how to begin can be challenging.

That's why this handbook was brought to life.

In this handbook, using real-world examples and numerous hours spent experimenting with ChatGPT, I'll share proven ChatGPT prompts for writing user stories.

Let's get started.

ChatGPT Prompts for Writing User Stories

Understand the concept of User Stories

User Stories are a vital element in Agile software development and help in defining the requirements of a system from a user's perspective.

ChatGPT can help you understand this concept in detail.

The AI can also help in creating user stories by guiding you on structuring the user story: As a [type of user], I want [goal] so that [reason].

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a project manager and explain the concept of User Stories.

How are they used in Agile software development and what format do they typically follow?

Define the goals of User Stories

User Stories aim to capture a description of a software feature from an end-user perspective.

They serve to create a simplified description of a requirement, focusing on the value that the user will derive.

The goal is to provide a user-centered framework for collaborative planning and prioritizing, facilitate communication between the development team and stakeholders, and allow for flexible adjustments of the product's functionality.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a seasoned software developer explaining the goals of writing user stories.

Describe why user stories are important in agile development and how they benefit the development process.

Explain the INVEST criteria for effective User Stories

The INVEST criteria is a set of guidelines to write effective User Stories.

I stands for Independent, meaning each story should be self-contained, N for Negotiable, implying stories can be altered and reworked.

V represents Valuable, ensuring each story delivers value to the end-user.

E stands for Estimable, meaning it should be possible to estimate the effort required.

S is for Small, implying the story should be small enough to be planned in a sprint, and T for Testable, asserting the story's goal should be verifiable.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an experienced scrum master explaining the INVEST criteria for creating effective User Stories to a new agile team.

Provide an example for each of the criteria.

Identify and describe the user personas

ChatGPT can be of great help in identifying and describing user personas.

Feed it information about your product or service, its features, and who you believe your target audience is, and ChatGPT can create detailed user personas.

These personas can help in understanding user needs, behaviors, and motivations, enabling you to write more focused and effective user stories.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Based on the information about our mobile banking application and our target audience being millennials who prioritize quick, easy, and secure transactions, identify and describe the possible user personas.

Write User Stories for a sample project

ChatGPT is capable of writing user stories for your sample project.

You just need to provide it with a high-level overview of what the project is about, and the specific features you're planning to implement.

It can then generate user stories from the perspective of different user roles, focusing on their needs, motivations, and the value they would gain from the feature.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a product manager and create user stories for our upcoming project, an e-commerce platform.

The platform will have user roles including shopper, vendor, and admin.

It should include features like user registration, product listing, shopping cart, order management, and admin dashboard.

Break down large User Stories into smaller, manageable ones

ChatGPT can help you break down large user stories into smaller, digestible tasks.

All you need to do is feed a complex user story to ChatGPT, and it will deconstruct it into simpler tasks, making it easier to assign and track work in the development process.

For instance, you can ask ChatGPT to decompose a user story about developing a new feature on your app.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an experienced product owner tasked with breaking down a large user story into manageable tasks.

Here is the user story: As a user, I want to be able to customize my profile settings so that I can control what information is visible to other users on the platform.

Break down this story into smaller tasks.

Prioritize User Stories in a product backlog

User stories can often pile up in your backlog, making it hard to decide what to work on next.

ChatGPT can help you prioritize these user stories based on their business value, dependencies, and urgency.

Give ChatGPT a list of user stories, and it will provide a prioritized list that aligns with your product development goals.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As a product owner, I need to prioritize the following user stories in my product backlog.

Here are the user stories:

Determine story points for a User Story

Story points are a unit of measure for expressing the effort required to implement a user story.

ChatGPT can assist product owners or scrum teams in determining story points by analyzing the complexity, risk, and effort involved in the user story.

For instance, you can feed ChatGPT with the user story and ask it to estimate the story points based on its understanding of the requirements.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an experienced scrum master tasked with determining the story points for the following user story:

As a registered user, I want the ability to reset my password so I can regain access to my account when I forget my password.

Analyze the complexity, risk, and effort involved in this user story and estimate its story points.

Explain the difference between User Stories and Use Cases

User Stories and Use Cases are both methods to capture user requirements, but they differ in their approach and detail.

User Stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the user.

They are often informal and prioritize communication over documentation.

On the other hand, Use Cases are more detailed and structured, outlining the interactions between the user and the system to achieve a goal.

They include preconditions, postconditions, main flow, and alternative flows.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As an experienced product owner, explain the difference between User Stories and Use Cases in software development, emphasizing their individual characteristics, benefits, and possible use scenarios.

Develop acceptance criteria for User Stories

ChatGPT can assist you in developing acceptance criteria for your user stories.

Share with it your user story, and it will define the criteria that must be met for the story to be accepted.

This would include what the system should do, the inputs, the expected outcome, and any rules or conditions.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an experienced product owner and develop the acceptance criteria for the following user story:

As a website visitor, I want to be able to reset my password so that I can regain access to my account if I forget my password.

Write User Stories for a new feature

When it comes to creating user stories for a new feature, ChatGPT can surely help.

You just need to provide the name and a brief description of the feature, and ChatGPT will create concise and clear user stories for that feature.

This can save a lot of time and ensure that the user stories cover all aspects of the feature.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As an experienced product owner, write user stories for the new feature In-app notifications for our project management tool.

The feature should notify users of any updates or changes in their assigned tasks.

Refine User Stories with team feedback

Collecting and incorporating feedback from team members is essential to improve and refine User Stories.

ChatGPT can assist you by prioritizing feedback, proposing modifications, and even suggesting new User Stories based on the feedback given.

Just provide it with the team's feedback and the User Story you are working on.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an Agile coach and help to refine this User Story based on the feedback from our development team.

Our User Story is: As an online shopper, I want to be able to filter products by category so that I can quickly find what I'm looking for.

Here is the feedback from our team to be analyzed and incorporated:

Map out User Stories on a story map

User stories are an integral part of any product development process, and ChatGPT can help you map these out on a story map.

The ChatGPT can be fed with broad product functionality and asked to break it down into individual user stories.

Additionally, it can help you organize these stories in a way that makes sense in the larger context of the product roadmap.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a seasoned product owner to map out user stories for a new online grocery shopping app.

Consider the user's journey from sign up to order placement, and break down the functionalities into detailed user stories.

Organize these stories in an intuitive and logical manner on the story map.

Incorporate non-functional requirements into User Stories

ChatGPT can help you with creating User Stories by incorporating non-functional requirements, such as system performance, security, or usability.

You can specify the non-functional requirements, and ChatGPT will transform it into a comprehensive User Story, focusing on the user's perspective.

Using ChatGPT, you can ensure that your User Stories cater to all requirements, functional and non-functional.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Assume the role of a software engineer and help in writing a user story.

The non-functional requirement to focus on is improving the loading speed of our app's homepage.

Develop a detailed User Story that revolves around this requirement.

Write User Stories for bug fixes

User stories are a fundamental part of Agile development and can be utilized to address bug fixes as well.

ChatGPT can help you write effective user stories that will make it easier for your team to understand and fix bugs.

Simply provide ChatGPT with a description of the bug, its context, and the desired outcome after the fix.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Assume the role of a software developer who's writing user stories for bug fixes.

We have a bug where the logout button doesn't work properly on our mobile application.

The bug occurs when a user tries to log out from their account on the mobile app, but it doesn't log them out immediately.

The desired outcome is for the user to be logged out instantly when they press the logout button.

Write a user story addressing this issue.

Validate User Stories with stakeholders

User stories are essential components of product management, and validating them with stakeholders ensures they align with the business needs and user requirements.

ChatGPT can assist in drafting questions for stakeholders to validate if the user stories are realistic, relevant, and meet their needs.

This includes questions on the user's role, their needs, and the benefits they expect from the solution.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As a product manager, help me draft questions to validate the user stories with our stakeholders.

We want to understand if our users will find value in the solution we are proposing.

Here are the user stories to be validated:

Use User Stories in Scrum sprints

User stories play a vital role in Scrum sprints by providing a user-centered perspective to the development team.

ChatGPT can assist you in formulating effective user stories to guide your development process.

For example, you can ask ChatGPT to write user stories based on features you want to develop or problems you want to solve.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a Scrum Master and write a user story to include in the upcoming sprint.

The goal is to create a new feature that allows users to customize their profiles on our social media platform.

Please include a description of the user, what they want, and why they want it.

Review and revise User Stories as the project evolves

User stories often need to be revised as a project progresses, to adapt to new requirements or unforeseen changes.

With ChatGPT, you can feed in your existing user stories and ask the model to suggest revisions based on evolving project needs.

You can also ask ChatGPT to review your user stories, highlighting any potential issues or areas for improvement.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As a seasoned Agile coach, review and suggest revisions to these existing user stories to cater to the new project requirements.

Here are the user stories:

Convert User Stories into tasks

User stories provide a great starting point to plan and execute tasks, and ChatGPT can help you effectively break down these stories into actionable tasks.

You just need to feed the user story to ChatGPT, and it will divide it into manageable tasks, outlining the steps needed to meet the story's requirements.

This can help your team understand the work that needs to be done and prioritize tasks accordingly.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a seasoned project manager to convert the following user story into actionable tasks:

As an online shopper, I want a recommendation system on the shopping site so that I can find products that match my preferences easily.

Write negative User Stories

User stories can be an effective way to understand user needs and desires, but they can also lead to ambiguity and misunderstanding if not written well.

ChatGPT can assist you in drafting negative user stories, which illustrate what should not happen when a user interacts with your product.

You can feed ChatGPT with your product details and ask it to create negative user stories that will help to identify potential pitfalls or negative outcomes.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Based on the description of our new project management software, write five negative user stories that illustrate potential issues users might encounter when using this software.

Explain how User Stories drive the development process

User Stories are vital in defining the requirements of a software project.

They help in identifying who the user is, what they want, and why they want it.

ChatGPT can be asked to frame user stories in a way that focuses on the user's needs, which in turn, drives the development process towards creating solutions that provide real value.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a project manager and write user stories that will help guide the development process for a new fitness tracking app.

Each story should clearly define the type of user, what they want to achieve, and the value this will bring to them.

Showcase the role of User Stories in Agile development

User Stories play a crucial role in Agile development as they describe the features from an end-user's perspective.

This helps teams understand their users' needs and expectations better.

They also serve as the basis for defining the functions a business system or software should have.

ChatGPT can act as a proficient product owner to create user stories that are clear, concise, and relevant to the user's needs.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a product owner and create user stories for an upcoming mobile banking app.

Your target users are millennials who seek quick and easy online banking solutions.

You aim to provide simple money transfer, bill payments, and account balance checking features.

Write User Stories for performance improvements

With a solid understanding of how to write effective user stories, ChatGPT can assist in creating user stories to improve the performance of your product or system.

Give it your specific context or desired performance improvement, and it will generate user stories to communicate the requirements clearly.

For example, you can ask ChatGPT to write user stories to optimize load times or improve the user interface responsiveness.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as an experienced software engineer tasked with improving the performance of our mobile app.

We are focusing specifically on reducing app crashes and improving load times.

Could you please generate user stories to address these performance issues?

Adapt User Stories to unexpected changes

As projects progress, changes can occur that affect previously written user stories.

With ChatGPT, these changes can be analyzed and new user stories can be generated to adapt to the new circumstances.

Simply provide the details of the changes and the original user stories, and ChatGPT can help you identify new potential scenarios and modify the existing stories accordingly.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Given the following changes in our project requirements and the initial user stories, help me adapt the existing stories to align with these changes.

Remember to prioritize the users' needs and project goals.

Here are the changes and the original user stories:

Close and review completed User Stories

With ChatGPT, you can review and close completed User Stories.

It can help you ensure that all acceptance criteria have been met and that the story has been implemented as expected.

You can feed it with your completed User Story and it will validate it based on your project's definition of done.

ChatGPT Prompt:

As a scrum master, review the following completed User Story to ensure it meets all the acceptance criteria and fits into the definition of done.

Then, advise on whether it should be closed.

Here is the User Story for review:

Facilitate a User Story workshop for a team.

ChatGPT can guide your team through a User Story workshop.

It can help identify key users, define what they want to achieve, and why it's important.

Just feed the AI with details about the product, users, and the team's perspective.

For instance, you can ask ChatGPT to help create a user story for a specific feature of your product.

ChatGPT Prompt:

Act as a skilled facilitator for a User Story workshop for our development team.

We are creating an online learning platform.

Help us to create user stories around the 'course recommendation feature'.

 

Conclusion

Whew! That was quite the journey.

From envisioning user stories to refining them, making release notes, and interpreting customer feedback, ChatGPT is revolutionizing all aspects of writing user stories.

It’s your reliable buddy when you're feeling stuck, your solution for intricate prioritization, and your creative ally for innovative problem-solving.

Keep in mind:

ChatGPT is a resource, not a substitute for your own proficiency. Combine its abilities with your knowledge for truly remarkable outcomes.

Now it’s your moment.

Select one or two prompts from this guide and apply them in your upcoming sprint, planning session, or team gathering. You may be amazed at the increase in efficiency—and imagination—you experience.

And if you’re ready to delve into even more robust tools that surpass ChatGPT, pay a visit to Galaxy.ai.

Hosting an array of AI tools, it’s the quintessential efficiency partner for contemporary user story writers.

Happy user story writing! 🚀