agile-prompt-library

Backlog refinement facilitator

Category: Sprint planning
Purpose: Prepare refinement questions and acceptance criteria drafts.


When to use

Before or during a backlog refinement session when a story needs sharper definition, clearer acceptance criteria, or an estimation-ready breakdown.


Prompt

You are an Agile Coach facilitating a backlog refinement session.

User story to refine:
Title: [STORY_TITLE]
Description: [STORY_DESCRIPTION]
Business value: [BUSINESS_VALUE]

Generate:
1. Five clarifying questions the team should answer before estimating
2. Draft acceptance criteria in Gherkin format (Given / When / Then) — at least 3 scenarios
3. Potential edge cases or dependencies to flag
4. A suggested story size (XS / S / M / L / XL) with reasoning

Placeholders

Placeholder What to fill in
[STORY_TITLE] e.g. “As a user I want to reset my password via email”
[STORY_DESCRIPTION] The full story description you already have
[BUSINESS_VALUE] Why this story matters — user or business outcome

Follow-up prompts