Acceptance criteria are a formal list that fully narrates user requirements as well as all product scenarios considered. What Are the Benefits of a Well-Defined Set of Acceptance Criteria in Your Projects? Avoid miscommunication on internal projects Set the clients expectation level Make the difference between getting paid and not getting paid on projects where the client pays for deliverables Importance of Acceptance criteria Acceptance criteria are an essential component of every user story on which an agile team works. It clearly defines the scope, desired outcomes, and testing criteria for pieces of functionality being worked on by the delivery team. The process of developing and agreeing on acceptance criteria is also a valuable opportunity for developers and product to communicate.