Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Why-What-Acceptance Backlog Writer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The wwas skill teaches an AI agent to write product backlog items in a Why, What, Acceptance Criteria (WWA) format. It is for product managers and product owners who need structured items for an upcoming sprint or increment. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for backlog items in plain language, and what to check before sharing the output.
Why-What-Acceptance Backlog Writerphuryn/pm-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the wwas skill ZIP from the directory page.
- 2Unzip into the skills folder. Place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. Open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Describe your feature. Give the product name, the feature, any design link, and key assumptions in plain language.
- 5Review the generated items. Check each Why, What and acceptance criterion against your real goals and designs.
- 6Split items that are too big. Ask the agent to break any item that would not fit in one sprint into smaller independent items.
What the wwas skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder of instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches it. The wwas skill, from the phuryn/pm-skills repository (pm-execution/skills/wwas, MIT licence), changes how the agent writes backlog items. Instead of a loose list of tasks, the agent produces items that each have a title, a Why, a What, and Acceptance Criteria.
The skill asks the agent to break a feature into items that are independent, valuable, testable, negotiable and sized for one sprint estimate. The Why connects the item to strategic context and team objectives. The What is a short reminder of discussion with a design link, not a detailed specification. The Acceptance Criteria are observable outcomes that show when the item is done.
- Title: what will be delivered
- Why: one or two sentences linking to strategic context
- What: a short description and design link, one to two paragraphs at most
- Acceptance Criteria: a list of observable outcomes
Install the wwas skill from the ZIP download
Download the ZIP for the wwas skill from the directory page. Unzip it so the skill folder sits in one of these locations: ~/.claude/skills/ for your user account, or .claude/skills/ inside a specific project if you want the skill only in that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills. The skill package contains a single file, SKILL.md, which holds all of its instructions.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into .claude/skills/ in the project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the skill
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill's description lists the situations it applies to: writing structured backlog items, breaking features into work items, or using the WWA format. Describe your feature in ordinary language and say what you want back.
The skill lists four inputs it works from: the product or system name, the new feature or capability, a link to design files such as Figma or Miro, and key assumptions and strategic context. The more of these you give, the more specific the Why and What will be. Anything you leave out, the agent may have to guess.
- Say which product the feature belongs to
- Describe the feature or capability in a sentence or two
- Paste a design link if one exists
- List assumptions and the team or business goal the work supports
See an example of a finished WWA item
The skill includes a sample item to show the expected shape. Its title is Implement Real-Time Spending Tracker. The Why says users need immediate feedback on spending to make budget decisions. The What describes a tracker that updates as expenses are logged and points to a design link, and it states that detailed specifications will come from conversations with the team. The acceptance criteria are short observable checks, such as totals updating within 2 seconds of logging an expense and a progress bar showing budget progress.
Check the output before you share it
The skill structures what you provide. It does not verify business goals or designs, and it can write plausible-sounding acceptance criteria that you did not intend. Read each Why against your real objectives, confirm each acceptance criterion is something your team can actually observe, and correct anything invented.
Check independence and size as well. Items should be deliverable in any order and small enough for one sprint estimate. If an item looks too large, ask the agent to split it again.
- Confirm the Why matches a real team or business objective
- Confirm each acceptance criterion can be observed or tested
- Confirm the design link is correct and open
- Confirm each item fits one sprint
Know when the skill is not the right tool
The format intentionally keeps descriptions high-level. If your team needs detailed technical specifications, the agent will not produce them, so use a separate specification process. The skill is best suited to product managers and owners writing items for an upcoming sprint, and to teams new to the WWA format who want one consistent template.
What people use it for
- Turning a new feature idea into a set of sprint-ready backlog items, each with its own Why and acceptance criteria
- Writing items that explain strategic intent to engineering and design teams
- Giving a team new to the WWA format a consistent template to follow
- Drafting a first pass of acceptance criteria that a product owner then reviews and edits
Frequently asked questions
Is the wwas skill free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on the directory page for phuryn/pm-skills. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms.
What do I need to run the wwas skill?
The source lists no requirements. The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, and its package contains only SKILL.md.
Where do I install the wwas skill?
Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ in a project. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings, Capabilities, Skills.
Does the wwas skill write detailed technical specifications?
No. The format intentionally keeps descriptions high-level, and the skill is not meant for detailed technical specs. Use a separate specification process for that.
Can the agent check that my acceptance criteria are correct?
No. The skill only structures what you provide and may invent plausible acceptance criteria, so a person needs to review every criterion before the items are used.
What is the difference between a WWA item and a user story?
A WWA item adds an explicit Why, a short What with a design link, and observable acceptance criteria to a backlog item. A user story is a different template, so the two are not interchangeable. The skill's source links to a guide on writing user stories for comparison.
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Our verdict
Use the wwas skill if you are a product manager or owner who needs consistent, sprint-sized backlog items with clear strategic reasons, especially if your team is new to the WWA format. Pick another approach if you need detailed technical specifications or if you need an agent to verify business goals or designs, since you will have to review every item it writes.
Download the skill