# user-story-splitting

This skill breaks large user stories and epics into smaller stories that can be delivered independently. Use it when an item is hard to estimate or finish in a sprint.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2500 installs · ★ 7673
- Author: deanpeters
- License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/user-story-splitting

## What it does

The skill examines a story or epic and suggests split points based on workflow steps, business rules, data types, acceptance criteria, major effort, external dependencies, or DevOps work. If those patterns do not fit, it suggests small experiments to explore unknowns. Each resulting story is meant to retain user value.

Provide the story text, and optionally explain why it is hard to estimate or complete in a sprint and what size limit your team uses. The skill checks its patterns in order and stops when one applies; `template.md` supplies the full output structure. It is not intended for technical tasks: the source recommends using engineering task breakdown for those.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill user-story-splitting -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/user-story-splitting/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill user-story-splitting -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill user-story-splitting -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills user-story-splitting
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill user-story-splitting -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --path skills/user-story-splitting
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill user-story-splitting -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/user-story-splitting/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- split an epic into deliverable increments
- separate stories with multiple acceptance criteria
- find story boundaries across workflow steps
- make an oversized story easier to estimate
- separate business-rule scenarios into distinct stories

## Example prompts
- Split this story into parts that can be released independently: “As a user, I want to…”
- Break down this epic; we can’t finish it in a sprint.
- Split this story by its business-rule scenarios while keeping value in each part.

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From the same set: [deanpeters/product-manager-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/deanpeters/product-manager-skills.md) — 69 cards

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