Use Case

A use case describes how a user (or other system) interacts with a product to achieve a specific goal, usually written as a sequence of steps including the main success path and possible alternatives. It captures a requirement from the user’s point of view.

Use cases help a team agree on what a product should do before deciding how to build it, and they double as a basis for tests. They are common in both predictive requirements work and agile refinement.

Related: requirement, user story, acceptance criteria.

Last updated: 4 July 2026 · By Tom, PMP-certified since 2004

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