Writing Great Feature Specifications

“How can I know what I think till I see what I say?”

– Attributed to Graham Wallas, E. M. Forster, and W. H. Auden, et al.

In the previous chapter, we saw the importance of exploratory testing to map out a feature. With that experience, you’re now ready to prepare a first draft of the feature specification. This is a vital document that will guide all future testing. It is also known as the Software Requirements Specification (SRS), but here, I will refer to it as the feature specification.

Writing a clear and precise feature specification gives you the best chance of releasing a feature quickly and successfully. Without a detailed specification, you risk surprises throughout the feature's development, even after it has gone live.

In an ideal project, the feature would be comprehensively specified before any work by the development and test teams begins. The product owners should clearly state what they...