---
title: 'Acceptance criteria'
description: 'Explicit conditions an outcome must satisfy before it can be accepted, promoted, or declared complete.'
canonical_url: 'https://darkfactory.dev/glossary/acceptance-criteria'
markdown_url: 'https://darkfactory.dev/glossary/acceptance-criteria.md'
collection: glossary
date_published: '2026-08-03T00:00:00-04:00'
date_modified: '2026-08-26T00:00:00-04:00'
---

# Acceptance criteria


## Definition

Acceptance criteria are explicit conditions an outcome must satisfy before it can be accepted, promoted, released, or declared complete. They translate intent into evidence that a reviewer or automated gate can inspect.

Strong criteria cover behavior, quality, risk limits, and side effects. They name the environment, inputs, tolerances, and required artifacts. They also include non-goals where a system could appear successful by doing extra work that was not authorized.

Not every criterion can be reduced to one test, but every criterion should have a verification method and an accountable decision owner. If an agent writes the criteria, performs the work, and judges the result without independent evidence, the process can certify its own misunderstanding.

## Distinguish it from nearby terms

Requirements express what stakeholders need. Acceptance criteria state the observable conditions for accepting an outcome. Tests execute some of those checks. A definition of done may also include process obligations such as documentation or review.

## Check your understanding

"The page loads" is not enough for a checkout change. Acceptance may also require correct totals, accessible controls, no duplicate charge, an audit event, and a rollback path.

## Also called

completion criteria

## Related factory areas

- [Intent capture & requirements](https://darkfactory.dev/factory/intent-requirements)
- [Verification, evaluation & quality truth](https://darkfactory.dev/factory/verification)

## Evidence and further reading

- [Viverra: Text-to-Code with Guarantees](https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14972)
- [Theory Under Construction (Comet-H)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.27209)