Here are some tips to creating the perfect Work Item:

When recording

1. State your intent

Begin the recording with the purpose.

“Send an email task to...”
“I have a new feature request for the Northwind Project...”

✅ Good Example:

“Create a new bug report for the login page in the Northwind project. The issue is users can’t reset their password. (...)”

❌ Bad Example:

“This is broken.”

Be as specific as possible so the AI knows what action to take and what project you are refering to.

Pro Tip: A good practice is to end your video by restating your intent and the project name. This reinforces your request and helps the AI generate an accurate Work Item.

2. Give context

If you're seeing a section you should refer to the section's heading.

Note: Have a look at these best practices

✅ Good Example:

“On the dashboard, under the ‘Reports’ section, the export button is missing.”

❌ Bad Example:

“It’s not working here.”

3. Detail bug reports

For bugs, mention reproduction steps and expected behaviour.

“First do this, then do this, then this error occurs, but I expect it to do this”

Note: Have a look at drafting your bug with enough details

✅ Good Example:

“Step 1: Go to the login page. Step 2: Enter your email and click ‘Forgot Password’. Step 3: No email is sent. I expect to receive a password reset email.”

❌ Bad Example:

“Reset password doesn’t work.”

4. Mention additional team members

So you include others who are not in the meeting.

“...Cc Adam and Uly”

Note: Creating a PBI or bug report will automatically CC the Product Owner and Tech Lead. Why?

✅ Good Example:

“Please CC @adam and @uly on this item as they need to review the changes.”

❌ Bad Example:

“Let someone else know.”

5. Collaborative effort goes a long way

Invite a colleague when recording to allow for multiple perspectives and explanations, allowing for increased clarity and quality of the work item.

Figure: 2 or more people in a YakShave is always better

Tip: If possible, have another team member present to clarify requirements or add missing details during the recording.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure YakShaver produces the best results:

• Being too vague: Not stating what you want the AI to do.
  • Example: “This needs fixing.” (What needs fixing? Where?)
• Missing context: Not mentioning which page, feature, or user role is affected.
• Skipping steps: Not describing how to reproduce a bug or what the expected outcome is.
• Not mentioning key people: Forgetting to CC or mention stakeholders who need to be involved.
• Recording in a noisy environment: Background noise can make it hard for the AI to understand your intent.

Take a moment to review your recording and make sure you’ve avoided these mistakes before submitting.

Sample Video Script

Here’s an example script for a YakShaver recording that follows best practices.

This script clearly states the intent, provides context, details the bug, mentions key people, and demonstrates collaboration.

Hi team, I’d like to create a new bug report for the login page on the project Northwind. 
When users try to reset their password, no email is sent.  

This is how it happened, I went to the login page and entered my email address. Then I clicked on ‘Forgot Password’.  

After 5 minutes monitoring my email inbox I still haven't received my password reset email.  

Please CC @adam and @uly as they need to review this.  

Quick Reference: Do’s and Don’ts

Refer to this table before recording to maximize the quality of your YakShaver Work Items!