Error Scenario
A scenario that describes what the product does when something goes wrong — invalid input, failed validations, blocked actions, or system-level failures.
An error scenario isn't a bug report. It's a description of how the product is meant to behave when something goes wrong: the user tries to upload a file type that isn't allowed, the email address is already in use, the payment is declined. These behaviours are intentional — someone decided what should happen — and they belong in the specification.
Most traditional product specs skip error scenarios entirely. The PM describes the happy path; engineers figure out the error handling during implementation; the spec never catches up. The result is that nobody on the non-engineering side of the team knows what error messages the product shows, when they appear, or how to explain them to a customer.
A living specification captures error scenarios alongside happy paths and edge cases. When the validation logic changes in a release, the error scenario updates to match.
Example
Related Terms
A single plain-language description of how a product behaves in a specific situation. The atomic unit of a living product specification.
A scenario that describes the expected, successful flow of a feature — what happens when everything goes right and the user stays on the main track.
A scenario that describes unusual but valid behaviour — the conditions at the edges of what the feature supports. Often the source of support tickets.
See it in practice
The Specsight demo shows real scenarios, features, and a complete living product spec — generated from an actual codebase.