Shared sanitation has immensely contributed to sanitation access in urban areas. However, due to the lack of quality standards within Sustainable Development Goal #6 and the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), which evaluates progress on the SDGs, shared sanitation is at best considered a 'limited' solution. This policy brief presents the main results of the Quality Indicators of Shared Sanitation (QUISS) project: a three-country comparative mixed-methods study that identifies the key criteria of what constitutes ‘acceptable quality’ shared toilets in low-income urban contexts and provides recommendations for strengthening the acceptability, functionality and sustainability of shared sanitation facilities.