Sprint Backlog in Scrum: Complete Guide with Examples (2025)

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how). It's a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint, and it belongs solely to them.

Key distinction: While the Product Owner owns the Product Backlog and its ordering, the Developers own the Sprint Backlog. They decide which Product Backlog items to select and how to deliver them. This ownership empowers Developers to self-manage their work and creates accountability for Sprint commitments.

Critical insight: The Sprint Backlog is a living artifact that evolves throughout the Sprint as the team learns more. It must be updated at least once a day during Daily Scrum to reflect current plans, emerging tasks, and progress toward the Sprint Goal. However, the Sprint Goal itself remains fixed - it doesn't change during the Sprint.

Quick Answer: Sprint Backlog at a Glance

Aspect	Details
Definition	Sprint Goal + selected Product Backlog items + delivery plan
Three Components	Why (Sprint Goal) + What (PBIs) + How (action plan)
Ownership	Developers (created during Sprint Planning, managed throughout Sprint)
Commitment	Sprint Goal (the single objective for the Sprint)
Updates	At least once daily; continuously refined as team learns more
Visibility	Highly visible to entire Scrum Team for transparency
Flexibility	Specific work can change; Sprint Goal remains fixed
Created During	Sprint Planning event

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore how to create, manage, and optimize the Sprint Backlog to drive successful Sprint outcomes.

What is the Sprint Backlog?

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog is one of the three core Scrum artifacts (alongside Product Backlog and Increment). It serves as the Developers' tactical plan for achieving the Sprint Goal during the current Sprint.

Think of the Sprint Backlog as the team's commitment-driven work plan for the Sprint. While the Product Backlog answers "What could we build for the product?", the Sprint Backlog answers "What will we build this Sprint, and how?"

The Three Components Explained

1. Sprint Goal (The "Why") The Sprint Goal is a single, coherent objective that provides purpose and direction for the Sprint. It creates focus and encourages collaboration rather than siloed work. Example: "Enable users to search and filter products by category"

2. Selected Product Backlog Items (The "What") These are the specific PBIs the Developers forecast they can complete during the Sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal. They're chosen during Sprint Planning based on priority and team capacity. Example: "User story: As a shopper, I want to search products by keyword" + "User story: As a shopper, I want to filter search results by category"

3. Actionable Plan (The "How") This is the detailed breakdown of tasks, activities, and technical work needed to complete each PBI and deliver a working Increment. The plan emerges throughout the Sprint as the team learns more. Example tasks: "Design search API", "Implement keyword search algorithm", "Create category filter UI component", "Write integration tests"

Purpose of the Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog serves as the Scrum Team's plan for a specific Sprint and offers several key benefits:

1. Focus: The Sprint Backlog helps the Development Team maintain focus on the work items that they have committed to completing during the Sprint.

2. Transparency: The Sprint Backlog provides a transparent view of the work that is planned for the current Sprint, allowing the Scrum Team and stakeholders to monitor progress and understand the team's commitments.

3. Adaptability: The Sprint Backlog is a dynamic artifact that can be updated by the Development Team throughout the Sprint to reflect new insights, emergent requirements, or changes in priority.

4. Accountability: The Sprint Backlog holds the Development Team accountable for delivering the work items they have committed to during the Sprint.

Structure of the Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog has three interconnected elements that work together to guide Sprint execution:

Element	Description	Example
Sprint Goal	Single coherent objective for the Sprint	"Enable basic e-commerce checkout functionality"
Selected PBIs	Product Backlog items chosen to achieve Sprint Goal	3-8 user stories or features (varies by team)
Actionable Plan	Tasks, activities, and technical work to deliver PBIs	20-40 tasks broken down from the PBIs

Sprint Goal - The Commitment

The Sprint Goal is the commitment associated with the Sprint Backlog artifact. It provides several critical functions:

Provides Purpose: Gives meaning to the Sprint beyond just completing tasks. Teams understand why they're doing the work.

Enables Flexibility: While the goal is fixed, the specific work can be adjusted. If the team discovers a better path to the goal, they can renegotiate scope with the Product Owner.

Encourages Collaboration: Creates a unifying objective that promotes teamwork. Instead of individuals working on separate stories, the team collaborates toward a shared outcome.

Guides Trade-offs: When conflicts arise (e.g., time constraints), the Sprint Goal helps teams decide what's essential vs. what can be deferred.

Example Sprint Goals:

• ✅ Good: "Enable users to create and manage their profiles"
• ✅ Good: "Implement payment processing with credit card support"
• ✅ Good: "Reduce page load time to under 2 seconds"
• ❌ Poor: "Complete 5 user stories" (no coherent objective)
• ❌ Poor: "Work on the backlog" (too vague)

Selected Product Backlog Items

These are the PBIs the Developers forecast they can complete during the Sprint. Key characteristics:

• Forecasted, not committed: The team makes their best prediction based on historical velocity and Sprint capacity
• Aligned with Sprint Goal: All selected items should contribute to achieving the Sprint Goal
• Refined and ready: Items should be well-understood, estimated, and meet the team's "Definition of Ready" if they have one
• Sized appropriately: Items should be completable within the Sprint (typically 1-5 days of work each)

Typical Sprint Backlog Size:

• 2-week Sprint: 5-10 PBIs (varies widely by team size and item complexity)
• Teams typically aim for 20-40 hours of forecast work per developer

Actionable Delivery Plan

The delivery plan breaks PBIs into concrete, manageable tasks. This includes:

Technical tasks: "Create database migration", "Implement REST API endpoint", "Write unit tests"

Design tasks: "Create wireframes", "Design UI components", "Review accessibility compliance"

Testing tasks: "Write integration tests", "Perform load testing", "Execute regression testing"

Documentation tasks: "Update API documentation", "Create user guide", "Update release notes"

Dependencies and sequencing: Understanding which tasks must be completed before others can start

Creating the Sprint Backlog During Sprint Planning

The Sprint Backlog is created during the Sprint Planning event through a collaborative process:

Step 1: Craft the Sprint Goal (First Half of Sprint Planning)

• Product Owner proposes Sprint objective based on Product Backlog priorities
• Entire Scrum Team collaborates to refine and agree on Sprint Goal
• Sprint Goal should be achievable within Sprint time-box and align with Product Goal

Step 2: Select Product Backlog Items (First Half of Sprint Planning)

• Developers examine top-ordered Product Backlog items
• Team discusses what can be completed to achieve Sprint Goal
• Developers forecast how many items they can complete based on:
  • Historical velocity (previous Sprint performance)
  • Team capacity (availability, time off, other commitments)
  • Item complexity and dependencies
• Product Owner clarifies requirements and answers questions

Step 3: Create Delivery Plan (Second Half of Sprint Planning)

• Developers break selected PBIs into tasks
• Team identifies technical approaches, dependencies, and risks
• Plan is detailed enough to track progress during Daily Scrum
• Initial task estimates help validate Sprint forecast

Example Sprint Planning Output:

• Sprint Goal: "Enable users to manage their shopping cart"
• Selected PBIs:
  • User story: Add items to cart
  • User story: Remove items from cart
  • User story: Update item quantities
  • Bug fix: Cart total calculation error
• Initial Tasks: ~25 tasks identified across design, development, testing

Managing the Sprint Backlog Throughout the Sprint

The Developers own and continuously update the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint:

Daily Updates (Minimum)

• Sprint Backlog must be updated at least once per day during Daily Scrum
• Developers inspect progress toward Sprint Goal
• Add newly discovered tasks as team learns more
• Mark completed tasks and update remaining work estimates
• Identify and surface impediments blocking progress

Continuous Refinement

• Tasks emerge throughout the Sprint - not everything is known at Sprint Planning
• Team decomposes PBIs into finer-grained tasks as work progresses
• Technical discoveries may require new tasks or approaches
• Definition of Done compliance often reveals additional work

Scope Negotiation When Needed

• If Sprint Goal remains achievable but scope needs adjustment, Developers negotiate with Product Owner
• Can remove or add PBIs by mutual agreement, as long as Sprint Goal isn't compromised
• Product Owner can cancel Sprint if Sprint Goal becomes obsolete

Key Responsibilities:

1. Adding new tasks: As Developers learn more, they add tasks to the Sprint Backlog
2. Updating progress: Mark tasks as in-progress or done, update time estimates
3. Maintaining visibility: Ensure Sprint Backlog is accessible and transparent to all
4. Adapting the plan: Adjust approach based on impediments, discoveries, or new information

Sprint Backlog vs Product Backlog: Key Differences

Aspect	Product Backlog	Sprint Backlog
Ownership	Product Owner	Developers
Scope	Entire product (all future work)	Current Sprint only
Time Horizon	Product lifetime (months/years)	One Sprint (1-4 weeks)
Commitment	Product Goal (long-term)	Sprint Goal (short-term)
Ordering	Ordered by value, risk, dependencies	Sequenced by delivery plan
Changes	Can change anytime	Changes with Sprint Goal constraints
Granularity	Varies (detailed at top, vague at bottom)	Detailed enough for Daily Scrum
Content	Features, enhancements, bugs, technical work	Selected PBIs + tasks + Sprint Goal

Relationship: The Product Backlog feeds the Sprint Backlog. During Sprint Planning, the team pulls items from the top of the Product Backlog into the Sprint Backlog.

Common Mistakes with Sprint Backlog

Mistake #1: Product Owner Controlling Sprint Backlog

Problem: Product Owner dictates which tasks Developers work on or adds/removes items from Sprint Backlog without Developer agreement.

Why It's Problematic: Violates Scrum's self-management principle. Developers cannot be accountable for commitments they didn't make.

Fix:

• Product Owner owns ordering of Product Backlog
• Developers own Sprint Backlog and decide what work they forecast
• Changes to Sprint Backlog during Sprint require mutual agreement

Mistake #2: No Sprint Goal or Weak Sprint Goal

Problem: Team skips Sprint Goal or creates vague goals like "Complete 8 story points" or "Work on backlog items."

Why It's Problematic: Without coherent objective, team works in silos. No flexibility to adjust scope when challenges arise.

Fix:

• Craft meaningful Sprint Goal that describes value or outcome
• Ensure all selected PBIs contribute to Sprint Goal
• Use Sprint Goal to guide trade-offs during Sprint

Mistake #3: Not Updating Sprint Backlog Daily

Problem: Sprint Backlog created at Sprint Planning but never updated, or updated only once per week.

Why It's Problematic: Defeats transparency purpose. Team and stakeholders can't inspect real progress or adapt to changes.

Fix:

• Update Sprint Backlog at minimum during Daily Scrum
• Add new tasks as they're discovered
• Keep burndown/burnup charts current
• Make Sprint Backlog visible to everyone

Mistake #4: Treating Sprint Backlog as Fixed Contract

Problem: Team refuses to adjust Sprint Backlog even when Sprint Goal is at risk or new information emerges.

Why It's Problematic: Scrum is empirical - teams should adapt based on learning. Rigid adherence to original plan ignores reality.

Fix:

• Sprint Goal is fixed; specific work items can flex
• Add or remove tasks as team learns more
• Negotiate scope changes with Product Owner when needed
• Focus on achieving Sprint Goal, not completing every task

Mistake #5: Over-Committing the Sprint

Problem: Team selects more PBIs than they can realistically complete, hoping to "stretch" performance.

Why It's Problematic: Leads to incomplete work, rushed quality, and team burnout. Undermines trust with stakeholders.

Fix:

• Base forecast on historical velocity, not wishful thinking
• Account for team capacity (meetings, time off, support work)
• Better to under-commit and potentially pull in more work than over-commit and fail

Mistake #6: Too Much or Too Little Detail in Tasks

Problem: Tasks are either too granular ("Write line 47 of code") or too coarse ("Implement feature").

Why It's Problematic: Too detailed creates administrative overhead; too coarse prevents effective Daily Scrum inspection.

Fix:

• Aim for tasks that take 2-8 hours to complete
• Tasks should be small enough to track daily progress
• Large enough to avoid micromanagement
• "If you can't finish it in a day, break it down further"

Best Practices for Sprint Backlog Management

1. Visualize the Sprint Backlog

Use physical boards or digital tools to make Sprint Backlog visible:

• Kanban board: To Do → In Progress → Done
• Task board: Group tasks by PBI
• Burndown chart: Track remaining work over Sprint
• Burnup chart: Track completed work toward Sprint Goal

2. Maintain Sustainable Pace

• Don't plan for 100% capacity - account for meetings, emails, interruptions
• Typical planning: 5-6 productive hours per developer per day
• Leave buffer for unexpected work and impediments
• Monitor team energy and morale

3. Swarm on Sprint Goal Work

• Encourage collaboration over individual task completion
• "How can we achieve Sprint Goal?" vs. "How can I finish my tasks?"
• Pair programming and mob programming for complex work
• Help teammates before starting new work

4. Keep Sprint Goal Visible

• Display Sprint Goal prominently on team board
• Reference Sprint Goal during Daily Scrum
• Use Sprint Goal to prioritize when multiple tasks are ready
• Ask "Does this work contribute to Sprint Goal?"

5. Integrate Testing Throughout Sprint

• Don't save testing for end of Sprint
• Include testing tasks in delivery plan
• Test each PBI as soon as development completes
• Nothing is "done" until it meets Definition of Done

6. Track Progress with Metrics

• Burndown chart: Shows remaining work over time
• Burnup chart: Shows completed work accumulating
• Task completion: Number of tasks done vs. remaining
• Sprint Goal confidence: Daily team assessment of Sprint Goal achievability

7. Adapt Based on Impediments

• Surface impediments during Daily Scrum
• Update Sprint Backlog to reflect impact of blockers
• Scrum Master works to remove impediments
• If Sprint Goal becomes unachievable, discuss with Product Owner

Conclusion

The Sprint Backlog is a critical Scrum artifact that transforms strategic Product Backlog items into tactical Sprint execution plans. By combining the Sprint Goal (why), selected Product Backlog items (what), and actionable delivery plan (how), the Sprint Backlog provides focus, transparency, and adaptability for Scrum Teams.

Key Takeaways:

1. Three components: Sprint Goal + selected PBIs + delivery plan work together
2. Developer ownership: Only Developers control Sprint Backlog content and updates
3. Sprint Goal is commitment: Fixed objective provides focus and enables flexibility
4. Daily updates required: Minimum once per day, continuously as team learns
5. Emergent and adaptive: Plan evolves throughout Sprint based on new information
6. Visible to all: Transparency enables inspection and supports collaboration

Effective Sprint Backlog management empowers teams to deliver valuable Increments predictably while adapting to changing circumstances and new discoveries.

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