Sprint backlog
A sprint backlog is the Scrum artefact that holds the work of one sprint. The Scrum Guide 2020 says it is composed of the Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, and an actionable plan for delivering the Increment. The Developers own it and update it throughout the sprint as they learn more.
The longer version
The Scrum Guide gives each of the three parts a one-word job. The Sprint Goal is the why, the selected Product Backlog items are the what, and the plan for delivering the Increment is the how. All three come out of Sprint Planning, where the Developers select items in discussion with the Product Owner and then work out how to build them, often by decomposing each item into smaller pieces of work of one day or less. The Guide leaves that decomposition to the Developers alone.
The Guide calls the sprint backlog "a plan by and for the Developers" and "a highly visible, real-time picture" of the work they intend to finish. Nobody freezes it after planning. Tasks are added as the work reveals them, and the list needs enough detail for progress to be inspected in the Daily Scrum. When the work turns out differently from what was expected, the Developers negotiate scope with the Product Owner inside the sprint, and the Sprint Goal stays where it was.
Behind it sits the product backlog, the longer list. That one is ordered by the Product Owner, covers everything that might improve the product, and keeps changing for as long as the product is developed. A sprint backlog covers one sprint, belongs to the Developers and ends when the sprint does. An item moves from the first list to the second at Sprint Planning, usually once refinement has made it small enough to finish in a single sprint. Each list carries its own commitment in the Guide, the Product Goal for the product backlog and the Sprint Goal for the sprint backlog.
Common questions
What is in a sprint backlog?
A sprint backlog contains three things under the Scrum Guide 2020: the Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the sprint, and an actionable plan for delivering the Increment. A common way to show the plan is as tasks under each item on a board.
Who owns the sprint backlog?
The Developers own the sprint backlog. The Scrum Guide describes it as a plan by and for the Developers, and says that how they turn the selected items into work is at their sole discretion. The Product Owner shapes it through the ordering of the product backlog and through scope discussions during the sprint.
What is the difference between a sprint backlog and a product backlog?
The product backlog is the ordered list of everything that might be needed to improve the product, and the Product Owner is accountable for it. The sprint backlog holds the items selected for one sprint, together with the Sprint Goal and the plan for delivering them, and the Developers manage it.
Can the sprint backlog change during a sprint?
The Scrum Guide says the sprint backlog is updated throughout the sprint as more is learned. Developers add and adjust work as they go, and they can renegotiate scope with the Product Owner when the work turns out differently from what was expected, as long as the Sprint Goal is not endangered.
What happens to sprint backlog items that are not finished?
An item that does not meet the Definition of Done returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration, according to the Scrum Guide. The Product Owner then decides where it sits in the ordering, and it may or may not be selected for the next sprint.
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