Backlog Refinement

[bak-lawg, -log ri-fahyn-muh nt]

Definition of Backlog Refinement

The act of preparing a Backlog to make it ready for Planning. This includes: extracting Stories from Epics, refining Stories to make them Ready, and ordering the Stories. There could be Refinement Stories, Sessions, or both. Synonyms include Grooming, Backlog Maintenance, and  Story Time.

See:

Backlog, A list of Items that represents everything that anyone interested in the Team’s Results or process has thought is needed or would be a good idea. It drives development and...
Planning, A session with the whole Scrum Team (including the Team Captain) to decide which Stories should be “Done” next.
Order, Refers to the order of a Backlog; the order that the appropriate Product Owner wants the Items worked on.
Epic, A Backlog Item that is too Complex, Unknown, Risky, or Big (CURB) for the Team to agree to do all at once; A named Container of other Epics and Stories.
Story, A request from a stakeholder for something of value (it could be an Epic); A unit of work that is ‘small enough’ to be agreed to by the Team; a...
Ready Story A Ready Story is small, well-defined, and ready to take to Planning. Generally, this means that the Story’s definition of “Done” is a ‘10 minute discussion’ away from being agreed...

Examples

Remember that the goal of Backlog Refinement is that the Story becomes Ready – it winds up being less than a ‘10 minute’ conversation away from being agreed to in Sprint Planning.

Activities of Backlog Refinement fall into two basic categories: prioritizing the Items (moving them up the Backlog into the Back Burner), and preparing the Items in the Back Burner for Planning – making Stories Ready.

External Sources

Scrum Backlog Refinement

Cite This Term

"Backlog Refinement" ScrumDictionary.com. Accessed Jun 17, 2025. https://scrumdictionary.com/term/backlog-refinement/.