Scrum Artifacts
Scrum artifacts make work, progress, and completion visible.
The Product Backlog shows what may be needed to improve the product. The Sprint Backlog shows the Developers’ plan for the current sprint. The Increment shows usable product progress.
Those artifacts work together. The Scrum Team selects from the Product Backlog, creates and adapts the Sprint Backlog, and produces an Increment that meets the Definition of Done.
This section gives you a high-level view of how the Scrum artifacts relate to one another and where to go deeper on each one.
What This Section Covers
This section covers the Scrum artifacts and the supporting pages in this part of the guide:
- Product Backlog
- Sprint Backlog
- Increment
- Definition of Done
- Scrum Boards
The first three are the official Scrum artifacts. The Definition of Done is the commitment associated with the Increment. Scrum Boards are supporting tools many teams use to make the Sprint Backlog visible during a sprint.
This page is not meant to teach every artifact in detail. Use it to understand how the pieces fit together, then go deeper on the specific artifact or tool you want to improve.
How Scrum Artifacts Fit Together
Scrum artifacts create a chain of transparency.
The Product Backlog makes possible future work visible. It helps the Product Owner and Scrum Team decide what to consider next.
The Sprint Backlog makes the current sprint plan visible. It helps Developers see what they selected, what they are trying to accomplish, and how they plan to create a done increment.
The Increment makes product progress visible. It gives the Scrum Team and stakeholders something real to inspect.
The Definition of Done makes completion visible. It clarifies what must be true before work can honestly be considered done.
A Scrum Board can help make the Sprint Backlog visible day to day. It gives Developers a practical way to see work in progress, blocked work, work waiting for review, and work that is done.
When these pieces work together, Scrum becomes more empirical. The Scrum Team can inspect what is known, adapt based on what has changed, and make better decisions.
From Product Idea to Done Increment
The artifacts are connected by the flow of work through a sprint.
The Product Backlog contains possible future work. Some items are near the top because they appear more valuable, urgent, risky, or important to learn about. Those items should usually be clearer and smaller than items farther down.
During Sprint Planning, the Scrum Team discusses Product Backlog items and a Sprint Goal. Developers select the work they believe they can complete and create the Sprint Backlog as their plan.
During the sprint, Developers adapt the Sprint Backlog as they learn. The plan may change because a task is larger than expected, a dependency appears, a test reveals a problem, or the Product Owner clarifies a tradeoff.
By the end of the sprint, completed work becomes part of the Increment only if it meets the Definition of Done.
That relationship is important. Scrum is not about moving items across a board. It is about turning selected work into usable product progress.
The Commitments Behind the Artifacts
Each Scrum artifact has a commitment that gives it more focus.
The Product Backlog has the Product Goal. The Product Goal helps the Scrum Team understand the longer-term product objective behind Product Backlog ordering.
The Sprint Backlog has the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal helps Developers focus on the purpose of the sprint, not just a list of selected items.
The Increment has the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done helps the Scrum Team understand what complete means for the product.
These commitments matter because artifacts can become shallow without them.
A Product Backlog without a Product Goal can become a list of disconnected requests. A Sprint Backlog without a Sprint Goal can become a task list. An Increment without a Definition of Done can hide unfinished work.
The commitments help the Scrum Team use the artifacts for decisions, not just documentation.
Pages in This Section
Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is the ordered list of possible future work for the product.
Go here for a Scrum-focused explanation of what belongs in the Product Backlog, who is accountable for it, and how it supports Sprint Planning and product decisions.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the current sprint.
Go here for a deeper look at how the Sprint Backlog connects the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and the work Developers plan to do during the sprint.
Increment
The Increment is the usable product work completed during a sprint and added to everything already done.
Go here for a deeper look at what makes an increment usable, how it supports Sprint Reviews, and why done is not the same as released.
Definition of Done
The Definition of Done makes clear what must be true before work can be considered complete.
Go here for a deeper look at how the Definition of Done relates to the Increment, how it differs from acceptance criteria, and how teams can improve it over time.
Scrum Boards
A Scrum Board helps Developers visualize and manage sprint work.
Go here for a modern look at Scrum Boards as usually software-based tools that help make the Sprint Backlog visible without turning Scrum into status reporting.
Official Artifacts and Supporting Tools
The official Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment.
The Definition of Done is not a separate artifact. It is the commitment associated with the Increment. But it is important enough that many teams need a focused page on it.
Scrum Boards are supporting tools. A board can help Developers see and adapt the Sprint Backlog during the sprint, but transparency is what matters.
This distinction helps keep the guide clear.
Some things are part of Scrum’s core structure. Other things are useful tools many Scrum Teams use. Both can be helpful, but they should not be treated as the same thing.
What Good Artifacts Make Visible
Good Scrum artifacts make important work and decisions easier to see.
The Product Backlog should make product direction and likely next work visible.
The Sprint Backlog should make the Developers’ current plan visible.
The Increment should make actual product progress visible.
The Definition of Done should make completion visible.
A Scrum Board should make day-to-day sprint work visible.
When those things are visible, Scrum events become more useful. Sprint Planning has better inputs. The Daily Scrum has a real plan to inspect. The Sprint Review has a real increment to discuss. The Sprint Retrospective has evidence about how the Scrum Team is working.
Artifacts should support those conversations. They should not become paperwork no one trusts.
When Scrum Artifacts Do Not Help
Scrum artifacts stop helping when they fail to create useful transparency.
The Product Backlog Becomes a Warehouse
A Product Backlog can become a dumping ground for every idea, request, bug, and maybe-someday item.
When that happens, it becomes harder for the Product Owner and Scrum Team to see what matters next.
The Sprint Backlog Becomes a Contract
The Sprint Backlog should be a plan Developers adapt as they learn.
If it becomes a fixed contract, Developers may hide changes, avoid adapting, or focus on defending the original plan instead of achieving the Sprint Goal.
The Increment Is Not Really Done
A sprint can look successful while unfinished work piles up behind the scenes.
If completed work is not integrated, tested, reviewed, documented, or otherwise finished according to the Definition of Done, the Increment is less useful for inspection.
The Definition of Done Is Too Weak
A weak Definition of Done makes progress look better than it is.
If “done” does not include the quality and completion work needed for the product, the Scrum Team may repeatedly carry hidden work into the future.
The Scrum Board Becomes a Reporting Dashboard
A Scrum Board should help Developers coordinate.
If it becomes mainly a dashboard for managers, Developers may update it for appearances rather than use it to manage the sprint.
Are Your Scrum Artifacts Creating Transparency?
Use these questions to find the next conversation your Scrum Team may need:
- Does the Product Backlog help the Product Owner and Scrum Team see what may matter next?
- Is the Product Backlog ordered around a clear enough Product Goal?
- Does the Sprint Backlog show the Developers’ current plan for achieving the Sprint Goal?
- Do Developers adapt the Sprint Backlog as they learn during the sprint?
- Does completed work meet the Definition of Done?
- Is the Increment usable enough to inspect and learn from?
- Does the Scrum Board reflect reality during the sprint?
- Are the artifacts helping Scrum events create better decisions?
- Is any artifact being maintained mostly because the process says to maintain it?
- Is there hidden work the artifacts are failing to reveal?
Use the answers to decide whether your Scrum artifacts are making reality easier to inspect.
FAQ
What Are the Scrum Artifacts?
The Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment.
They make work and progress visible so the Scrum Team can inspect and adapt.
Is the Definition of Done a Scrum Artifact?
No. The Definition of Done is the commitment associated with the Increment.
It is important because it makes clear what must be true before work can be considered complete.
Is a Scrum Board a Scrum Artifact?
No. A Scrum Board is a supporting tool.
It can help Developers visualize the Sprint Backlog, but the official artifact is the Sprint Backlog itself.
Why Are Scrum Artifacts Important?
Scrum artifacts create transparency.
Without transparency, the Scrum Team and stakeholders are making decisions from guesses, assumptions, or outdated information.
How Are the Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog Different?
The Product Backlog is the ordered list of possible future work for the product.
The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the current sprint, including the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and the work Developers plan to do.
How Is the Increment Related to the Definition of Done?
Work is part of the Increment only when it meets the Definition of Done.
The Definition of Done makes completion visible and helps prevent hidden unfinished work.
Artifacts Resources
Explains why near-term backlog items should be clearer while lower-priority items can stay larger and less detailed.
A useful article for Scrum Teams that want the Increment to support real feedback rather than a scripted presentation.
Helpful when Scrum Boards and Sprint Backlogs are being used for reporting instead of Developer coordination.