Backlog Refinement

Backlog refinement is the process of reviewing, clarifying, and prioritizing items in a product backlog so the team can focus on the most important tasks in upcoming sprints. It ensures that backlog items are clearly defined, relevant to business and customer needs, and actionable by the development team. Typically led by the product owner with support from developers, scrum masters, and other stakeholders, backlog refinement keeps the workflow transparent and organized.

The practice helps prevent the backlog from becoming bloated with outdated or redundant tasks, improves sprint planning accuracy, and aligns the team on priorities. While historically called backlog grooming, the term refinement has become the standard due to the negative connotations of the word grooming. Both terms – along with backlog management – refer to the same process.

By making backlog refinement a continuous practice rather than a one-time event, teams maintain focus, save time, and deliver more value with each sprint.