Product Backlog
Overview
Section titled “Overview”The product backlog is the ranked hierarchy generated from a finalized PRD: big rocks at the top, epics underneath, and stories or tasks as the smallest actionable units. It is where product intent turns into a list engineering can actually pull from.
Backlog generation runs automatically once a PRD is finalized, giving you a first draft of the hierarchy rather than a blank list. From there, your job is to judge readiness: reorder by priority, split oversized stories, and add acceptance detail where the AI draft was too thin.
The backlog is the direct input to sprint planning. A sprint can only be as good as the backlog items available to pull from, so most teams review the backlog right before every planning session, not just once after PRD finalize.
What you can do here
Section titled “What you can do here”- Review the generated hierarchy of big rocks, epics, and stories or tasks.
- Reorder items by priority where drag-and-drop is supported.
- Split oversized stories into smaller, clearer pieces.
- Add missing stories, acceptance notes, or estimates.
- Mark items ready for the next sprint planning session.
When to use
Section titled “When to use”- Immediately after a PRD is finalized and the backlog is first generated.
- Before every sprint planning session, to confirm what is actually ready to pull.
- When new information changes priority and items need to be reordered.
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- A signed-in member account with product access.
- A Planner seat to edit or reorder; Viewer seats can read the backlog only.
- At least one finalized PRD for the project.
Where to find it
Section titled “Where to find it”- Sidebar: Product Backlog
- Direct route:
/backlog
Step-by-step
Section titled “Step-by-step”- Open Product Backlog (
/backlog). - Expand big rocks and review the epic and story breakdown underneath.
- Reorder items by priority, dragging where supported.
- Split any story that looks too large for one sprint.
- Add missing stories or acceptance notes the AI draft left thin.
- Add estimates if your team uses them for capacity planning.
- Mark items ready for the next sprint before opening sprint planning.
What success looks like
Section titled “What success looks like”- The top of the backlog contains items that are genuinely ready to plan, not just generated.
- No single story is so large it cannot fit inside one sprint.
- Sprint planning starts with a clear, prioritized pull list instead of a debate about scope.
Tips & best practices
Section titled “Tips & best practices”- Prefer splitting large stories before planning; AI sprint planning works better on clear, well-sized slices.
- Revisit the backlog every sprint, not only right after PRD finalize.
- Use acceptance notes generously; they save back-and-forth during the sprint.
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”- Treating the AI-generated backlog as final without reviewing readiness.
- Letting oversized stories sit at the top of the backlog into sprint planning.
- Reordering priority without telling the team, causing confusion mid-sprint.