Backlog grooming—also known as backlog refinement—is one of the most overlooked but essential Agile practices.

It’s where great sprints begin. Done well, it keeps your product backlog clean, prioritized, and ready for action.

In this post, we’ll walk through how to run backlog grooming sessions that actually add value and help your team move faster with fewer surprises.

What Is Backlog Grooming?

Backlog grooming is a recurring team meeting where the product backlog is reviewed and refined. The goal is to ensure:

  • Stories are clearly written and well understood
  • Priorities are up to date
  • Items are appropriately sized for sprint planning

Why It Matters

  • Reduces chaos during sprint planning
  • Helps catch missing details or dependencies early
  • Keeps the team aligned on what’s next
  • Enables smoother, faster sprint execution

When to Do It

Typically once per sprint—mid-sprint is ideal. Schedule it as a recurring event with the full team.

Who Should Be There

  • Product Owner (leads the session)
  • Scrum Master (facilitates if needed)
  • Development team (ask and answer questions)
  • Optional: UX, QA, stakeholders (as needed)

Step-by-Step: How to Run a Grooming Session

Step 1: Review Top Priority Items

Start with the top items in the backlog. For each:

  • Read the story
  • Clarify requirements
  • Confirm acceptance criteria

Step 2: Estimate Effort (If Ready)

If a story is clear and scoped:

  • Use Planning Poker or another method
  • Add the estimate to the story

If it’s too big or vague, mark it for follow-up.

Step 3: Break Down Large Stories

Look for epics or stories that need splitting:

  • Can this be done in one sprint?
  • Are there logical sub-tasks or milestones?

Smaller stories = smoother sprints.

Step 4: Prioritize and Reorder

Check that the most valuable work is near the top:

  • Are we still aligned with business priorities?
  • Any dependencies or blockers?

Step 5: Add or Remove Items

  • Remove outdated or irrelevant stories
  • Add new requests or insights from recent sprints

Step 6: Capture Action Items

Document:

  • Questions to resolve
  • Stories needing more info
  • Stakeholder follow-ups

Assign owners and due dates.

Tips for Better Grooming

  • Timebox the meeting (e.g., 60 minutes)
  • Focus on the next 1–2 sprints, not the whole backlog
  • Use a Definition of Ready checklist
  • Make it collaborative—everyone should contribute

Common Pitfalls

  • Trying to do too much in one session
  • Grooming items no one understands
  • Product Owner doing all the talking
  • Not preparing before the meeting

Summary: Ready Backlog = Ready Team

Good grooming leads to better sprints. It keeps your backlog from becoming a junk drawer—and helps your team stay focused, aligned, and effective.

Make it a habit. Make it collaborative. And make sure your backlog is something your team can trust.

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