Definition of ready
Definition
The definition of ready (DoR) is a set of criteria a product backlog item must satisfy before the development team will consider it eligible for sprint planning — typically including clear acceptance criteria, a size estimate, and no unresolved dependencies.
The definition of ready is the intake filter for sprint planning. It ensures that when the team sits down to plan, the stories they're considering are genuinely ready to work on — not half-formed ideas that will consume the planning session with clarification.
Unlike the definition of done, the definition of ready is not formally defined in the Scrum Guide. It's a team-invented practice that addresses a real problem: stories arriving at sprint planning that aren't ready to be built.
Common DoR criteria:
- Written as a user story (As a... I want... So that...)
- Acceptance criteria defined and agreed upon
- Sized by the development team
- Dependencies identified
- Mockups or designs attached (if applicable)
- No blockers or open questions that would prevent starting
- Small enough to complete within a single sprint
Definition of ready vs. definition of done:
- Definition of ready: can we start this story?
- Definition of done: is this story finished?
They're the two gates a story passes through: the DoR lets it into the sprint, the DoD lets it out.
A word of caution: some teams use the definition of ready as a rigid gate that slows teams down rather than helping them. If the DoR becomes bureaucratic — requiring perfectly polished tickets before any work can begin — it defeats the purpose of agile's embrace of change. Apply it with judgment, not rigidity.
Backlog refinement is the activity where stories reach "ready." The definition of ready tells refinement sessions what they're aiming for.
Examples
- DoR posted next to the sprint board: story written, AC defined, sized, no open dependencies
- Story rejected from sprint planning because acceptance criteria are missing — sent back to refinement
- Team debates whether a spike story needs a size estimate before qualifying as ready
- PO adds a Figma link to a story so it meets the DoR for design-dependent features
- Team updates their DoR to require a test plan outline after three straight sprints with QA surprises
Snap a definition of ready. Ship its actions.
BoardSnap turns any whiteboard — including this one — into a summary and action plan.