Definition of Done
The definition of done (DoD) is a shared understanding within the agile team of the criteria that must be met before a product backlog item or increment is considered complete and ready for release.
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Practice it freeExplanation
The definition of done is a critical quality and scope management artifact in agile projects. It establishes a clear, shared standard for what "complete" means, ensuring that all team members and stakeholders have the same expectations. Without a clear DoD, different team members may have different interpretations of completeness, leading to inconsistent quality, technical debt, and stakeholder dissatisfaction.
A typical DoD might include criteria such as code written and reviewed, unit tests passing, integration tests passing, documentation updated, acceptance criteria met, performance benchmarks achieved, and product owner approval obtained. The DoD applies to every item the team delivers, creating a consistent quality standard across all work.
The definition of done is related to but distinct from acceptance criteria. Acceptance criteria are specific to individual user stories and define what that particular story must do. The definition of done is a universal checklist that applies to all stories and defines the general quality standards the team must meet. Both must be satisfied before work is considered complete.
Key Points
- •Shared understanding of criteria for completeness
- •Applies universally to all backlog items and increments
- •Distinct from story-specific acceptance criteria
- •Ensures consistent quality and prevents technical debt
Exam Tip
Definition of done applies to ALL items. Acceptance criteria apply to individual items. On the exam, DoD ensures transparency about what "done" means and is agreed upon by the whole team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
User Stories
A user story is a short, simple description of a feature or requirement written from the perspective of the end user, following the format: "As a [role], I want [goal], so that [benefit]."
Product Backlog
The product backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product, serving as the single source of requirements and the primary artifact for managing scope in agile projects.
Story Points
Story points are a unit of measure used in agile to estimate the overall effort, complexity, and uncertainty involved in completing a user story or product backlog item.
Validate Scope
Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables by the customer or sponsor.
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Part of
Scope Management
Practice Definition of Done
Scenario-based questions with a full explanation on every answer — including why the distractors are wrong.