Creating effective product backlog items

Well-written backlog items form the foundation of successful product development. The best tickets share several characteristics that make them actionable:

• Focus on user value. Write from users’ perspective, not technical implementation. Instead of "add database table," write "as a user, I want to save my notification settings so I don't have to configure them each time I log in."
• Clear acceptance criteria. Define exactly what "done" means to remove ambiguity. For the notification story: users can access settings from their profile, settings persist across sessions, changes take effect immediately, and confirmation appears when saved.
• Proper sizing. Items should be small enough to complete within a sprint yet deliver meaningful value. Break down large items and combine tiny ones to find the right balance.
• Regular maintenance. Conduct backlog grooming to keep items relevant. Remove outdated items, refine unclear requirements, and ensure high-priority items have sufficient detail. This prevents backlogs from becoming dumping grounds for random ideas.