Free Backlog Template

It can be tough to keep track of all the tasks your product team needs to finish, especially when each task has different details. A product backlog template helps your team keep backlogs consistent across products, making sure every task has the information developers need. In this article, you'll find out what a product backlog template is, what to include, how to create and prioritize one, and tips for keeping your backlog organized.

What is a product backlog template?

A product backlog template is a reusable outline that helps your team create Agile product backlogs in a consistent way. Rather than starting from scratch each time, you use a set format with important fields like task priority, user stories, and story points. This way, every new project starts with the same amount of detail.

Most products have several backlogs that focus on different areas, like user experience or quality assurance. Using a template gives every team the same starting point, so everyone sees information in the same way. This consistency makes it easier for teams to work together and helps break down barriers between groups.

What is a product backlog?

A product backlog is a prioritized task list that is often used in Agile project management methodologies, and more specifically, product development. Your product backlog should be based on the project roadmap and aligned with strategic planning, which shape how you want your product to evolve.

What goes into a product backlog template?

Having a consistent structure for your product backlog makes sprint planning and backlog refinement easier. Here are a few characteristics of good product backlog templates that you should include in your product backlog template:

• A descriptive task name: A common best practice for task names is to start them with a verb so a developer knows exactly what action needs to happen to complete the task.

• Task priority: This is how important a task is relative to other tasks in the product backlog.

• Sprint: The sprint this product backlog item belongs to.

• Due date: When a task should be completed.

• Story points: An estimation method that indicates how much effort a specific task should take.

• User story: An explanation of how a feature should function based on the perspective of an end user. User stories typically follow the format: "As a [persona], I want to [software goal], so that [desired result]."

Tasks in a product backlog template are often shown as Kanban cards. Using a Kanban card template helps keep your backlog organized.

How do you create a product backlog?

When you create a product backlog for the first time, begin by agreeing on a process with the main users. Here’s how to get started:

• Connect with key stakeholders: Work with other product managers or Scrum masters you regularly collaborate with to align on how backlogs should be structured. This gives your entire team the same processes regardless of what part of the product they work on.

• Build a shared baseline: Make a general product backlog template that includes the fields every team needs, like task names, priorities, and user stories.

• Tailor it to each team: Not every team works the same way. One team might have a design phase, while another focuses on QA. Starting with a template lets each team adjust it to their needs while keeping things consistent.

How to prioritize your product backlog

A good product backlog not only lists tasks but also ranks them. Prioritizing helps your team focus on the most valuable work first, so developers don’t spend time on less important tasks while high-priority ones wait.

Here are some common ways to prioritize your product backlog:

• MoSCoW method: Categorize each backlog item as Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, or Won't-have. This helps your team quickly see which items are essential for the next release and which can wait.

• Value vs. effort: Rank items by comparing the business value they deliver against the effort required to complete them. Items with high value and low effort should generally move to the top of the backlog.

• The 20-30-50 rule: Organize your backlog so about 20% of items are fully ready for development, 30% are defined enough that no outside input is needed, and 50% are still high-level ideas being reviewed. This approach helps your team always have ready work without spending too much time on items that might not be used.

No matter which method you use, make sure your product owner or manager regularly reviews how tasks are prioritized as business needs change.

What do you use a product backlog template for?

A product backlog template provides your team with a central place to capture every task needed to achieve a specific goal. As development begins, tasks accumulate in the backlog and are continuously refined. From here, a product manager or product owner selects which tasks move into a sprint backlog to be developed.

What's the difference between a product backlog and a sprint backlog?

A product backlog is the full list of tasks for a whole project, while a sprint backlog is just the tasks chosen for one sprint. The product manager updates the product backlog so that any task moving into the sprint backlog has all the details a developer needs.

Product backlog

• Covers all tasks for the entire project

• Managed by the product manager or product owner

• Updated and refined continuously

• Includes items at different levels of detail

Sprint backlog

• Focuses on tasks selected for a single sprint

• Owned by the development team

• Remains fixed for the duration of the sprint

• Includes fully detailed, development-ready tasks

Best practices for backlog management

Making your product backlog template is only the first step. Keeping your backlog in good shape takes ongoing effort. Here are some best practices to help your team stay organized:

• Refine regularly: Set aside time each sprint to review and update backlog items as part of a continuous improvement process. A good rule of thumb is to dedicate about 10% of your sprint capacity to backlog refinement, so items are always clear and ready when it's time to plan the next sprint.

• Keep it manageable: A backlog that’s too long can overwhelm your team and make it harder to prioritize. Regularly archive or remove items that aren’t relevant anymore to keep your backlog focused on important work.

• Balance feature work with technical work: It’s easy to fill your backlog with new features, but technical debt and infrastructure improvements are important too. A balanced backlog helps your team build sustainably over time.

• Add enough detail at the right time: Items near the top of the backlog should have clear acceptance criteria, inputs from requirements gathering, user stories, and estimates. Items further down can stay high-level until they move closer to development.

Integrated features

• Board View. Board View is a Kanban board-style view that displays your project's information in columns. Columns are typically organized by work status (like To Do, Doing, and Done), but you can adjust column titles depending on your project needs. Within each column, tasks are displayed as cards, with a variety of associated information, including task title, due date, and custom fields. Track work as it moves through stages and get an at-a-glance insight into where your project stands.

• Timeline View. Timeline View is a Gantt-style project view that displays all of your tasks in a horizontal bar chart. Not only can you see each task's start and end date, but you can also see dependencies between tasks. With Timeline View, you can easily track how the pieces of your plan fit together. Plus, when you can see all of your work in one place, it's easy to identify and address dependency conflicts before they start, so you can hit all of your goals on schedule.

• Project status updates. Project status updates in Asana are directly connected to the work your team does, making it easy to access your project plan, goals, milestones, deliverables, and more. They reduce manual work, centralize information, and keep everyone up to date.

• Automation. Automate manual work so your team spends less time on busywork and more time on the tasks you hired them for. Rules in Asana function on a basis of triggers and actions, essentially "when X happens, do Y." Use Rules to automatically assign work, adjust due dates, set custom fields, notify stakeholders, and more.

Recommended apps

• GitHub. Automatically sync GitHub pull request status updates to Asana tasks. Track pull request progress and improve cross-functional collaboration between technical and non-technical teams, all from within Asana.

• Jira. Create interactive, connected workflows between technical and business teams to increase real-time visibility into the product development process, all without leaving Asana. Streamline project collaboration and hand-offs. Quickly create Jira issues directly in Asana, so work flows seamlessly between business and technical teams at the right time.

• Zendesk. With the Asana Zendesk integration, users can quickly and easily create Asana tasks directly from Zendesk tickets. Add context, attach files, and link existing tasks to track work needed to close out the ticket. The integration also provides ongoing visibility across both systems, keeping everyone up to speed regardless of which tool they use.

• Google Workplace. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Google Workspace file picker, built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

Get started with your product backlog template

A product backlog template helps your team stay organized, focus on the right work, and move through sprints confidently. Instead of starting from scratch each time, use a template to give your team a consistent and customizable starting point.

Ready to put your product backlog into action? Get started with a free product backlog template in Asana and keep your development team focused on the work that matters most.

Frequently asked questions about product backlog templates