Project template
Agile Scrum Template: The One With Sprints In It
Seven of the eight templates differ only in their status workflow. This is the one that changes what the project can do, by turning on the backlog, sprints, story points, epics, and the two reports that make retrospectives useful.
Sprints and epics are on the Pro plan and above, and in Self-Hosted · Unlimited users on every plan
What the Agile template sets up
Choosing Agile at project creation sets the project methodology to Scrum. That is what gives the project a backlog as its landing page, an active sprint view, the ability to start and complete sprints, story points on work items, epics, and the burndown and velocity reports. It also sets the project's default task type to Epic, so the first thing you create is the container rather than a loose task. Work is grouped into sprints rather than plain task groups. The board can be grouped by status, by epic, or by the person doing the work.
The board
Four statuses, on purpose
Scrum teams track progress with the sprint and the burndown, not with a long column list. The default workflow is deliberately short.
01
New
Pulled into the sprint, not started. Everything begins here on day one.
02
In Progress
Somebody is actively working on it. One per person is the healthy number.
03
Resolve
The work is done and waiting on review, test, or acceptance.
04
Close
Accepted. It counts towards the sprint and towards velocity.
This is the Default Status Workflow, shared with the Simple and Kanban templates. Add your own statuses from the board or the status workflow page if your team needs a review or blocked column.
On day one
What you get on day one
The template sets the structure. The content is yours, and the first hour is spent loading the backlog.
The backlog as the landing page
The project opens on the backlog rather than a task list, which is the right first screen for a team that plans before it starts.
Sprints you can start and complete
Work is grouped into sprints. Starting and completing a sprint is a real action, which is what makes the reports meaningful.
Story points on work items
Estimate in points rather than hours, so estimates stay relative and velocity means something.
Epics
Group large initiatives above the story level. The project's default task type is set to Epic, so you start with the container.
Burndown and velocity reports
Burndown tells you whether the current sprint is on track. Velocity tells you what to commit to next time.
An active sprint board
Filter the board to the sprint in flight, and group it by status, by epic, or by the person doing the work.
Who it is for
Who picks this one
Product and engineering teams
The standard case. A backlog, a two week cadence, and a velocity number that makes planning honest.
Learn more →Teams that have outgrown a board
You started on Kanban, and now stakeholders want to know what will be done by when. Sprints give you that answer.
Learn more →Several teams on one product
Each team runs its own Scrum project. Scaled Agile with Essential SAFe sits above them, on Premium and in Self-Hosted.
Learn more →Starting backlog
What to put in the first hour
The template arrives empty. This is the structure most teams build in it, and it is worth doing in this order.
Epics3 to 6
- One epic per significant initiative on the roadmap
- One epic for technical work that has no product owner
- One epic for defects, so bug work is visible in planning
Stories under each epicTop 20 first
- Small enough to finish inside one sprint
- Written as an outcome, not as a task
- Story pointed before planning, in a separate refinement session
- Anything that cannot be pointed gets split or becomes a spike
Sprint onePull, do not push
- A one sentence sprint goal everything must serve
- Stories pulled from the backlog until the points match last sprint's velocity
- Tasks and subtasks under each story, with owners
- Headroom left for the defects you know will arrive
The built in templates do not create any of this for you. Once your project is set up the way you like it, save it as your own template and the tasks, task lists, labels, and task types will come across next time.
The problem
What this template fixes
Sprint tooling switched off
✓ Agile sets the methodology, which is what enables all of it.
A flat list of two hundred items
✓ Epics give the backlog a shape above the story level.
Velocity is a feeling
✓ Completing sprints properly feeds the velocity chart with real numbers.
How to start
Start a project from this template
Ten minutes to create it, an hour to load a backlog worth planning from.
- 1Create a project and choose AgilePick the template at project creation. The status workflow is preselected to match, and you can change it in the same dialogue.
- 2Invite the whole teamDevelopers, QA, the product owner, and the stakeholders who ask for updates. Every plan includes unlimited users, so leaving people out saves nothing.
- 3Create your epicsThree to six is enough to start. The project's default task type is already Epic, so this is the natural first thing to create.
- 4Break the top epics into storiesAim for twenty ready stories. That is enough to run the first two sprints without stalling.
- 5Point the top of the backlogIn a separate refinement session, not in planning. Planning should be selection, not sizing.
- 6Create sprint one and pull work inAgree the sprint goal first, then pull until the point total is realistic. On sprint one you are guessing, and that is fine.
- 7Start the sprintThe board becomes the daily working view. Filter it to the active sprint and group it however your standup works best.
- 8Complete the sprint and read the reportsCompleting it properly is what populates burndown and velocity. Take the velocity number into the next planning meeting as the ceiling.
Pairs with
The features this template leans on
Sprints, epics, backlog, and burndown are on the Pro plan and above, and included in Self-Hosted.
Agile project managementBacklogs, sprints, story points, burndown and velocityKanban boardThe daily working view during the sprintSprint planning use caseThe full workflow, step by stepTest case managementQuality inside the sprint, not after itScaled AgileEssential SAFe when one team is not enoughGantt chartThe timeline stakeholders keep asking for
Frequently asked questions
Agile Scrum template FAQ
What does the Agile template actually change?
It sets the project methodology to Scrum, which is what enables the backlog landing page, sprints you can start and complete, story points, epics, the active sprint board filter, and the burndown and velocity reports. It also sets the project's default task type to Epic.
What statuses does it create?
Four: New, In Progress, Resolve, and Close. This is the Default Status Workflow, shared with the Simple and Kanban templates. Scrum teams track progress through the sprint and burndown rather than through a long column list, so the workflow is deliberately short.
Does it create epics, stories, or sample tasks?
No. The eight built in templates set structure, not content, so the project arrives empty. If you want a template that carries tasks, build the project you want and save it as your own template.
Can I add more statuses?
Yes. Add them from the board or from the status workflow page, or switch the project to a different workflow entirely. Many teams add a review or blocked column after a sprint or two of real use.
Which plan do I need for sprints?
The agile framework, sprints, epics, backlog management, and burndown and velocity are on the Cloud Pro plan and above, and are included in the Self-Hosted edition. Kanban boards are in every edition including the Community Edition.
What is the difference between this and the Kanban template?
Kanban gives you a board and groups work into milestones. Agile gives you a backlog, sprints, story points, epics, and the sprint reports. If your team does not work in fixed iterations, Kanban is the better fit.
Can I switch a project from Simple to Agile later?
The methodology is chosen at project creation, so the practical route is to create a new Agile project and move the work into it. It is worth choosing correctly at the start for that reason.
Can several teams share one backlog?
Each team normally runs its own Scrum project. Scaled Agile with Essential SAFe, which adds release trains and Program Increments above the team level, is on the Premium plan and in the Self-Hosted edition.
Start a Scrum project in ten minutes
Backlog, sprints, story points, and burndown, with unlimited users on every plan.