Boards, backlog and sprints
Boards show work as cards in columns. The backlog is where you plan work before it is scheduled, and sprints schedule it.
Scrum and Kanban
Section titled “Scrum and Kanban”A project’s board is Scrum (backlog and sprints) or Kanban (continuous flow). Both are boards over a saved filter, so the board’s scope is a query: one project or several. The board shows only what the viewer may see.
Columns and moving cards
Section titled “Columns and moving cards”- A column maps to one or more statuses.
- Moving a card to another column runs the workflow transition. If the transition needs input, such as a required field or a resolution, a dialog asks for it, and the move happens only when it is valid.
- Entering Done records the resolution and the time; reopening clears both.
Rank and filters
Section titled “Rank and filters”- Rank cards by dragging, or from the keyboard. Rank is durable. If the move conflicts with another change, Orbit restores the board to the real state.
- Swimlanes group the board by parent, assignee, a query or none. Counts reflect active filters and visible work.
- Quick filters, search, assignee and epic filters and grouping combine and can be cleared.
- Card layout is board configuration: up to three extra fields on each card, colour rules by priority, type, assignee or JQL queries, days in column, and image covers.
- WIP limits set a minimum and a maximum per column, and warnings update live.
Large boards read their data in pages, so a board never needs every historical work item. Columns show 50 cards at a time with a “show more” control.
Saved boards
Section titled “Saved boards”Boards in the side menu opens the /boards directory. It lists all boards or the ones you administer, with search, and lets you open, copy, change the settings of, or delete a board. The create and settings dialog sets the filter, the location, the board administrators, and the columns and statuses; the board type is fixed after creation. A board whose filter has become hidden or broken can be repaired by its administrators.
Backlog
Section titled “Backlog”The backlog separates unscheduled work, work in planned sprints and active work. Drag one work item or select several to assign them to a sprint without losing their rank.
- The epic panel creates, filters and colours epics, assigns parents and shows progress.
- The version panel filters by release and shows release progress. Assigning a version updates the work item’s field.
Sprints
Section titled “Sprints”| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Create | A planned sprint has a name, a goal, dates and a time zone. Durations are 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks, or custom. Sprint dates are calendar dates in the sprint’s time zone. |
| Start | The start records the scope and the estimates as the baseline. With no duration and no end date a sprint runs two weeks. Only a planned sprint can start. |
| Complete | You choose where unfinished work goes: another planned sprint, or back to the backlog. Done work stays in the completed sprint, and membership history is kept. |
| Reopen | A completed sprint can be reopened where the one-active-sprint rule allows it. |
By default a project has one active sprint. A project setting allows parallel sprints. Only a planned sprint can be deleted, and its work returns to the backlog. Scope or estimate changes during a sprint are marked as added after start or removed in the reports.
Creating, editing and deleting sprints needs project write access, so project members and site administrators can do it but viewers cannot.
Kanban backlog and release
Section titled “Kanban backlog and release”On a Kanban project you can plan the first column as a backlog. The release action on the board turns the finished work in the last column into a released version. It shows the work that will go, suggests a version name, releases exactly the items you reviewed, and hides released work from the board. Releases are refused whole above 500 items.
Status
Section titled “Status”Everything described on this page is built.