Scrum template

Scrum helps teams deliver work in short, focused cycles, but it only works when everyone has the same view of priorities and progress. Without an organized Scrum framework, stand-ups drag on, priorities change mid-sprint, and blockers stay hidden until deadlines slip. A Scrum template provides a repeatable process for managing backlogs, sprint planning, daily updates, reviews, and retrospectives, enabling you to move faster with less confusion.

Who benefits from Scrum templates?

Scrum templates help anyone practicing agile methodology, from small development teams to enterprise-level projects. They provide structure for sprints, keep work visible, and reduce wasted time switching between tools.

Scrum teams

Scrum teams use templates to log user stories, prioritize backlog items, and manage iterations in real time. In software development and DevOps environments, templates help align code delivery with sprint goals.

Scrum masters

Scrum masters can track blockers, monitor burndown charts, and run sprint meetings inside the template. They use these insights to remove roadblocks that could delay development or work items.

Product owners

Product owners can review epics, set priorities, and maintain the roadmap for stakeholders. They keep software development on track by making sure the most valuable work enters each sprint.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders can see workflows, current sprint goals, and track progress. They stay informed about product direction without interrupting the development or DevOps team’s focus.

Why use Asana’s Scrum template

A product team shared with us that they ran sprints with sticky notes and spreadsheets. Meetings ran long, blockers appeared late, and team members lacked a single source of truth. After adopting a Scrum process template, the team planned sprints in minutes, tracked progress with dashboards, and closed each iteration on time.

You can customize this template for common Scrum formats, including:

• Scrum meeting templates help you run focused daily stand-ups by logging yesterday’s progress, today’s plan, and blockers, then capturing follow-ups as actionable tasks.

• Scrum board templates enable you to visualize the sprint on a board with columns such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done," so every team member can see progress.

• Scrum retrospective templates record what went well, what needs improvement, and concrete action items that carry into the next sprint.

• Scrum backlog templates organize epics, user stories, and technical tasks in a product backlog, complete with priority and acceptance criteria for the team.

• Scrum sprint planning templates enable you to select work for the iteration, assign owners, estimate story points, and confirm capacity before the sprint starts.

• Scrum user story templates standardize stories by specifying the role, goal, and reason, then attach acceptance criteria to define when the work is complete.

• Scrum of Scrums templates coordinate multiple teams by surfacing cross-team dependencies, risks, and shared milestones to coordinate large projects.

How to use this Scrum template

You start by setting up the Scrum template as the foundation for your sprint cycle. Each section guides you through backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily updates, and retrospective meetings. By working step by step, you keep the team focused, track progress in real time, and resolve blockers before they stall development.

Step 1: Product backlog

Add epics, features, and technical work to the Product Backlog section. Set priorities, story points, risk levels, and acceptance criteria so that items become actionable and manageable. A single backlog creates a long-term roadmap that team members can review and refine as needed.

Schedule regular grooming. Break down large items into user stories, clarify requirements, and mark any items that are blocked. A well-maintained product backlog makes sprint planning fast and predictable.

Step 2: Sprint backlog

Move the selected items into the Sprint Backlog when planning an iteration. Assign owners, add due dates, and confirm the sprint field for each task. Record blockers early so the Scrum master can resolve them before they slow down work.

Keep the sprint goal visible at the top of the section. Everyone is aware of what the team has committed to and what remains in the product backlog.

Step 3: User stories

Create detailed stories in the User Stories section. Capture the user, the need, and the value, then attach acceptance criteria and story points. Link designs or technical notes so the team starts with complete context.

Split oversized stories until they fit within a single sprint. Detailed stories improve estimates, expedite handoffs, and increase quality.

Step 4: Capacity planning

Use capacity planning to check how much the team can deliver. Log availability, account for holidays, and compare planned points against team capacity. A balanced scope prevents overcommitment and burnout.

Adjust the sprint backlog based on the capacity snapshot. Right-sizing the sprint builds trust with stakeholders and maintains steady velocity.

Step 5: Progress tracking

Track execution in Progress Tracking. Switch between board and timeline views to see flow across stages, and review dashboards or a burndown chart to measure sprint health. Update the blockers field so stand-ups focus on removing obstacles.

Share the dashboard with stakeholders. Everyone reads the same data in real-time, which reduces meeting load and speeds up decisions.

Step 6: Retrospective

Close each iteration in Retrospective. Capture wins, issues, and root causes, then create action items with owners and due dates. Continuous improvement becomes an integral part of your workflow, rather than a loose discussion.

Review previous actions at the start of sprint planning. Carry forward only what still matters so the team keeps improving without extra noise.

Asana Scrum features that improve agile teamwork

Asana transforms a static board into a comprehensive Scrum methodology that scales from a single squad to an extensive program. You can log structured data, automate handoffs, and see the sprint from multiple angles. Explore more features in the Asana hub for more information.

Custom fields

Log story points, sprint, priority, blockers, and acceptance criteria. Structured fields ensure consistent backlog refinement and reviews. Teams can filter by risk or effort to focus on the highest-value work.

Project views

Switch between List for details, Board for flow, and Timeline for dependencies. Your team can select the view that best suits the discussion, from stand-ups to planning.

Rules and automation

Auto-assign tasks when status changes, notify the Scrum master about blockers, and move work to the next section after approval.

Approvals

Let product owners approve epics, user stories, or release candidates in the same workspace. Approvals create an audit trail for decision-making.

Dashboards

Turn updates into insight with velocity, burndown, and workload widgets. Dashboards enable leaders to quickly assess sprint health without needing to request reports.

Recommended integrations

Integrations connect your Scrum template to the tools your team already uses. You keep development, design, and collaboration in sync while avoiding duplicate updates. Browse the app gallery to find the agile tools and software platforms you use daily.

Jira Cloud

Sync issues and user stories between Jira and Asana to coordinate product discussions and engineering execution. Create or link issues from tasks to update in both platforms.

Slack

Send task updates, stand-up notes, and retrospective actions directly to channels. Create tasks from messages and turn decisions into trackable work.

Google Drive

Attach specs, spreadsheets, and diagrams to the related backlog item or story. Everyone opens the latest version of the task. Reviews move faster because context is embedded alongside the work.

Figma

Link wireframes and prototypes to user stories. Designers share updates without switching tools, and developers always see current designs.

FAQs about Scrum templates