What is the Definition of Done, and how does it differ from the Definition of Ready?

Question

Accepted Answer

The **Definition of Done (DoD)** is a shared checklist that an Increment must meet to be considered complete and potentially releasable. The **Definition of Ready (DoR)** is an optional agreement on what a backlog item needs before the team will pull it into a Sprint. DoD is a formal Scrum commitment; DoR is a helpful team convention.

## Example DoD checklist

```text
[ ] Code reviewed and merged
[ ] Unit + integration tests pass in CI
[ ] Meets acceptance criteria
[ ] No critical bugs / no broken builds
[ ] Documentation / changelog updated
[ ] Deployed to staging and verified
```

## DoR vs DoD

| | Definition of Ready | Definition of Done |
|--|--------------------|--------------------|
| Gate | Before entering a Sprint | Before an item is complete |
| Owner convention | Team + Product Owner | The whole Scrum Team |
| Status | Optional helper | Formal Scrum commitment |

## Concrete example

A story is "Done" only when it is reviewed, tested, and on staging — not when a developer says "it works on my machine." That shared bar keeps quality consistent.

## Common pitfalls

- A vague DoD ("looks good") that lets unfinished work count as Done.
- Treating DoR as a rigid gate that blocks all flexibility.
- Different developers applying different personal standards.

## Why it matters

A strong DoD creates transparency: everyone knows exactly what "Done" means, so velocity and Increments are trustworthy.

A reasonable DoR reduces mid-Sprint surprises by ensuring items are understood before the team commits.

	Definition of Ready	Definition of Done
Gate	Before entering a Sprint	Before an item is complete
Owner convention	Team + Product Owner	The whole Scrum Team
Status	Optional helper	Formal Scrum commitment