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title titleSuffix description ms.custom ms.service ms.assetid ms.author author ms.topic monikerRange ms.date
Define features and epics to organize backlog items
Azure Boards
Learn about features and epics in Azure Boards and how to use them to organize your product and portfolio backlogs.
boards-backlogs
azure-devops-boards
9B517FEE-14FA-41FA-87CD-99D33168D01E
chcomley
chcomley
how-to
<= azure-devops
10/11/2024

Define features and epics to organize your backlog

[!INCLUDE version-lt-eq-azure-devops]

When you have a list of work items, it can be helpful to group related items into a hierarchical structure. Do so by breaking down major features or scenarios into smaller deliverables. If you have an existing backlog, you can organize it with features and epics. For more information, see Organize your backlog and map child work items to parents.

Portfolio backlogs

Use portfolio backlogs to do the following tasks:

  • Bring more order to your backlog
  • Manage a portfolio of features that different development and management teams support
  • Group items into a release train
  • Minimize size variability of your deliverables by breaking down a large feature into smaller backlog items

Portfolio backlogs let you add and group items into a hierarchy. You can also drill up or down within the hierarchy, reorder and reparent items, and filter hierarchical views. Portfolio backlogs are one of three classes of backlogs available to you. For more information, see Manage priorities and gain visibility across teams.

The following image shows a features portfolio backlog that consists of a flat list of feature work items.

:::image type="content" source="media/features-epics/intro-image.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the features portfolio Backlog.":::

[!INCLUDE work item types]

Prerequisites

[!INCLUDE prerequisites]

What makes a feature or epic?

Epics and features are higher-level containers used to organize work. Typically, user stories or backlog items roll up into features. Features roll up into epics. Keep this hierarchy in mind when naming your features and epics.

  • Feature: A feature is a significant piece of functionality that delivers value to the user. It usually includes several user stories or backlog items. A feature might take one or more sprints to complete.
  • Epic: An epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into multiple features. It represents a major initiative or goal. An epic might span several sprints or even releases.

When you define features and epics, consider the time required to complete them. Generally, you should complete backlog items, such as user stories or tasks, within a sprint. Features and epics might take one or more sprints to complete.

View a backlog

To focus on one level of a backlog at a time, select the name of the backlog. You should see three backlog levels: Epics, Features, and Backlog items. If you don't have these values, see Select backlog navigation levels for your team.

::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2020"

  1. Sign in to your project (https://dev.azure.com/{Your_Organization/Your_Project}).

  2. Select Boards > Backlogs.

    :::image type="content" source="media/open-boards-backlogs.png" alt-text="Screenshot of highlighted Boards and Backlogs selections.":::

    To select a different backlog, open the selector and then choose a team or select the View Backlog directory option. Or enter a keyword in the search box to filter the list of team backlogs for the project.

    :::image type="content" source="media/backlog-team-selector.png" alt-text="Screenshot of selecting another team process.":::

    [!TIP] Select the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/icon-favorite-star.png" border="false"::: star icon to favorite a team backlog. Favorited artifacts (:::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/icon-favorited.png" border="false"::: favorited icon) appear at the top of the team selector list.

  3. Select your backlog level.

    :::image type="content" source="media/select-product-backlog-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot of product backlog level selections.":::

  4. (Optional) Choose which columns should display and in which order: select the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/actions-icon.png" border="false"::: actions icon and select Column options.

    :::image type="content" source="media/open-column-options.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to Open Column Options from More commands menu.":::

::: moniker-end

::: moniker range="azure-devops-2019"

  1. Sign in to your organization (https://dev.azure.com/{yourorganization}) and go to your project.

  2. Select Boards > Backlogs.

    :::image type="content" source="../sprints/media/assign-items-sprint/open-work-backlogs-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot opened work backlog, on-premises Azure DevOps Server 2019.":::

    To choose a different team, open the selector and select a different team or choose the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/home-icon.png" border="false"::: Browse all backlogs option. Or you can enter a keyword in the search box to filter the list of team backlogs for the project.

    :::image type="content" source="../sprints/media/assign-items-sprint/team-selector-backlogs-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Choose another team.":::

  3. Choose the portfolio backlog that you want: Features or Epics.

    :::image type="content" source="media/features-epics/choose-features-epics-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Choose product backlog level, Backlog items, Stories, or Requirements.":::

  4. (Optional) To choose which columns should display and in what order, choose the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/actions-icon.png" border="false"::: actions icon and select Column options. You might want to add the Iteration Path to the set of columns that appear on your backlog. For more information, see Change column options.

    :::image type="content" source="../sprints/media/assign-items-sprint/open-work-backlogs-column-options-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to Open Column Options from More commands menu, Azure DevOps Server 2019.":::

::: moniker-end

For more information, see Select backlog navigation levels for your team.

Add features and epics to your backlog

Just as you can add items to your product backlog, you can add items to your features and epics backlogs.

::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2019"

  1. Select the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/blue-add-icon.png":::New Work Item, enter a title, and then select Enter or Add to top.

    :::image type="content" source="media/features-epics/add-new-items-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Add a product backlog item.":::

  2. Repeat the previous step to capture all your ideas as work items.

    In the following example, there are six added features.

    :::image type="content" source="media/features-epics/features-backlog-agile.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to add a feature, Azure DevOps Server 2019.":::

    You can add epics in the same way. Open the Epics backlog from the backlogs selector.

::: moniker-end

For more information, see Select backlog navigation levels for your team.

Add details to a feature or epic

Open each item by double-clicking, or highlight the item and select Enter. Then, add the information that you want to track. Enter as much detail as possible to help your team understand the scope, estimate the work, develop tests, and ensure that the product meets acceptance criteria.

:::image type="content" source="media/features-epics/feature-work-item-form.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Feature work item form, Agile process, adding details to a feature.":::

:::row::: :::column span="1"::: Field :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Usage :::column-end::: :::row-end:::

:::row::: :::column span="1"::: Value Area :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: The area of customer value addressed by the epic, feature, or backlog item. Values include:
- Architectural—technical services to implement business features that deliver solution
- Business (Default)—services that fulfill customers or stakeholder needs that directly deliver customer value to support the business :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Effort
Story Points
Size :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Provide a relative estimate of the amount of work required to complete a Feature or Epic. Use any numeric unit of measurement your team prefers. Some options are story points, time, or other relative unit. For more information, see Add details and estimates to backlog items. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Business Value :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Specify a priority that captures the relative value of an Epic, Feature, or backlog item compared to other items of the same type. The higher the number, the greater the business value. Use this field when you want to capture a priority separate from the changeable backlog stack ranking. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Time Criticality :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: A subjective unit of measure that captures how the business value decreases over time. Higher values indicate that the Epic or Feature is inherently more time critical than those items with lower values. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Target Date :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Specify the date by which to implement the feature. :::column-end::: :::row-end:::

Add child items

You can add child items to your features from any backlog. You can also add child user stories (Agile), or product backlog items (Scrum) or requirements (CMMI) from the board for features. You can add child features from the Epic board. For more information, see Board features and epics. To parent or reparent children from a backlog, see Organize your backlog.

::: moniker range=">= azure-devops-2019"

When you see the :::image type="icon" source="../../media/icons/blue-add-icon.png"::: Add icon, you can add a child item. The work item always corresponds to the hierarchy of work item types defined for your project.

For more information, see Configure your backlog view and About work items and work item types. ::: moniker-end

For Scrum projects, your hierarchy looks like the following example.

:::image type="content" source="media/ALM_OB_Scrum_WIT_Hier_C.png" alt-text="Screenshot from top to bottom, the hierarchy shows Epic, Feature, Product Backlog Item, and Task.":::

For more information, see Show bugs on backlogs and boards and About default processes and process templates.

[!INCLUDE add portfolio backlogs]

[!INCLUDE display rollup section]

Next steps

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Organize your backlog

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