Sprint Goals

Sprint goals define what the team aims to achieve during an iteration. More than a list of tasks, goals describe the outcomes that make a sprint successful. They provide focus when prioritizing work and evaluating results.

The Problem This Solves

A sprint full of tasks but no clear purpose leads to scattered effort. Team members complete work without understanding how it connects to larger objectives. At sprint end, nobody can confidently say whether the sprint succeeded.

Sprint goals transform a task list into a mission. When everyone understands the target outcome, decisions become easier: "Does this task help us achieve our goal?" drives prioritization, scope management, and daily focus.

What You Are Looking At

The Sprint Goals section appears in the Details tab of any sprint. It displays the current goal text with rich formatting support. An edit button opens a modal where you can modify the goal content.

Viewing Sprint Goals

Navigate to any sprint and select the Details tab. The Sprint Goal section shows:

The goal title header
Formatted goal content (supports rich text)
An Edit button for users with appropriate permissions

If no goal has been set, the section displays placeholder text indicating no acceptance criteria provided.

Editing Sprint Goals

To edit sprint goals:

Navigate to the sprint's Details tab
Click the "Edit" button in the Sprint Goal header
The goal editor modal opens with the current content
Modify the goal text using the rich text editor
Click "Confirm" to save changes

The editor supports:

Bold, italic, underline: Emphasize key phrases
Headers: Structure longer goals with sections
Lists: Bullet points and numbered lists for multiple objectives
Code blocks: Technical specifications or commands
Horizontal rules: Separate different goal categories

Writing Effective Goals

Strong sprint goals share common characteristics:

Outcome-Focused

Describe what users or the system can do after the sprint, not what tasks the team performs.

Good: "Users can authenticate with social media accounts" Weak: "Complete login feature tasks"

Measurable

Include criteria that make success objective.

Good: "Dashboard loads in under 2 seconds for 95% of users" Weak: "Improve performance"

Achievable

Goals should stretch the team but remain realistic for the sprint duration.

Good: "Complete user registration flow including email verification" Weak: "Build entire user management system"

Relevant

Goals should connect to product or project priorities.

Good: "Enable self-service password reset to reduce support tickets" Weak: "Refactor authentication code" (unless this connects to a larger objective)

Time-Bound

The sprint itself provides the time boundary. Goals should be completable within the iteration.

Goal Templates

Different teams use different goal formats. Here are common patterns:

Single Objective Format

By the end of this sprint, [user type] will be able to [action/capability].

Example: "By the end of this sprint, customers will be able to view their order history for the past 12 months."

Multiple Objectives Format

This sprint focuses on:
1. [Primary objective]
2. [Secondary objective]
3. [Stretch goal - if time permits]

Example:

This sprint focuses on:
1. Payment processing with Stripe integration
2. Receipt generation and email delivery
3. Stretch: Multi-currency support

Acceptance Criteria Format

Sprint succeeds when:
- [Criterion 1]
- [Criterion 2]
- [Criterion 3]

Example:

Sprint succeeds when:
- User can complete checkout without errors
- Order confirmation email arrives within 30 seconds
- Admin can view all orders in dashboard

Using Goals During the Sprint

Goals are not just for planning. Reference them throughout the iteration:

Daily standups: "How does today's work move us toward our goal?"

Scope decisions: When new requests arrive mid-sprint, evaluate against goals. "This doesn't help achieve our stated objectives—add to backlog for next sprint."

Blockers: When problems arise, prioritize resolution based on goal impact. "This bug blocks goal achievement—address immediately."

Sprint end: Review goals explicitly. "Did we achieve what we set out to do?"

Goals and Task Assignment

Sprint goals guide which tasks belong in the sprint:

Define the goal first
Identify tasks that contribute to achieving the goal
Add those tasks to the sprint
If tasks do not connect to goals, question whether they belong

Tasks without goal connection are not necessarily wrong, but they should be conscious decisions. Maintenance work, technical debt, and support tasks may be necessary even if they do not advance sprint goals.

Multiple Goals vs Single Goal

Some teams prefer a single, focused goal per sprint. Others define multiple objectives. Consider:

Single goal advantages:

Maximum clarity and focus
Easier to evaluate success/failure
Prevents goal conflict

Multiple goal advantages:

Reflects diverse work (features + bugs + maintenance)
Allows partial success assessment
More realistic for mixed workloads

Choose the approach that fits your team's work patterns and planning style.

Goal Evolution

Goals can change during a sprint, though this should be exceptional:

Valid reasons to modify goals:

Critical business priority shift
Discovery that original goal is impossible
Major scope reduction accepted by stakeholders

Invalid reasons:

Task took longer than expected
Team wants to feel successful
New idea seems more interesting

If goals change frequently, your planning process may need attention. Goals should be stable commitments, not aspirational wishes.

Permissions

Sprint goal editing requires edit_sprints permission. Typically:

Agency Owners and Managers: Can edit goals
Developers: Can view goals but may not edit
Clients: View only if sprint access is granted

Check your workspace configuration if edit access seems incorrect.

Pro Tips

Write goals before selecting tasks: Goals should drive task selection, not the reverse
Post goals visibly: Consider sharing sprint goals in team channels or dashboards
Review goals in retrospectives: "Did our goals accurately reflect what we should have achieved?"
Keep goal count low: Three objectives maximum. More than that dilutes focus.

How to Report a Problem or Request a Feature

Your feedback matters. Here is how to share it:

If the goal editor needs additional formatting options or you have suggestions for goal management improvements, we want to hear them.

In the Sidebar, click on Support Tickets and open a ticket for the problem. Everything is interactive and fast through the GitScrum Studio platform.