---
title: What happens to incomplete Product Backlog items at the end of a Sprint?
description: "At the end of a Sprint, any [Product Backlog](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/a-scrum-artifact-that-consists-of-an-ordered-list-of-the-work-to-be-done-in-order-to-create-maintain-and-sustain-a-product-managed-by-the-product-owner/) items that are incomplete or did not meet the [Definition of Done](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/definition-of-done/) are returned to the [Product Backlog](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/a-scrum-artifact-that-consists-of-an-ordered-list-of-the-work-to-be-done-in-order-to-create-maintain-and-sustain-a-product-managed-by-the-product-owner/). These items are not discarded but are re-evaluated and prioritised for future Sprints.…"
url: "https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/docs/what-happens-to-incomplete-product-backlog-items-at-the-end-of-a-sprint/"
updated: "2024-12-19"
category: Artifacts / Increment
---

# What happens to incomplete Product Backlog items at the end of a Sprint?

At the end of a Sprint, any [Product Backlog](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/a-scrum-artifact-that-consists-of-an-ordered-list-of-the-work-to-be-done-in-order-to-create-maintain-and-sustain-a-product-managed-by-the-product-owner/) items that are incomplete or did not meet the [Definition of Done](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/definition-of-done/) are returned to the [Product Backlog](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/a-scrum-artifact-that-consists-of-an-ordered-list-of-the-work-to-be-done-in-order-to-create-maintain-and-sustain-a-product-managed-by-the-product-owner/). These items are not discarded but are re-evaluated and prioritised for future Sprints.

This process ensures that all work remains visible and can be addressed in subsequent Sprints. It maintains the integrity of the [Product Backlog](https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/glossary/a-scrum-artifact-that-consists-of-an-ordered-list-of-the-work-to-be-done-in-order-to-create-maintain-and-sustain-a-product-managed-by-the-product-owner/) and ensures that nothing is overlooked.