What Does the Scrum Guide Say About Product Backlog Item Attributes?
The Scrum Guide explains that Product Backlog refinement involves breaking down items and adding details, such as description, order, and size. The specific attributes vary depending on the domain of work.
Like much of the Scrum Guide, specifics on defining attributes are scarce. Early in my career, that drove me nuts—I wanted a magical step-by-step manual. Over time, I realized there isn’t one. Scrum is Scrum Is Intentionally Incomplete by design, leaving room to adapt it to your own domain.
PBI Attributes are a concept most closely related to Product Ownership, as they define the structure for PBIs, which are the building blocks of the Product Backlog.
Works Consulted
- Product Backlog Item Attributes | Scrum.org | Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
- The 2020 Scrum GuideTM | ScrumGuides.org | Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.