Burndown chart
A chart showing remaining work over time, commonly used to visualize progress within a Sprint, though not required by the Scrum Guide.
What it means
A burndown chart plots remaining effort or items on the vertical axis against time on the horizontal axis, typically trending toward zero as the Sprint progresses. It is a common practice, not a mandated Scrum artifact.
Teams use it to spot trends early: a flat line signals stalled progress, while a line steeper than the ideal trend can suggest scope was overestimated or work is going faster than expected.
Common mistakes
Burndown charts are less useful when scope changes frequently within a Sprint, since added or removed work distorts the line; some teams prefer a burnup chart, which separately tracks completed work against total scope.
Example
The team's Sprint burndown chart flattens on day six, prompting a mid-Sprint conversation about a blocked dependency.