Agile guide · Agile practices
Agile Release Planning: How to Plan Releases in Agile
Release planning answers the question every stakeholder asks: "When will we get it?" In Agile, the answer is a forecast built from real data and updated every sprint, rather than a date fixed at the start.
Key takeaways
- Release plans forecast when a set of backlog items will be ready.
- Fix either date or scope, not both.
- Use velocity ranges and update the forecast every sprint.
What a release plan is
A release plan groups backlog items into one or more upcoming releases and forecasts when each is likely to be ready. It sits between the long-term product roadmap and the detailed plan for each sprint.
Fixed date or fixed scope?
| Approach | What is fixed | What flexes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed date | Release date | Scope | A launch at a trade show |
| Fixed scope | Feature set | Date | A minimum set needed to replace an old system |
Agile teams avoid fixing both date and scope at once. If both are fixed, quality usually suffers.
Steps to build a release plan
- Set the release goal. Describe the outcome the release should achieve.
- Select and order backlog items that contribute to the goal.
- Estimate them with story points or T-shirt sizes.
- Check capacity using recent velocity and planned availability.
- Forecast a range: optimistic and pessimistic sprint counts.
- Identify dependencies and risks with other teams or suppliers.
- Agree the plan with stakeholders and publish it.
- Update every sprint using actual progress.
Communicating release forecasts
- Give ranges, not single dates: "between mid-May and early June".
- Show a release burnup chart so stakeholders can see both progress and scope changes.
- Separate must-have items from nice-to-have items, so trade-offs are clear.
Release planning at scale
When several teams contribute to one release, they plan together. In SAFe, this happens in PI Planning.
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Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should a release plan go?
Usually one to three releases, or roughly three to six months. Beyond that, a roadmap of outcomes is more useful than a detailed plan.
Who owns the release plan?
The Product Owner or product manager, working closely with the team and stakeholders.
What is release planning in Agile?
Grouping backlog items into upcoming releases and forecasting when each is likely to be ready. It sits between the roadmap and individual sprints.
How often should a release plan be updated?
Every sprint, using actual progress and current velocity. A release plan is a living forecast, not a fixed commitment.
What is the difference between a release plan and a roadmap?
A roadmap shows goals and themes over quarters or longer; a release plan shows which backlog items will go into the next few releases and when.
What is a release burnup chart in release planning?
A chart that shows completed work rising towards a total scope line. Because scope is shown separately, stakeholders can see the effect of added or removed work.
Can Agile release planning have fixed release dates?
Yes. With a fixed date, scope flexes so the most valuable items are delivered by the deadline.
How do you forecast a release date in Agile release planning?
Divide the remaining points by your best and worst recent velocity to get a range of sprints, then convert it to dates.
What is a minimum viable product in release planning?
The smallest release that delivers value and lets you learn from real users. Planning towards an MVP keeps the first release small.
Is release planning part of Scrum?
The Scrum Guide does not define a release planning event. Many Scrum teams still do it as part of managing the Product Backlog and Product Goal.
How does continuous delivery change release planning?
A practice in which every change is kept in a releasable state, so teams can release whenever value is ready instead of in large planned batches.