Scrum guide · Artifacts and practices
What Is an Increment in Scrum? Definition and Examples
An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment adds to all prior Increments, is thoroughly verified, and must be usable.
Key takeaways
- An Increment is a usable step towards the Product Goal.
- Only work meeting the Definition of Done counts.
- Increments can be released at any time.
Key rules
- Work becomes part of an Increment only when it meets the Definition of Done.
- Each Increment is additive and works with all previous ones.
- Multiple Increments can be created within a Sprint.
- Increments can be delivered to stakeholders before the end of the Sprint.
- The Sprint Review should never be the only gate to releasing value.
Examples
| Team | Example Increment |
|---|---|
| Software | A working checkout flow released to 10% of users |
| Marketing | A tested landing page with analytics live |
| Hardware | A working prototype that passes defined tests |
| Education | A complete course module, reviewed and published |
Why usable matters
A usable Increment allows real feedback. Partially done work hides risk and delays learning, which undermines empiricism. If work doesn't meet the Definition of Done, it returns to the Product Backlog.
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Frequently asked questions
Does an Increment have to be released?
It must be usable, but whether to release it is a business decision.
Can there be more than one Increment per Sprint?
Yes. Teams practising continuous delivery may release many Increments in a Sprint.
What is a product increment?
In Scrum, an Increment is a concrete, usable step towards the Product Goal. It adds to all previous Increments and is thoroughly verified so they work together.
When is an Increment created?
The 2020 Scrum Guide says an Increment is born the moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done.
What is the commitment for the Increment?
The Definition of Done, which describes the quality the Increment must meet.
What happens to work that does not meet the Definition of Done for the Increment?
It cannot be released or presented at the Sprint Review as done. It returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration.
Is an Increment the same as a release?
No. An Increment is usable and could be released; releasing it is a separate business decision. Several Increments can be bundled into one release, or each released immediately.
What does potentially shippable increment mean?
A phrase from earlier versions of the Scrum Guide meaning the Increment is in a releasable state. The 2020 Guide uses the word usable instead.
Does the Increment have to be software?
No. In non-software work an Increment could be a tested landing page, a published course module or a working prototype that meets agreed quality standards.
Who creates the Increment?
The Developers create it. The whole Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint.
How does the Increment relate to the Sprint Review?
The Sprint Review inspects the Increment with stakeholders and adapts the Product Backlog. See Sprint Review.