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Definition of Done Template for Agile Teams
A Definition of Done checklist covering code quality, testing, documentation, accessibility, and deployment readiness for agile teams.
Updated 2026-03-04
Definition of Done
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#1
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#5
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Definition of Done different from acceptance criteria?+
[Acceptance criteria](/glossary/acceptance-criteria) are specific to each [user story](/glossary/user-story) and describe what the feature should do. The DoD applies to every story and describes the quality standards that must be met. A story is complete when it meets both its acceptance criteria and the team's DoD.
How often should we update the Definition of Done?+
Review it quarterly or whenever the team notices a recurring quality gap. If bugs keep shipping because a testing step is missing, add it to the DoD. If an item is always skipped because it does not apply, remove it. The DoD should reflect your team's actual standards, not aspirational ones.
Should the DoD be the same for every team?+
No. Each team should own its DoD based on its stack, product, and maturity. A mobile team's DoD will differ from a backend API team's. That said, organization-wide standards (security scans, accessibility) should be consistent. The [Product Operations Handbook](/product-ops-guide) covers how to balance team autonomy with org-wide standards.
What if we cannot meet all the DoD items right now?+
Mark aspirational items separately and create a plan to close the gap. For example, if your team does not have integration tests yet, add "integration tests" as an aspirational item and commit to building test infrastructure over the next two sprints. Use the [RICE framework](/frameworks/rice-framework) to prioritize which gaps to close first.
Who is responsible for enforcing the Definition of Done?+
The whole team. In practice, code reviewers check most items during PR review. The scrum master or tech lead can do a final DoD check before marking stories as done. The PM verifies acceptance criteria separately. Automation helps: linting, CI/CD pipelines, and pre-commit hooks can enforce several DoD items without manual effort.
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