Backlog
The Backlog is the core working queue in Tracker Boot. It contains upcoming Stories ordered by priority, with the highest-priority work at the top.
The Backlog is not a fixed project plan. As the team learns, delivers, and receives new information, Stories can be clarified, split, reordered, and reprioritized.
Story anatomy
Every story has:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | A short, clear description of the work |
| Type | Feature, Design, Bug, Chore or Release |
| Story ID | A unique identifier automatically assigned when the Story is created |
| Requester | The person who created the Story. The creator is automatically added as the Requester |
| Description | The context and details needed to understand the Story |
| Acceptance Criteria | Specific, testable conditions used to verify completion |
| Status | The Story’s current position in the delivery workflow |
| Owner | The person or people who pick up and work on the Story |
| Points | A relative complexity estimate for Feature and Design Stories |
| Labels | Tags used to organize and add context to Stories |
Creating a Story
Click Create Story from the Backlog or Icebox to create a new Story.
You can write the Story manually or start with a rough draft and use Tobi to help structure and improve it.
For example, you can give Tobi a short product idea and ask it to turn the draft into a clearer Feature Story with a title, user context, value, and Acceptance Criteria.
For Bugs, Tobi can help organize rough notes into a Bug Story with Steps to reproduce, Expected, and Actual.
Review the suggested content to make sure any assumptions reflect the product behavior you actually want.
Prioritizing the Backlog
The order of Stories in the Backlog represents priority.
The Story at the top of the Backlog is the highest priority and is the next work the team should consider picking up.
You can drag Stories to reorder them as priorities change.
You can also select multiple Stories at once and use Bulk Actions to manage them together.
Bulk Actions include:
- Bulk Move: Move multiple selected Stories together to another position or section.
- Bulk Labels: Add or update labels across multiple selected Stories.
- Bulk Delete: Delete multiple selected Stories at once.
Bulk Move is especially useful when you need to reprioritize a group of Stories without moving them one by one.
Priority can change at any time based on new user feedback, business needs, dependencies, delivery risk, or what the team learns during development.
You can also ask Tobi which Stories may need attention, including Stories that look risky or have been sitting in the Backlog for a long time. Tobi does not monitor these automatically.
Story statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Started | Work on the Story has begun |
| Finished | Implementation is complete |
| Delivered | The Story is ready to be reviewed |
| Accepted | The Story meets its Acceptance Criteria |
| Rejected | The Story requires additional work before it can be accepted |
For Feature and Design Stories, a Story Point estimate is required before the Story can move forward in the workflow.
Searching the Backlog with Tobi
Tobi can help you find Stories using natural language.
You can search by topic, meaning, Story type, status, owner, or Story ID. Tobi also supports semantic search, so you do not need to know the exact wording used in the Story.
Examples:
- “Find all Stories related to authentication.”
- “Which Stories are assigned to [name] and currently Started?”
- “Show me the Bug Stories from the last Iteration.”
- “Find Stories similar to #200019204.”
- “Which Stories in the Backlog may need attention?”
- “Which Stories have been sitting in the Backlog for a long time?”
Tobi can combine Story content with project context to help you find relevant work more quickly.
Updating Stories with Tobi
Owners and Members can use Tobi to take supported actions on Stories, including:
- Update Story titles and descriptions
- Change Story statuses
- Assign or reassign owners
- Create and update Tasks
- Save Task lists
- Mark Tasks as done
- Leave comments
- Refine or split Stories
Next steps
- Story Editor: Header actions, formatting, tabs, and navigation inside a story.
- Iterations: A recurring development cycle planned based on Velocity.