Backlog: A list of work the team may do in the future — features, bugs and improvements — usually ordered by priority.
Example
Your idea for improving the search page is added to the backlog for a future sprint.
Why Backlog matters for IT interns
Not everything gets done right away. The backlog explains why some work waits.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in team routines such as stand-ups, sprint planning, and retrospectives. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Acceptance Criteria: The specific conditions a user story must meet before it is considered done.
- Agile: A way of working where teams build software in small pieces, get feedback often and adjust their plans…
- Bug: A problem where the software doesn’t behave the way it is supposed to.
- Daily Stand-up: A short daily team meeting, often 15 minutes, where each person shares what they did, what they will do next…
- Epic: A large piece of work that is broken down into smaller user stories.
- Kanban: A way of managing work on a board with columns such as To Do, In Progress and Done, focusing on a steady flow…
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Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Backlog?
A list of work the team may do in the future — features, bugs and improvements — usually ordered by priority.
What is an example of Backlog?
Your idea for improving the search page is added to the backlog for a future sprint.
Why does Backlog matter for IT interns?
Not everything gets done right away. The backlog explains why some work waits.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.