Planet RoadmapWithout a shared Definition of Done, "done" means something different to every person on the team. One developer considers a feature done when the code compiles. Another waits until tests pass. A third includes documentation. This ambiguity creates rework, missed bugs, and friction at review time.
What to Include
A Definition of Done is a checklist that every work item must satisfy before it can be considered complete. It should cover code quality, testing, documentation, and deployment readiness. Keep it short enough to remember but thorough enough to prevent the most common quality issues.
- Code reviewed and approved by at least one other developer
- Unit tests written and passing
- No known regressions introduced
- Feature tested in a staging environment
- User-facing changes documented or communicated to the team
- Deployed to production or ready for release
Make It Visible
A Definition of Done that lives in a forgotten wiki page is worthless. Post it where the team sees it daily—on your board, in your pull request template, or as a checklist that must be completed before moving a card to Done. Visibility turns the definition from a document into a habit.
Planet Roadmap lets you attach checklists to any task, making your Definition of Done a built-in part of your workflow rather than an afterthought.
Evolve It Over Time
Your Definition of Done should grow with your team. Early-stage startups might only require code review and basic testing. As the product matures, add requirements for performance benchmarks, accessibility checks, or security reviews. Revisit the definition during retrospectives and update it when you see recurring quality issues.
Common Pitfalls
The two biggest mistakes are making the definition too long and not enforcing it. A 20-item checklist will be ignored. Start with five to seven items that address your most frequent quality problems. Enforcement means that work items that do not meet the criteria are moved back—no exceptions. Consistency matters more than comprehensiveness.