Backlog Statuses
track the work before the work

Because lumping everything into Not Started hides valuable context. With Momentum, backlog statuses reflect your real agile workflow, making it easy to see whether tasks need to be triaged, require refinement, or are truly ready for development.

Momentum's backlog management features streamline sprint planning by clearly showing which tasks are ready to pull in - and which still need work. That means less time spent debating what you already decided as a team, and more time building.

Yes. Momentum includes a task triage view where incoming work lands automatically. This gives product and engineering teams one place to review, prioritize, and route tasks before they hit the backlog or sprint.

A triage workflow is a structured way to process incoming tasks before they enter your backlog. It helps teams quickly assess, prioritize, and assign work, ensuring nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

Without dedicated backlog statuses, most teams end up rehashing conversations, losing track of what's ready, and dragging half-scoped work into sprints. Some tools let you add custom statuses — but they're often global, not scoped to the backlog. With Momentum, statuses like Needs Triage and Needs Refinement are purpose-built for pre-development workflows, right where they belong.

Of course! Whether you plan sprints or manage a continuous flow, Momentum's backlog statuses help clarify what's ready for the team to work on. You get the benefits of triage and refinement regardless of your delivery method.

In Momentum, tasks can be marked as Needs Triage or Needs Refinement so it's always clear where they stand. This helps you avoid dragging unclear or half-scoped work into sprints or onto the board.

Yes. Any new task created lands in Needs Triage by default - no setup or automation rules required. This ensures every piece of work starts in the right place, ready for review.

Fair question! If you're the one doing the triage, it doesn't make much sense for your own tasks to land in Needs Triage. That's why Momentum lets you skip triage for selected users - you can configure it in settings so your own work flows straight into the backlog.

We hear you. For some users, badges and nudges can feel like clutter - that's why you can turn off the triage badge in settings. Just make sure you're still keeping an eye on incoming work, so nothing slips through the cracks.