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Split Defects

Defects that are partially completed at the end of a sprint or iteration can be split to retain credit for completed work while moving incomplete work to a new defect in the next sprint, ensuring accurate velocity tracking and progress reporting.

Who splits defects: Scrum masters split defects during sprint close when fixes cannot be completed in the current iteration, ensuring accurate velocity calculation. Team members provide estimates for completed versus remaining work to inform the split. Product owners coordinate splits to give credit for progress while moving unfinished work to future sprints. QA engineers verify which portions of the defect are truly resolved before splitting.

Permission requirement: Splitting defects requires edit permissions on the defect (typically Team Member role or higher). You must have edit permissions in both the current sprint (where the original defect stays) and the destination sprint (where the new defect goes). Splitting defects in closed sprints requires reopening the sprint first. Specific permissions depend on your organization's role configuration.

When to Split Defects​

Split defects in these situations:

  • Partial completion at sprint end: Only some of the defect's work or tasks are finished when the sprint closes.
  • Scope discovered during work: The defect turned out to be larger than estimated and cannot be completed in the current sprint.
  • Blocked work: Part of the defect is blocked by dependencies, but other parts can be closed and credited.
  • Accurate accounting: Your team needs precise velocity tracking and wants credit for completed work rather than rolling the entire estimate forward.

Before You Split​

Splitting should not become common practice. Defects should be sized appropriately so that the estimate from any one defect does not have a large impact on the velocity of a sprint or iteration. If you end a sprint or iteration with multiple defects that need to be split, it's often a sign that your team has too much work in progress. It's much better to finish one defect than to end up with two that are half-done.

Note: Splitting is not the same as copying. When you split a defect, the system automatically divides work based on completion status and creates a new defect for remaining work.

How Splitting Affects Tasks, Tests, and Attachments​

When you split a defect, Agility handles child items and relationships based on their completion status:

If the defect has...Then...
Tasks or TestsTasks and tests are handled based on status as follows:

Completed (e.g., To Do = 0)
Completed tasks or tests with a To Do of 0 stay with the original story in the existing sprint.
Not Started (e.g., Done = 0)
Not started tasks or tests are moved to a new story in the next sprint
Partially Completed (e.g., some Done and some To Do)
Partially completed tasks or tests are copied to the new backlog item in the next sprint, and will also remain with the original story in the existing sprint. The To Do on the tasks or tests in the existing sprint will be set to 0.  All of the Done stays with the tasks or tests in the existing sprint. The To Do amount at the time of the split is assigned to the tasks or tests in the next sprint.
AttachmentsAttachments are not carried forward during the split process. As a workaround, however, you can copy the item instead of splitting it. Copies retain all the relationships of the original, including links and attachments. The trade-off is that you would need to adjust your estimates on the two items.

Split Defects​

You can split defects from grid views or from the Team Scheduling page.

Option 1: In Any Grid​

Split defects directly from the backlog or other grid views.

  1. Click the hamburger icon Hamburger icon > Product > Backlog.
  2. Locate the defect you want to split.
  3. Click the dropdown arrow next to the defect and select Split.
  4. On the Split page, modify the details as necessary:
    • Title: Change the title of the new defect to make it unique (e.g., "Login Defect Part 1" and "Login Defect Part 2").
    • Estimate: Allocate the estimate appropriately across the two defects. Was any real value delivered by the partially completed defect?
    • Detail Estimate and To Dos: Ensure the Detail Estimate and To Do amounts for the remaining workload are appropriate.
  5. Click Split to create the new defect.
  6. Make any additional changes to the new defect and click Save. Fields highlighted in yellow are pending until you click Save.

Best for: Splitting defects during backlog grooming or retrospective meetings.

Option 2: On the Team Scheduling Page​

Split defects while planning sprint capacity and team assignments.

  1. Click the hamburger icon Hamburger icon > Release > Team Scheduling.
  2. Click on a defect (either from the Team box to which it is assigned or from the Backlog grid) to open the defect details page.
  3. Open the Edit dropdown menu and select Split. The Split Defect window opens, showing details of the defect with the remaining work estimate.
  4. Click the Split button. The system generates a new defect with the same name as the original. The remaining work estimate is transferred to the new defect. Completed estimates remain with the original defect.
  5. In the New Item section, select a new sprint from the Sprint dropdown list.
  6. Click Save next to the new item. The new defect details are saved.
  7. Click Save at the top of the window. The new defect is assigned to the team who worked the original defect, and the item shows in the Team box with the inherited work estimate.

Best for: Sprint planning and capacity allocation discussions.

After Splitting​

After splitting a defect, take these follow-up actions:

  1. Verify estimates: Check that the estimate split accurately reflects completed vs. remaining work.
  2. Update titles: Ensure both defects have descriptive, unique titles that clarify the split (e.g., "Part 1" and "Part 2" or "Completed" and "Remaining").
  3. Review sprint assignments: Confirm the new defect is assigned to the correct sprint and team.
  4. Notify stakeholders: Inform the team and product owner about the split to maintain transparency.
  5. Add links or dependencies: If the defects are related, link them to show the relationship in reports and visualizations.

Best Practices for Splitting Defects​

  1. Split only when necessary: Reserve splitting for genuinely incomplete defects. Finish work instead of splitting when possible.
  2. Size defects appropriately: Break down large defects during planning to avoid needing splits at sprint end.
  3. Use consistent naming: Adopt a naming convention for split defects (e.g., "Part 1", "Part 2") to clarify relationships.
  4. Allocate estimates accurately: Ensure the estimate split reflects the actual work completed and remaining to maintain velocity accuracy.
  5. Review with the team: Discuss splits during sprint retrospectives to identify patterns and improve estimation.
  6. Update remaining tasks: After splitting, review tasks and tests on the new defect to ensure they're still relevant and properly sized.
  7. Document the reason: Add a comment explaining why the defect was split for future reference and learning.
  8. Link split defects: Use Links or Dependencies to connect the original and new defects for traceability.
  9. Monitor split frequency: If your team frequently splits defects, revisit your estimation and work breakdown practices.
  10. Close the original: If all work on the original defect is complete, close it to remove it from active tracking pages.

Troubleshooting​

Why is the Split option disabled for my defect?​

The Split option requires edit permissions and appears only for defects that can be split. If Split is missing or disabled: (1) You may lack edit permissions - check your project role. (2) The defect may already be closed - reopen it before splitting. (3) The defect may have been previously split - items cannot be split multiple times. (4) The defect may be in a closed sprint or project - reopen the container first. Verify the defect's status and your permissions.

Why don't my tasks distribute correctly when splitting a defect?​

Task distribution during splits follows specific rules: Fully complete tasks (To Do = 0) stay with the original defect. Not started tasks (Done = 0) move to the new defect. Partially complete tasks are copied to both defects, with To Do reset on the original and Done reset on the copy. If distribution seems wrong, verify task completion values were accurate before splitting. Manually adjust task assignments after the split if the automatic distribution doesn't match reality.

Why did my defect's estimate not split as expected?​

The split operation transfers remaining estimate to the new defect and keeps completed estimate with the original. This may not match expectations if: (1) Detail Estimate wasn't updated as work progressed. (2) Task Done/To Do values don't accurately reflect completion. (3) You expected a different allocation. After splitting, manually adjust estimates on both defects if the automatic split doesn't reflect actual progress. The split uses current estimate values at the time of operation.

Why don't my attachments carry forward to the new defect?​

Attachments intentionally don't transfer during splits to prevent duplication. This is a known limitation. Workaround: Download needed files from the original defect and upload them to the new one after splitting. Alternatively, use Copy instead of Split if preserving attachments is critical (though you'll need to manually adjust estimates on both copies). Links and dependencies do transfer during splits.