## How Do Episodic Product Backlog Reviews Keep the Backlog Healthy? Regular backlog review meetings ensure the Product Backlog remains relevant, valuable, and aligned with the Product Goal by preventing items from becoming stale and losing context. Discussing items as a team surfaces whether they still provide value, whether priorities have shifted, and whether some should be refined, merged, or deleted. >[!metaphor] >Episodic backlog reviews are like seasonal flower bed cleanups. Weekly weeding keeps things tidy, but every fall and spring you need to clear dead plants, refresh the soil, and decide which flowers are worth replanting. Likewise, periodic deep reviews clear out stale backlog items, refresh priorities, and ensure only valuable work continues to grow toward the Product Goal. ## Works Consulted 1. [000267 Battling the Bloated Product Backlog](https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/battling-bloated-product-backlog) | Scrum.org | Accessed 25 Jul. 2025. ## Connections follows:: [[3.2 A Bloated Product Backlog Erodes Trust]] topics:: [[Backlog Refinement]], [[Product Backlog]], [[Product Goal]] Related | [[3.2b1 Creation and Update Dates Help Identify Stale Backlog Items]] -> There are a handful of aging attributes than can help identify contenders for attention/deletion. Contra | [[3.2b2 Rehashing Old Backlog Items Adds No Real Value]] -> While episodic reviews might sound good in theory continuous backlog refinement might be a better option to avoid these risks. ![[Footer]]