How do I manage my backlog in LocalPM?

The Backlog view is the main place to work with stories in LocalPM. Open your project and select Backlog in the sidebar.

What the Backlog shows

Despite the name, this view lists every story in the project, whatever its status, not just items with the status Backlog. The count under the heading tells you how many stories match the current filters.

Each row shows a colored dot for the type (Story, Bug, Task, or Spike), the title, and badges for priority, status, story points, and epic, plus the assignee's name.

Searching and filtering

Type in the Search stories box to find stories by words in their title, description, labels, assignee, or acceptance criteria. Press / to jump to the box from anywhere in the Backlog view.

There are also two dropdowns:

• Status: show only one status, for example Backlog to see unscheduled work
• Priority: show only Critical, High, Medium, or Low items

Search and both filters work together, so you can answer questions like "which High-priority items labelled frontend haven't been started?" Set a filter back to "All Statuses" or "All Priorities" to clear it. Descriptive titles and consistent labels make stories easier to find.

Common backlog tasks

• Add work: select New Story, or press n. See How do I create a story, bug, task, or spike?
• Refine a story: select its row, update the description, acceptance criteria, points, or priority, then select Update.
• Schedule work into a sprint: open the story and choose a sprint in the Sprint field. See How do I plan a sprint in LocalPM?
• Group work under an epic: choose one in the Epic field.
• Remove work: select the trash icon on the row. The story is deleted straight away, and an Undo notice appears for about 8 seconds. Select Undo if you deleted the wrong one.

The list can't be reordered by dragging, so use the Priority field to signal what comes first.

A simple grooming routine

1. Filter Status to Backlog.
2. For each item, confirm it's still needed. Delete anything obsolete.
3. Add acceptance criteria and story points to items likely to be picked up soon.
4. Set a priority that reflects today's reality.
5. Move ready items to To Do and assign them to the next sprint.

For more, read Backlog Grooming That Actually Reduces Scope Creep and Using Labels to Categorize Work Across Your Backlog.