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Definition of Done vs Acceptance Criteria

Direct answer: Definition of Done (DoD) is the formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. Acceptance criteria (a common product practice, not a Scrum artifact name) usually describe conditions for a specific Product Backlog item. Meeting item-level criteria does not replace meeting the shared Definition of Done.

Comparison table

Definition of Done Acceptance criteria (typical usage)
Scope Applies to the Increment / quality of work Usually per Product Backlog item
Scrum Guide status Commitment for the Increment Not a named Scrum artifact
Purpose Transparency of “Done”; shared quality bar Clarify when a specific item is satisfactorily completed from a requirement view
Owner dynamic Organizational standard minimum or Scrum Team–created DoD Often refined with Product Owner and Developers
If missing / weak Empiricism suffers; “almost done” work sneaks in Item intent is ambiguous
PSM I focus High — Increment commitment Lower as a Scru term; still useful to separate from DoD

Related Guide chapters: Increment · three artifacts + commitments.

Why this trap fails candidates

  • Teams say a story is “done” because acceptance criteria are checked, but integration, testing, or documentation required by DoD is incomplete.
  • Each Developer invents a personal quality bar—no shared transparency.
  • Multiple teams on one product use different Done standards, so the Increment is not truly integrated.

How to remember it for PSM I

  1. DoD → Increment commitment (with Product Goal for Product Backlog and Sprint Goal for Sprint Backlog).
  2. No DoD compliance → not part of the Increment, even if a demo looks good.
  3. Item criteria help refinement; they do not override the shared Done standard.

Practical example

A Product Backlog item may include acceptance criteria like “user can reset password via email link.” That clarifies intent. The Definition of Done might still require automated tests, security review, merged code on main, and deployability. Without those, the work is not Done as an Increment—even if the password flow “works on my machine.”

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Last reviewed: July 2026. Based on the 2020 Scrum Guide.

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FAQ

No. Definition of Done is the formal shared quality bar for an Increment. Acceptance criteria usually describe conditions for a specific Product Backlog item.

If the Definition of Done for an Increment is part of organizational standards, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If not, the Scrum Team must create an appropriate Definition of Done.

Work is part of the Increment only when it meets the Definition of Done.

No. The Definition of Done creates transparency. Without a shared DoD, empiricism breaks.

No. A item can meet item-specific acceptance criteria and still not meet the Increment’s Definition of Done.