Definition of ready and definition of done are both quality gates in agile, but they operate at opposite ends of the development process. One controls what enters a sprint; the other controls what exits.
Definition of ready: the entry gate
The definition of ready (DoR) is a checklist a user story must meet before the team pulls it into a sprint. Its purpose is to prevent poorly defined work from entering the sprint and causing churn mid-sprint.
Typical DoR items:
- The story has a clear user-facing goal
- Acceptance criteria are written and agreed
- The story is estimated
- Dependencies are identified and resolved (or explicitly accepted)
- UX designs are available if the story requires them
- The story fits in one sprint
Definition of done: the exit gate
The definition of done (DoD) is a checklist a story must meet before it can be considered complete and potentially shipped. It enforces quality standards that apply to every story.
The DoD was covered in depth in what is the definition of done in agile. In summary: code review, tests passing, deployed to staging, PO accepted.
How they interact
A story enters the sprint when it meets the DoR. It exits as "done" when it meets the DoD. Together they form a quality envelope around the development process.
The most common mistake with the DoR
Making the definition of ready too strict. If every story needs wireframes, legal approval, and a signed-off technical design before it can enter a sprint, refinement becomes a bottleneck and the backlog starves.
The DoR should be the minimum quality threshold for planning, not a complete specification. Stories can be refined further during the sprint as long as the core intent is clear.
When to skip the DoR
Small teams with tight PO-developer collaboration often do not need a formal DoR. If the PO is in every planning meeting and stories are refined in conversation, the team self-enforces readiness without a checklist.
Add a formal DoR when: stories frequently get pulled mid-sprint due to missing information, planning consistently runs long, or the team is remote and async-first.
Build your DoD
Use our free definition of done generator to create a starting DoD tailored to your team size and type.
Related reading: DoD checklist · DoD vs acceptance criteria · Definition of done guide.