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Understand the burnup chart

This page applies to company-managed projects only.

Learn more about the difference between company-managed and team-managed projects.

The horizontal axis on the burnup chart represents time in days. The vertical axis represents the amount of work and can be measured in different ways, such as story points, issue count, or estimates. 

Select the drop-down menus to choose a different sprint for the horizontal axis or a different measurement for the vertical axis.

What the different lines mean

A burnup chart. Work scope's indicated by a red line, completed work by a green line, and a guide by a grey line..

Work scope (the red line) shows the work that was planned for the sprint. If this line increases throughout the sprint, it’s a sign of scope creep.

Completed work (the green line) shows work that has been moved to 'Done'.

Guideline (the gray line) shows an approximation of how your team should be progressing throughout the sprint in order to finish on time.

The distance between the Work scope and Completed work lines on the chart is the amount of work remaining. When all work for the sprint is complete, the lines will meet.

Are subtasks included in a burnup chart?

No, subtasks aren’t included in a burnup chart. It only uses data from standard-level issue types like stories, bugs, or tasks.

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