How to Use Notion’s Built‑In Sprints: Setup, Workflow, and Key Limitations
Interested in learning about the built-in sprints in Notion? I’ll cover the complete process from setting up a Task-type database and turning on the Sprints feature. There are also some limitations to know about this built in feature!
Step 1: Create a Task‑type database
Create an empty database, then go to Settings → More settings → Turn into tasks. This simple transformation unlocks powerful functionality - your database will automatically include required properties for Assignee, Status, and Due date, while also appearing in Home for cross-workspace visibility and making it accessible to your entire team. The Task database type is specifically optimized for sprint workflows with its pre-configured settings.
Step 2: Turn on Sprints
From the task database, head to settings and go to More settings → Sprints → Turn on sprints. With this single toggle, Notion automatically generates a complete sprint infrastructure by adding a Sprint Board and a dedicated Sprints page to your workspace.
These specialized components behave differently from ordinary databases built for sprints!
Step 3: Plan from Backlog to sprints
Begin by populating your Task database with all necessary work items. During Sprint Planning sessions, leverage the Backlog view to see all unassigned tasks in one consolidated view. From here, you can strategically assign work into your Current Sprint for immediate focus and Next Sprint for upcoming priorities. The system also allows you to create and populate future sprints for long-term planning, giving you visibility into your product roadmap weeks or months in advance.
Step 4: Run and complete the sprint
During your active two-week cycle, team members work directly from the Current Sprint board. This visual management system increases transparency and accountability across the team. When the sprint period ends, use the Complete sprint button to trigger the sprint retrospective process. This critical step lets you make deliberate decisions about incomplete tasks - moving them to the next sprint for continued work, returning them to the backlog for reprioritization, or keeping them in the current sprint if they're nearly finished.
Step 5: Configure sprint settings
Fine-tune your sprint experience through Settings → More settings → Sprints. Here you can customize fundamental parameters like sprint duration (one to four weeks) and preferred start day to match your team's workflow. You can also define default behaviors for handling incomplete tasks during sprint transitions, and enable powerful automation to automatically roll sprints based on your schedule, eliminating manual sprint creation and management overhead.
For a full video tutorial check out the video here:
Limitations to know
While Notion's built-in Sprints offer significant advantages, they come with important constraints to be aware of. Most notably, sprint status properties and dates are locked within the system and cannot be customized to match specific team needs. Additionally, because sprint objects aren't implemented as standard Notion databases, you cannot package them into shareable templates for distribution across workspaces or to external teams. These limitations may impact teams with specialized workflows or those requiring extensive customization.
Looking for a custom solution?
For teams requiring more advanced customization beyond Notion's built-in Sprints, creating a custom database structure might be the better option. This approach gives you complete control over:
- Custom status workflows that match your team's exact process
- The ability to package your system into shareable templates
If you’re interested in custom design services be sure to reach out for a discovery call!
https://theorganizednotebook.com/products/free-discovery-call
Or, if you prefer a DIY approach check out one of the Project & Task Management Notion Templates on the store: