Glossary
What is a burndown chart? Reading it properly
A burndown chart shows work remaining across a sprint. How to read it, and what the common shapes actually mean.
A burndown chart shows how much work is still open in a sprint — usually in story points, plotted across the days. The line falls as things finish. An ideal line shows the even path from full to zero for comparison.
What the shapes mean
A long flat line with a cliff at the end means everything was worked on at once and only finished late — a case for a WIP limit. A line that rises means scope was added. Hitting zero early usually means the sprint was planned too light.
What it is not for
Reporting progress to people outside the team. The chart describes one sprint, not a roadmap, and a good-looking burndown says nothing about whether the right thing was built.
In Zuuna
The burndown is its own view on the board and is calculated from the completed points of the running sprint.
FAQ
Points or item count on the Y axis?
Both are common. Points reflect effort better, item count is easier to explain. What matters is not switching mid-flight.
What is a burnup chart?
The same information inverted: it shows work completed rather than remaining, and additionally makes scope growth visible.