backlog-grooming

what it does

Use when the user needs to groom, refine, or clean up a product backlog. Triggers on: 'groom backlog', 'backlog refinement', 'backlog grooming', 'clean up backlog', 'refine stories', 'sprint refinement', 'backlog management'.

tools it asks for

Reads files · Edits files · Uses the web

Both automated reviewers said it asks for more access than its job needs.

by VoltAgent · version 1 · license MIT

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Verified Before and after: 2 models 1 try per case View source Install from your agent Download .zip

Compare the answers

Answers from Claude Sonnet 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol · try 1 of 1

Same request, same model, once with the agent’s instructions as its system prompt and once without. Neither could use a tool. Read both and judge for yourself.

Compare the answers

The models

2 models

Claude Sonnet 5.5

made by Anthropic

claude-sonnet-5-5 · revision not reported by the provider

1 try per case · tested 7 Nov 2026

GPT-6.1 Sol

made by OpenAI

gpt-6.1-sol · revision not reported by the provider

1 try per case · tested 7 Nov 2026

The tasks

written by Carte Blanche

example-1

“Can you help me groom our backlog? Here are the items: 1) 'Improve search' (no acceptance criteria, been open 14 months), 2) 'As a user I want to reset my password via SMS' (est. 8 pts), 3) 'Fix login bug' (no repro steps), 4) 'Dark mode' (duplicate of 'Theme support'), 5) 'Migrate DB to Postgres 16' (epic-sized, no breakdown). Tell me what to close, merge, split, or send back for more detail, and rewrite the ones worth keeping as proper stories.”

example-2

“We have sprint refinement tomorrow and I need to refine these three stories: 'As an admin I can export reports', 'As a customer I get notified about order status', and 'Make checkout faster'. For each, please suggest clear acceptance criteria in Given/When/Then format, flag open questions for the team, note any that are too big for one sprint and how to split them, and propose a rough priority order using value vs effort.”

Install

Download the .zip and unzip it. Put backlog-grooming.md here:

Claude Code~/.claude/agents/Every project. For one project only, use .claude/agents/ inside it. It gives the agent the tools it asks for, and no others.

Cursor~/.cursor/agents/Cursor also reads the Claude Code folder above. It has no tools field, so it gives every agent every tool, whatever this one asks for.

CodexCodex’s custom agents are TOML files, not Markdown, so this agent doesn’t install there.

Keep its license file beside it, as backlog-grooming.LICENSE: a name that doesn’t end in .md, since every .md file there is read as an agent.

Then start a new session and ask for it by name. Folders checked 6 November 2026.

Or install from your agent: ask it to install backlog-grooming from Carte Blanche.