> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Manage Unplanned Backlog
> Use the Unplanned section to review, filter, and assign backlog work items onto Plans directly from the Nextedy PLANNINGBOARD — without leaving Polarion.
## What the Unplanned section is
The Planningboard layout has two main areas: the **Planningboard Area** on the left (cards arranged in columns by Plan and rows by swimlane) and the **Unplanned Section** on the right. The Unplanned section acts as a backlog holding all work items that have not yet been assigned to a Plan. Cards sit here until you drag them onto the board.
## Toggle the Unplanned section
The Unplanned section can be shown or hidden using the **Show Unplanned** toolbar button in the upper-left corner. Click it to toggle visibility without leaving the board.
## Filter cards in the Unplanned section
The Unplanned section provides several filtering controls to narrow the backlog to the cards you want to plan.
### Filter by assignee or team
1. Click the **funnel icon** at the bottom of the Unplanned section.
2. Select one or more assignees or teams from the list.
3. The section updates immediately to show only matching cards.
If you have predefined **Queries** configured in the widget parameters, those also appear in the filter panel and can be enabled here. See [Configure Unplanned Sidebar](/planningboard/guides/configuration/unplanned-sidebar) for how to set up custom queries.
### Hide Verified work items
Click the **upper-right button** in the Unplanned section header to filter out work items with the status **Verified**. This keeps the backlog focused on actionable items.
Use the Verified filter when your team has a habit of leaving resolved items in the backlog query. It removes noise from the view without changing the underlying query.
### Filter out already-planned Verified work items
The **Filter columns** option hides Verified work items that are already planned on the board. This is useful when your query includes planned items (for example when **Add Planned** is enabled in the widget parameters) and you want to remove the clutter of done work.
## Plan cards from the Unplanned section
### Drag and drop onto a Plan
1. Find the card you want to plan in the Unplanned section.
2. Drag it to the target cell on the board — the intersection of the Plan column and the appropriate swimlane row.
3. Release to assign the work item to that Plan.
The assignment writes back to Polarion immediately. There is no separate save step for drag-and-drop operations.
Cards with the status **Verified** that have already been placed on the board cannot be moved or returned to the Unplanned section. This lock prevents accidental re-opening of completed work.
### Use the Unplan action to return a card to backlog
To move a planned card back to the Unplanned section:
1. Hover over the card on the board.
2. Click the **Unplan item** quick-action icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the card.
The card moves back to the Unplanned section and is removed from the Plan.
## Configure what appears in the Unplanned section
The Unplanned section renders work items based on the widget's work-item query and optional Queries configuration. To control which backlog items appear:
| Widget parameter | What it does |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `query` | Lucene query selecting which work items load onto the board (default: `NOT *:*`) |
| `wiType` | Restricts displayed items to a specific work item type (e.g., `story`, `task`) |
| `maxItems` | Maximum number of work items loaded (default: `1000`) |
| `addPlanned` | When enabled, loads all planned items in addition to those matched by the query |
For the Unplanned sidebar specifically, two additional parameters control the parent hierarchy display:
| Widget parameter | What it does |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `PARAMETER_US_DEPTH` | Number of parent levels loaded in the Unplanned sidebar hierarchy |
| `PARAMETER_PARENTS_LINK_ROLE` | Link roles used to build the parent-child hierarchy in the sidebar |
Deep parent hierarchies (high `PARAMETER_US_DEPTH` values) increase load time. Start with a depth of 1 or 2 and increase only if your planning workflow requires it.
See [Configure Unplanned Sidebar](/planningboard/guides/configuration/unplanned-sidebar) and [Configure Work Items Dataset](/planningboard/guides/configuration/work-items-configuration) for full parameter details.
## Set up named Queries for the Unplanned section
Named Queries let team members switch quickly between filtered backlog views — for example, showing only items with a specific status or assigned to a specific component.
1. Open the widget parameters for your Planningboard.
2. Navigate to the **Queries** section.
3. Add a query with a name and a Lucene filter expression (for example: `status:reviewed`).
4. Save the widget parameters.
On the board, open the funnel filter in the Unplanned section. Your named query appears in the list and can be toggled on or off.
Create a query named "Ready for Sprint" scoped to items with status `reviewed` or `approved`. Team members can activate it during sprint planning to instantly surface only the work that has been groomed and is ready to commit.
## Workflow: assign backlog items during sprint planning
Enable the **Toggle Resource Load visualization** toolbar button while dragging cards. The capacity bars update as you assign work, letting you track load in real time without switching to another view.
## Verify your results
After assigning cards from the Unplanned section, you should see:
* The cards you dragged now appear as cells in the correct Plan column and swimlane row on the board.
* The Unplanned section no longer contains those cards (unless **Add Planned** is enabled in the widget parameters, in which case they remain visible but can be hidden using the Filter columns option).
* The capacity bar for the affected swimlane reflects the updated load.
* In Polarion, the work items' `plannedIn` field is updated to the target Plan.
If a card still appears in the Unplanned section after dragging, refresh the board using the **Refresh data** toolbar button.
## See also
* [Configure Unplanned Sidebar](/planningboard/guides/configuration/unplanned-sidebar) — set up parent hierarchy depth, link roles, and named queries
* [Configure Work Items Dataset](/planningboard/guides/configuration/work-items-configuration) — control the backlog query, type filters, and `Add Planned` behavior
* [Drag and Drop Planning](/planningboard/guides/planning/drag-and-drop) — detailed guide to drag-and-drop interactions on the board
* [Basic Board Interactions](/planningboard/getting-started/basic-interactions) — overview of toolbar controls and card actions
* [Track Team Capacity](/planningboard/guides/capacity/team-capacity) — understand capacity bars and how they relate to the items you plan
**KB Articles**
* Planningboard interface & basic interactions
* Introduction to Planningboard
* Planningboard Widget Parameters
**Support Tickets**
* [#6174](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/6174)
* [#5879](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/5879)
* [#6121](https://support.nextedy.com/helpdesk/tickets/6121)
**Source Code**
* `PlanningBoardDataService.java`
* `Item.java`
* `PlansMode.java`
* `Config.java`
* `PlanningBoardWidgetRenderer.java`