Planning Poker Estimation

Welcome to the Planning Poker Estimation documentation. This application brings collaborative Planning Poker sessions directly into YouTrack, enabling teams to estimate work efficiently without switching tools.

✨ Key Features

• Seamless YouTrack Integration: Select issues from your backlog, view issue details during estimation, and save estimates directly to YouTrack fields
• Unbiased Voting: All estimates remain hidden until everyone has voted, ensuring independent thinking and eliminating hierarchy influence
• Real-time Collaboration: All actions sync instantly across participants, enabling seamless remote team collaboration
• Session Invitations: On YouTrack 2026.1.12024 or later, moderators and participants can copy a direct session link or a ready-to-send invitation message
• Flexible Configuration: Choose moderators, estimators, and spectators. Set sessions as private or public. Customize card decks to match your workflow
• Advanced Issue Collaboration: On Pro and Enterprise plans, teams can edit issue descriptions, review comments, and add new comments without leaving the session
• Multiple Card Decks: 5 ready-to-use decks (Default, Standard Fibonacci, Modified Fibonacci, Power of 2, Natural Numbers) plus special cards (? for unclear requirements, ☕ for breaks)
• Estimation Timers: Set optional timers to keep discussions focused and sessions moving efficiently
• Support for Multiple Field Types: Save estimates to Integer, Float, Period or Enum fields
• 16 Languages Supported: Full internationalization across the app

🎯 Why Use Planning Poker Estimation?

Planning Poker is a proven estimation technique that helps teams:

• Eliminate Bias: Hidden votes prevent anchoring and groupthink
• Encourage Discussion: Divergent estimates spark valuable conversations about complexity and approach
• Build Consensus: Teams reach shared understanding through collaborative discussion
• Stay Focused: All estimation happens in YouTrack — no context switching, no external tools
• Save Time: Estimates are easily saved to your chosen YouTrack field

Unlike manual estimation or external tools, Planning Poker Estimation keeps everything in one place, maintaining a single source of truth for your team's work estimates.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Administrators: Install from JetBrains Marketplace and review the Admin Guide for subscription setup
2. Moderators: See the Moderator Guide to learn how to create and manage estimation sessions
3. Estimators: Check the Estimator Guide to participate effectively in sessions
4. Subscription: Review Subscription information for details on Starter, Pro, and Enterprise plans

Minimum Requirements

• YouTrack Compatibility: YouTrack Cloud or YouTrack Server (2024.3.0 or later)
• Direct Session Links: Copyable session links, invitation messages, and direct open-from-link behavior require YouTrack 2026.1.12024 or later because they use the YouTrack app navigation API
• Internet Connection: Required for subscription validation (offline activation available for Enterprise plans)

Offline Activation available

Enterprise plans support offline activation for teams working in air-gapped or security-restricted environments.

🎓 How It Works

Planning Poker Estimation follows a simple three-step process:

1. Create Session: Moderator creates a session, selects issues from the backlog, chooses a card deck, and chooses team members on plans that include participant roles
2. Vote & Discuss: Team discusses each issue, then everyone selects their estimate card privately. Cards remain hidden until all votes are in
3. Reveal & Consensus: Cards are revealed simultaneously. Team discusses differences and reaches consensus. On eligible plans, moderators can allow vote changes after reveal. Final estimate is saved to YouTrack

📊 Supported Estimation Fields

Planning Poker Estimation can save estimates to:

• Integer Fields
• Float Fields (for decimal estimates)
• Period Fields (for time-based estimates like hours or days)
• Enum Fields (single or multi-value) - You can use enum options as estimation cards

🌍 Multilingual Support

The application is fully translated into 16 languages:

English, Polish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Dutch

Language is automatically detected from your YouTrack profile preferences.

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Need Help? Contact support@appfero.com or visit our FAQ page.