What is a WIP Limit?
A WIP limit caps how many tasks can be in a workflow stage at once. Learn why limiting work in progress is the highest-leverage kanban practice.
A WIP (work-in-progress) limit is the maximum number of cards a column may hold at once. When a column hits its limit, the team must finish existing work before pulling new work in. WIP limits are kanban's pressure valve: they force finishing over starting and surface bottlenecks immediately.
Why WIP limits work
Multitasking costs throughput: context switching eats focus, and partially done work ties up attention and capital. A WIP limit of one or two per person means the team finishes things — and finishing is what actually ships value.
Setting your first WIP limits
A common starting rule is one card per person per column, plus one buffer card for interruptions. Watch where cards pile up: the column that keeps hitting its limit is your bottleneck, and that is information, not failure.
WIP limits and blocked work
Blocked cards are the reason limits exist. When a card cannot move, the team's job is to swarm the blocker, not to pull more work around it. A WIP limit makes blockers visible instead of hiding them under new work.
Nimbus
Nimbus boards make WIP visible: everyone sees which column is full and which cards are stuck, in realtime — no refresh, no status meeting required.
Frequently asked questions
What does WIP mean in kanban?
WIP stands for work in progress — the cards currently being worked on. The WIP limit is the cap on that number per column or per person.
What is a good WIP limit?
Start at one card per person per column. If the team interrupts constantly, add a buffer; if cards rot, tighten it. The right limit is the one that keeps work flowing.
Can WIP limits slow the team down?
They feel that way at first, but they accelerate delivery. The team finishes more work per week with a strict limit because the work being done is work that ships.
Ship your first sprint today.
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