DEV Community: viktoriiagolovtseva

Jira Roles and Permissions: The Complete Guide to Managing User Access and Project Security

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:44:56 +0000

If you’ve ever tried to troubleshoot why someone can’t transition an issue, or worse, why someone closed an issue they never should have touched, you already know that Jira permissions aren’t just a background configuration. They shape how your teams collaborate, what people see, and who has the power to move work forward.

This guide is for anyone setting up Jira from scratch, cleaning up a messy instance, or just making sure your permission model supports how your teams work. We’ll walk through global permissions, project roles, permission schemes, real-world workflows, and how some add-ons fit into the picture.

How Jira permissions work (and why it matters)

TL;DR:

Jira’s permission model is layered: global (whole instance), project (via schemes), and issue-level (via security).
Use project roles to manage access cleanly, and know that company-managed projects offer more control than team-managed ones.

Jira permissions come in three layers: global, project, and issue-level. Global permissions apply across the whole Jira instance and control things like user management, dashboard access, and administrative settings. These are assigned to groups and should be kept tightly controlled.

Project permissions are managed through permission schemes, which connect actions (like editing or transitioning issues) to project roles (like Developer, QA Lead, or Client). You assign users to those roles per project.

At the most granular level, issue security schemes restrict access to specific issues regardless of project-level settings. These are useful for sensitive work, like legal or HR.

It’s also important to know the difference between company-managed and team-managed projects:

Company-managed projects offer more control and consistency, ideal for teams that need shared workflows, standardized permissions, and centralized configuration. For example, if your organization runs multiple software development teams that follow the same release process and need oversight from engineering leads or QA managers, company-managed projects let you enforce consistent rules across all teams.
Team-managed projects are simpler and self-contained, great for smaller teams that don’t need centralized oversight. For instance, a marketing team running short-term campaign work may prefer a team-managed project because it lets them create and modify workflows without waiting on a Jira admin, offering more autonomy and speed.

Setting up roles and permissions the right way

Let’s say you’ve got a product team working with developers, QA leads, a designer, and a couple of contractors. Instead of assigning access to one user at a time, define project roles, such as “Developer,” “QA Lead,” and “Client.”

Then, use a permission scheme to assign actions like Browse Projects, Edit Issues, or Manage Sprints to each role.

This lets you scale easily. When someone joins the QA team, just assign them to the QA Lead role; no need to adjust permissions.

Also, know the difference between a project administrator (who can manage settings, workflows, and users) and a project lead (used for notifications and defaults). They serve different purposes, and assigning both to the same person is common, but not required.

Avoid assigning permissions directly to individual users unless necessary. Role-based control is easier to manage and audit over time.

Global permissions, admin roles, and Jira-wide settings

TL;DR:

Global permissions affect everything in Jira; reserve them for trusted admins.
Know the difference between Jira Admin and System Admin, and be deliberate about who can change dashboards, groups, and users.

Global permissions give users access to the entire Jira instance. The two key roles here are Jira Administrator and Jira System Administrator. Atlassian describes the differences here, but in short: system admins can manage users, apps, and infrastructure settings, while Jira admins focus on projects and configurations.

Other global permissions include:

Browse Users and Groups (affects assignee and mention functionality)
Manage Group Filter Subscriptions (for shared dashboards and reporting)
Share Dashboards and Filters (controls visibility across teams)

Integrations with tools like Confluence or Jira Service Management can be affected if global permissions aren’t aligned. Keep your list of global admins small, review it regularly, and rely on Atlassian’s documentation when assigning permissions.

Putting Jira permissions into practice

This is where it gets real. Permissions aren’t just about settings; they shape how teams collaborate.

Workflow transitions: Maybe only QA leads should move an issue into “Ready for Release.” You can enforce that by adding a workflow condition that restricts that transition to the QA Lead role. That one rule prevents dozens of accidental releases.
Subtask control: Say a designer is working inside a developer’s story. You might allow only the “Design” role to manage their subtasks, while the developer owns the main task.
Automation: Jira’s rules can assign roles, trigger notifications, or change issue fields, all based on events like transitions or labels. Because automation respects permission schemes, it keeps your structure clean.
Sprint permissions: For agile teams managing sprints, permissions define who can start, complete, or edit a sprint. If you’ve ever had a sprint closed early by mistake, you know how important this is.
Troubleshooting access: If users ever say, “I can’t see the issue,” or “I can’t transition this ticket,” it’s usually a sign of misaligned permission schemes, unassigned project roles, or conflicts with issue security levels. Use the Permission Helper in Jira to quickly diagnose the cause and fix it.

When Jira permissions aren’t enough to guide the work

Jira gives you control over permissions, transitions, and workflows, but when teams need to follow repeatable steps inside an issue, it can fall short. You might need to enforce internal checklists, repeat onboarding tasks, or structure feature requests.

That’s where tools like Smart Checklist and Smart Templates become useful.

Smart Checklist lets you add structured, interactive checklists directly into Jira issues. Teams use it to standardize QA procedures, break down definitions of done, or document multi-step reviews, all without relying on subtasks or external docs. With Smart Checklist, you can set up custom permissions so only the right people can view, edit, or complete checklist items. This gives teams more flexibility and control without adding complexity.

Smart Templates make it easier to reuse work structures. For example, you can build a template that includes tasks for a feature rollout, like stakeholder review, design handoff, testing prep, and apply it to any new issue with a click. It saves time and ensures consistency, especially across large or distributed teams. Smart Templates work within Jira’s default global permissions, so every template you create automatically respects your organization’s existing security setup.

Note

TitanApps has launched a Trust Center, where you can check how our solutions handle security, compliance, and data protection – all in one place. This information covers all TitanApps products – in particular, Smart Checklist for Jira, Smart Templates, and Smart Hierarchy. Explore our Trust Center to learn more.

Together, these tools help teams turn scattered tribal knowledge into shared, actionable processes without breaking Jira’s permission model or cluttering up boards.

If you want to learn more, read the full Jira roles permissions guide originally written by Yuliia Tkachenko and published on the TitanApps blog.

A 2025 Jira Automation Guide With the Top 10 Most Common Use Cases

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 08 May 2026 11:40:26 +0000

Jira has many flaws that have been highlighted by numerous competitors, such as monday.com. Yet, there’s a reason why Atlassian dominates the project management market with a whopping 86.63% market share in bug-and-issue-tracking: the flexibility and customizability of their solutions.

In this article, we first provide you with an overview of some basic Jira Automation concepts that give you important context. Next, we move on to exploring the top 10 most common use cases for automation in Jira.

Jira Automation 101

Jira Automation (officially called Automation for Jira) is a no-code feature that allows Jira users to create if this – then that conditions. It’s based on a wide selection of events and triggers, such as moving a work item from “To Do” to “In Progress” or changing a field value.

Here are some examples of automation for Jira:

Making changes based on workflow transitions
Automatically assigning tasks to specific team members based on the content of a work item
Cloning tickets from Jira Service Management to create a task for developers in Jira
Sending regular status updates and other notifications via email or a messenger app, such as Slack
Automatically creating work items for recurring tasks
Adding checklists to the work item creation or on transition

We’ll talk about examples in more detail shortly. But first, let’s review some basics.

What Types of Automation Can You Use in Jira?

As a truly versatile project management platform, Jira allows you to set up automation in various ways. Here are the options to choose from:

Automation for Jira – this is the core native automation functionality. It enables you to create complex custom rules that take into account multiple conditions. With rules, work items can be automatically created, closed, reassigned, and so on.
Workflow automation – you can incorporate automation directly into your workflows by using Workflow Editor and other tools. As a result, certain actions can be performed automatically once a Jira work item moves from one workflow status to another.
Data integration – if needed, you can connect Jira to external apps and set up automated data exchange. For example, export data from Jira to Excel for advanced analysis or sync GitHub statuses to Jira tickets.
Using third-party solutions – it’s also possible to automate different aspects of your work in Jira with the help of various Jira add-ons, plugins, and other solutions. For example, Smart Checklist by Titan Apps can automatically add the Definition of Done checklist to your Jira tasks – without using Jira’s native rules.
Advanced automation with the Jira API – this option is only suitable for users with a strong technical background. By calling the API, you can programmatically change work items in Jira or trigger actions based on events in other systems.

This article will primarily cover Jira’s native automation features, but we’ll also discuss using third-party solutions and briefly touch on other options.

Project VS Global Jira Automation Rules

Project-specific rules only apply to the current Jira project, while global rules can apply to multiple projects within your Jira instance. Using the latter option is often more convenient than having to set up the same rule separately for each project.

While native automation functionality is included with all Jira plans, there are some limitations. For example, you can add global or multi-project automation rules only if you have a Premium or Enterprise plan. There are also different rule run limits depending on your plan.

Users and Permissions

Not every Jira user can create or edit automation rules. You will need to be a Jira admin or a Project Admin to access this functionality.

If you have access, you can set up new rules by navigating to Project Settings -> Automation. Alternatively, press the lightning icon above your project board.

Jira Automation Rules

Individual automations created with Jira’s native functionality are called rules. You can create them using 4 elements:

Trigger: When a trigger event happens, the automation rule runs
Condition: Once the rule runs, it checks whether the conditions specified in the rule are met. If yes, the prescribed action is performed
New branch: This element creates a branch that allows you to set up separate conditions for certain elements, such as subtasks of a parent work item (Jira issue)
New action: This one defines what the system does when the rule is triggered and all the conditions are met

Don’t worry if this seems too complicated – all Jira best practices look hard at first. Luckily, creating rules is only intimidating on paper and gets much easier with practice. Speaking of the devil – let’s do just that and create a custom automation rule.

How to Set up a Jira Automation Rule?

Go to Project Settings -> Automation. Click Create Rule. To use this feature, you must have Administrator rights for your project.
Select the trigger. Type in the action or event you’d like to add as a trigger into the search bar and find it on the list. For example, Work item created (Issue created) or Work item commented.
Add conditions to your rule and specify the required details. For example, Work item type is Epic or Reporter field is empty. If you don’t have a condition, you can skip this part. In this case, the target action will be performed every time the rule is triggered, without any conditions.
Select the action that should be performed and provide the details related to that action.
Save and turn on your rule. You can also validate it before enabling it.

How to Set Up Automation in Jira Not Using The Native Rules

As I mentioned earlier, you don’t necessarily have to use Jira’s native functionality. Some automations are easier to set up with third-party tools.

You can use Smart Checklist by Titan Apps to automatically add checklists to work items, demonstrating how AI enhances SaaS automation workflows by reducing manual effort and improving process consistency. Another solution, Smart Templates, enables you to create work item templates and generate new Jira tasks on a scheduled basis.

There are many other apps on the Atlassian Marketplace. Many of them support various automation needs.

This approach has several advantages:

You don’t spend your Jira automation limit: Depending on your plan, you will have a certain number of rule runs available to your organization per month. Using third-party tools for automation allows you to save these limits.
You can set up automation faster: It’s typically easier to configure an automation with a user-friendly third-party solution. This doesn’t require prior knowledge or a tech background.
You get feature-specific automations: For example, Smart Checklist allows you to set up automations involving checklists. The solution is specifically tailored to this use case.

Let’s see how this can be done in practice.

Example 1. Automatically Add Checklists to Work Items of a Selected Type

Checklists are particularly helpful when tasks involve multiple steps. If these tasks repeat often, then checklists will be even more useful. They can be saved as templates and reused multiple times. What’s best, they can be added to work items automatically. As a result, you won’t have to start from scratch and will have a ready checklist when you begin working on the task.

A classic example for agile teams is the Definition of Done checklist. It contains a set of criteria that help you check if a task is truly done and whether it meets all the quality requirements. Here’s how it can look:

Other common examples include the Definition of Ready Checklist, Code Review Checklist, and Onboarding Checklist. Basically, checklists can be used for any repeatable processes or recurring checks.

With Smart Checklist, you can add a checklist to all new work items of a selected type. Here, we assigned the Definition of Done checklist to all Tasks:

It’s also helpful to create a dedicated work type for this purpose. For instance, a work type called “Test Case” for assigning test case checklists or a work type “Hardware Request” for hardware purchase checklists.

Here’s how to set up this automation:

Install Smart Checklist for Jira by TitanApps. This solution works with any Jira Software instances: Jira Cloud (including JSM) and Jira Data Center.
Add your checklist items in the Smart Checklist section of your work item. You can copy and paste the Definition of Done checklist from the example above or find more templates on the Titan Apps Blog (filter by the “template” article type).
Click the three dots in the Smart Checklist menu and select Save as a template.
In the same menu, select Manage Templates. Find your template in the list and expand it. Then, select the work types to which you want to add your checklist.

After that, all new work items of that type will contain the checklist you pre-assigned to them.

Example 2. Generate Work Items Automatically on a Custom Schedule

Let’s say your team runs regular regression tests on the same features. Then, it’s practical to reuse test cases so that you don’t have to set up the same work items every sprint.

You can organize your test cases as tasks within the same epic and then use Smart Templates to turn this structure into a reusable template.

With the in-app Scheduler, this set of test cases can be generated automatically every two weeks – right on time for regression testing. You will receive the epic containing your test cases – the same as in your template.

This approach can be applied to any repetitive task or recurring process. Smart Templates allows you to automatically generate any work item (or a set of work items) based on your custom schedule.

Here’s how to set up this automation:

Install Smart Templates for Jira.
Create a work item or set of work items that will serve as a template.
Click Save structure as a template, name your template, and save it.
To configure a schedule, open the Smart Templates tab in your project.
Navigate to your list of smart templates, choose the one you want, and click the three dots -> Edit -> Scheduler. Set your preferences and save the changes.

That’s it! New work item(s) will be generated from the template according to your settings. Additionally, you can generate tasks from your template manually any time you need.

If you're looking to learn more about how to automate Jira processes with more specific use cases, read the whole article written by Olga Cheban and originally published on TitanApps Blog.

Online event planning template

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:37:21 +0000

Planning a webinar, workshop, or team-wide event in Jira? You’re not alone. When you’re managing internal demos, customer-facing webinars, or company-wide town halls, event coordination takes effort and often involves stakeholders across departments.

Missed deadlines, unclear responsibilities, or last-minute changes can turn even a small event into a major time sink. But there’s good news: you can streamline your event workflows using the tools your team already uses.

Instead of juggling spreadsheets, emails, and calendar invites, create a customizable event planning template in Jira. It brings everything into one place, supports collaboration, and helps you keep track of dependencies, deliverables, and last-minute requests in real time.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

What a Jira event planning template is
Why use Jira for event management
How to structure your event template with Smart Tools
Ways to automate and track progress using Jira workflows
Tips from the TitanApps team on running your next event smoothly

What Is a Jira Event Planning Template?

A Jira event planning template is a predefined list of tasks in your Jira project that serves as a comprehensive guide for organizing and managing events from start to finish. It helps you break down the planning process into manageable tasks with deadlines, owners, and status updates. With this template your teams stay aligned, meet deadlines, and avoid missed details.

Think of it as a reusable roadmap that includes:

Key deliverables
Event timelines and milestones
Assigned responsibilities
Cross-functional dependencies
Automated notifications and checklists

When you’re preparing a company-wide webinar, a department offsite, or a product launch event, this centralized, structured template helps you coordinate across teams, reduce manual work, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

At TitanApps, we use Smart Templates and Smart Checklists to plan everything from internal demos to large-scale online events. These tools allow us to replicate complex workflows in a few clicks, and then tailor them to specific use cases.

You don’t need to be an expert in project management to run successful events. With the right Jira setup, your team can collaborate in real-time, stay on schedule, and deliver a smooth experience for all stakeholders involved.

Why Use a Jira Event Planning Template?

Running a successful event requires more than just a calendar invite and a to-do list. Behind every smooth event is a well-structured system, and that’s where a Jira event planning template makes a difference.

Using a template in Atlassian Jira helps your team:

Standardize workflows across events and teams
Streamline communication between stakeholders and contributors
Track milestones and deadlines in real time
Reduce manual setup by automating recurring event tasks
Prioritize tasks based on dependencies and urgency
Maintain visibility using dashboards and reports
Integrate with other tools, like Slack, Confluence, or Microsoft Teams

Jira’s powerful custom fields, permissions, and automation rules let you manage everything from logistics to speaker confirmations. You can assign specific issue types for content, promotion, logistics, or feedback and group them under a single project.

For teams using Jira Software, Jira Work Management, or Jira Service Management, this setup brings project and event planning into a single space, helping you align your event with broader product or marketing roadmaps.

Ultimately, a reusable event template in Jira cuts down on prep time, prevents last-minute surprises, and helps your team focus on delivering a memorable experience.

How to Create a Customizable Event Planning Template in Jira

A structured event planning template in Jira helps you manage everything from early prep to post-event follow-ups. You can break down your event workflow into repeatable Jira issues, assign responsibilities, and automate task creation inside your existing Jira project.

Here’s how to build your own template using Smart Tools:

Start by creating a Smart Template that reflects your typical event structure. This might include:

Event brief and planning kickoff
Content creation and promotion
Registration setup
Speaker and stakeholder coordination
Technical setups and registration setup
Dry runs
Real-time support and chat coverage
Post-event feedback and reporting

Use hierarchy and issue types to group tasks logically. For example, you might place content tasks under a “Promotion” work item. This mirrors your event management workflow and makes it easy to assign and track work.

Sample Jira Event Planning Template (Webinar Use Case)

To help you get started, here’s a sample event planning template designed for an online webinar. You can adapt this to different event types (e.g., product demo, internal kickoff, community AMA) and easily expand it for recurring use.

Pre-Event Setup

– Define target audience in Confluence page

– Choose webinar platform (Zoom, YouTube or WebinarJam, MS Teams). You can also use an AI note taker to automatically capture key points, generate summaries, and keep your webinar content organized for future reference.

– Agree on the date and time with speakers

– Add events for content approval, rehearsal, and webinar to the calendar

– Assign team members to handle Q&A and chat

– Create a calendar event for the webinar, add speakers and moderator(-s)

– Prepare speaker brief and talking points

– Design landing page / registration form

– Link related marketing tasks via issue links

Content Preparation for the Webinar

– Approve Concept: finalize topic, approve presentation outline

– Prepare Content: write presentation copy, draft speaker notes

– Design Assets (task for @designer)

Presentation slides
Webinar announcement banner (social media)
Webinar announcement visuals
Images for email campaign
YouTube thumbnail for webinar recording

– Email Sequence: registration confirmation email, reminder email(s), post-webinar feedback email

– Social Media Posts: webinar announcement post, webinar reminder post, YouTube video description for recording

Promotion & Reminders

– Prepare and send email invitation to existing mailing list

– Run Meta ads campaign for the webinar

– Send internal reminders to the team

– Set automatic reminder for speakers (48 hours before the event)

– Create and share calendar event with all registered users

Live Webinar Coordination

– Run tech rehearsal 1–2 days before event

– Confirm moderator and backup host

– Double-check that the final reminder email was sent

– Open Slack channel for live support during event

Post-Event Tasks

– Upload webinar recording to YouTube

– Post webinar recap in Slack, including: number of attendees, attendance rate, drop off rate, and number of leads

– Review feedback and update Jira issues

– Add learnings to internal Wiki for future events

This structure allows every task, from start to finish, to live in a single Jira project, keeping teamwork transparent and deadlines on track.

Automate and Scale Event Planning in Jira

With Smart Templates and Smart Checklist for Jira, you can turn your event planning process into a scalable system that:

Reduces manual work
Keeps workflows standardized
Eliminates missed steps or miscommunication
Makes collaboration easy across departments

Step 1: Build Your Smart Template

Create a Smart Template that includes all necessary Jira issues, sub-tasks, and checklists based on your typical event structure. You can include:

Pre-event logistics (e.g., booking speakers, tech setup)
Real-time event support
Post-event actions (e.g., feedback, sharing recordings)

Use Smart Variables to make your templates dynamic, for example:

{{event_name}}: Marketing Webinar — Q4 Roadmap {{event_owner}}: Jane Smith {{event_date}}: 2025-10-02

This way, your template stays flexible and can be reused for different types of events without rebuilding it each time.

Step 2: Add Automation Rules

Use native Jira automation or Jira Service Management rules to:
Trigger template application when a new “Event” issue type is created
Auto-fill fields based on selected labels (e.g., “Webinar” adds marketing checklist)
Set due dates for key milestones
Manage cross-team collaboration with pre-assigned issues
Send notifications to assignees when a new issue is created
Auto-update issue status based on checklist completion

If you’re using Jira Service Management, you can also route requests from your events inbox directly into your event planning board, reducing back-and-forth and increasing visibility.

Step 3: Track Progress in Real Time

Use Jira dashboards and workflows to track progress of every event planning task in real time:
Use custom fields to highlight dependencies and risk
Link issues to your broader project roadmap
Monitor blockers or status in Scrum or Kanban views
Keep stakeholders informed with automated updates

Once your structure is in place, you can further enrich it with Smart Checklists, so every issue includes clear step-by-step actions. That’s what we’ll cover next.

Break Down Tasks with Smart Checklist for Jira

Even the best event planning template can become overwhelming if tasks aren’t broken into manageable steps. That’s where Smart Checklist comes in.

Instead of overloading your Jira project with too many subtasks, you can use checklists to define detailed steps inside each Jira work item. This keeps your workflow clean, your team focused, and your board easier to navigate.

Here’s how to use Smart Checklist for event planning:

Add Checklists to Key Event Issues

Break large Jira issues like “Webinar Setup” or “Marketing Launch” into actionable checklist items:

Webinar Setup Checklist

Schedule the webinar in chosen platform (Zoom, Youtube/WebinarJam, MS Teams)
Create registration page / landing form and link it to Jira issue
Confirm speaker availability and finalize event date & time
Add events for content approval, rehearsal, and webinar to the shared calendar
Book speakers and moderators, prepare speaker briefs and talking points
Assign team members to handle Q&A and chat during the webinar
Link related marketing and content tasks in Jira
Upload finalized presentation slides to the webinar platform
Prepare and review speaker notes
Test presentation visuals within the platform (fonts, animations, readability)
Perform full technical rehearsal with all speakers
Test screen sharing, audio, and video quality
Test recording settings and backup options
Confirm moderator permissions and chat/Q&A setup

Marketing Checklist

Design promotional visuals
Schedule social media posts
Schedule email sequence
Announce event on Slack

Each checklist is fully editable and can include links, formatting, or even nested items. You can also apply pre-made checklist templates to standardize recurring tasks across multiple events.

Use Mandatory Items for Accountability

Some tasks are critical, like confirming a speaker or sending a reminder to attendees. In Smart Checklist, you can mark these as mandatory, so the issue can’t be moved to “Done” unless they’re completed.

This is especially helpful when several team members collaborate on a single event issue, and you need to enforce quality control without manual oversight.

Automate Checklist Application

When you apply a Smart Template to your event epic or task, relevant checklists are inserted automatically. That means:

Less manual work
Standardized task execution
Better consistency across events

Track Event Success with Jira Metrics and Dashboards

Once your event is complete, it’s important to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Jira makes it easy to monitor key event management metrics in real time. Using dashboards and reports, you can analyze performance, optimize future workflows, and build a clear roadmap for the next event.

Useful Metrics to Track

Registrations – Were your promotional efforts effective?

Attendance rate – Were your email sequence/list of reminders effective?
Number of Questions/Chats – How engaged was the audience?
Tasks Completed on Time – Were deadlines met across event stages?
Issue Reopen Rate – Did any planning tasks need correction or rework?
Time Spent per Task – Where did the most effort go?

You can visualize these metrics using:

Jira Dashboards: Create a dashboard showing completed issues, overdue tasks, and team workload for the event.
Confluence Reports: Share a summary with key stakeholders and lessons learned.
Automation Triggers: Automatically close or archive event issues when all subtasks are complete.

Once you keep a consistent workflow across all events and using Jira’s built-in automation, your team can stay aligned and deliver more successful events.

If you want to unlock extra knowledge on Jira event management, read the whole article originally posted on the TitanApps blog.

Performance Review Template That Actually Works

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:57:47 +0000

Hiring the right person is only half the equation — helping them grow is the other

Without a clear process, performance reviews can feel like a box-ticking exercise. Managers dread them. Employees don’t take them seriously. And HR teams spend weeks chasing overdue feedback, calibrating results, and compiling reports that no one reads.

A structured performance review template changes that.

In this article, we’ll show you how to build a scalable performance review template in Jira using Smart Templates and Smart Checklists. Based on real-life workflows from HR teams, this setup helps you:

Align participants across functions and levels
Standardize performance evaluation formats and competencies
Automate reminders, approval steps, and post-review actions
Link review results with growth plans, OKRs, and compensation changes

Let’s start by defining what a performance review template really is, and why Jira is the perfect place to build one.

What Is a Performance Review Template?

A performance review template is a repeatable structure used to evaluate employees and support their growth. It outlines the steps involved in the performance evaluation process, from setting up the review cycle to delivering personalized feedback.

Instead of juggling spreadsheets, Slack messages, and multiple tools, you can manage everything inside Jira, from review cycle setup to final feedback discussions, in a single, trackable workflow.

A performance review template in Jira helps:

Align HR, managers, and team members on timelines and responsibilities
Standardize review formats, rating scales, and evaluation criteria
Create a repeatable framework for self-assessments, peer reviews, and manager feedback
Link evaluations to career development plans, OKRs, and promotion decisions
Track review periods, deadlines, and feedback progress in one place

In case you use Smart Templates and Smart Checklists in Jira for performance reviews, you can turn a complex HR cycle into a structured, automated, and collaborative workflow.

How to Build a Performance Review Template in Jira

A performance review cycle has many moving parts: deadlines, participants, review types, competencies, and approvals. Without a structured setup, things fall through the cracks.

Here’s how to set up a scalable, repeatable performance review process in Jira, using Smart Templates and Smart Checklists.

Step 1: Set Up the Review Cycle (HR’s Responsibility)

Each review starts with a Smart Template that creates a structured Jira issue for the review cycle.

Example issue title:

Epic: Performance Review – {{review_period}} | {{team}} | {{year}}

Task: Performance Review Cycle Setup (HR) for {{review_period}} | {{team}}

Task: Collect Performance Reviews for {{review_period}} | {{team}}

Task: Approval Workflow for {{review_period}} | {{team}}

Task: Results Release for {{review_period}} | {{team}}

HR uses this issue to define all key parameters of the review process:

Review frequency: annual, bi-annual, or quarterly
Scope: company-wide, specific teams, departments, or individuals
Participant filters: use advanced filters to select target groups
Review type: self-review, manager-only, 360-degree
Evaluation format: free text, numeric ratings, category-based feedback
Rating system: choose scale (1–5, 1–10, traffic light) and set weights for each competency
Reviewer roles: define who evaluates whom (managers, peers, top management)
Timeline and deadlines: schedule each review phase
Notifications: send clear instructions and expectations to employees and managers

Smart Variables let you customize the template for different cycles:

{{employee_name}}
{{manager}}
{{review_period}}
{{team}}

Each item can be automatically created in your Jira project using custom fields, Smart Variables (like {{release_date}}, {{start_date}}, {{assignee}}), and linked directly to Agile boards or project dashboards.

Checklist: Performance Review Cycle Setup (HR)

Review Configuration

Define review period and frequency
Select participant group using filters
Choose review type: self, manager-only, or 360-degree
Set rating scale and weighting per skill group
Define responsible reviewers for each participant

Timeline Setup

Define deadlines for self-review, manager review, approvals
Add reminders for each phase
Schedule auto-notifications in Jira

Communication

Draft announcement message for employees
Draft separate message for managers
Send calendar invites for review steps
Link supporting documents or evaluation form templates

Railsware team tip

Always communicate the why behind reviews. HR should share what the company aims to achieve and how the results will be used for both development and reporting purposes. Separate messages should be sent to employees and managers, tailored to their roles in the process. The main goal of HR team at this step is to ensure that the performance review process is aligned with company values, goals, and talent strategy.

Step 2: Collect Performance Reviews

Once the review cycle is launched, employees and managers receive prompts to complete their evaluations. HR monitors progress, sends reminders, and supports participants throughout the process.

In a 360-degree review, multiple people contribute feedback:

Employees evaluate themselves
Peers provide feedback
Managers assess overall performance based on competencies, goals, and past input
Each contribution is captured directly in the Jira issue via Smart Checklists or linked forms.

Employee Responsibility

Complete self-assessment
Submit peer or upward feedback (optional, based on cycle type)
Provide specific examples that reflect own performance and growth
Highlight contributions, challenges, and areas for improvement

Checklist: Self-Evaluation

Review performance goals for the review period
Reflect on strengths and challenges
Provide examples of successful initiatives
Identify areas for development
Suggest training, mentoring, or support needed

Railsware team tip

Encourage employees to reference past 1:1s, peer feedback, or project results. Self-reflection becomes more valuable with context.

Manager Responsibility

Managers evaluate each direct report based on:

Goal progress and OKRs
Feedback from peers and past reviews
Notes from check-ins and 1:1 meetings
Quality of work, teamwork, problem-solving, and initiative

Checklist: Manager Review

Review employee’s self-assessment
Summarize performance across key competencies
Rate each skill using the defined rating scale
Highlight achievements and growth areas in written feedback
Add recommendations for career development
Suggest next-step goals or promotion considerations
Finalize and submit the review

Optional: Use AI-generated summaries

Managers can include summaries from lifecycle blocks such as 1:1 notes, past feedback, and check-in highlights to support evaluation.

HR Role

Throughout the review process, HR specialists are responsible for:

Monitoring submission progress and sending reminders to reviewers
Supporting reviewers with questions or blockers
Assisting managers with rating scale use or evaluation form clarification
Ensuring fairness and consistency in collected reviews and recognition
Ensuring feedback is constructive and aligned with company values and culture

Pro-tip

The main role of HR at this step is to ensure that all parties understand the process itself, how to submit reviews and why we use those specific skills for evaluation.

Checklist: HR Tasks

Send follow-up messages to late submitters
Answer process or form-related questions
Review flagged evaluations for quality
Document blockers or improvement ideas for next cycle

Pro-tip

HR teams should regularly check for bottlenecks and missed steps. Visibility into review progress helps keep the cycle on track.

Calibration Support

To ensure fairness and reduce bias, HR and Manager may conduct calibration:

Compare ratings across similar roles or departments
Identify inconsistencies or rating inflation
Align feedback tone and outcomes across teams

Checklist: Calibration Support

Export submitted ratings for comparison
Identify patterns and score distributions
Flag inconsistent ratings for review
Adjust scores or comments if needed
Finalize calibrated results for approval

Pro-tip

Prepare the feedback summaries (f.e. Using AI) which could be later shared to employees with the correct tone of voice.

If you're finding this useful and want to continue exploring the performance review template, read the whole article originally published on the TitanApps blog.

Contract Review Template for the Legal Team: a Free Checklist

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:05:36 +0000

Whether you’re reviewing a routine non-disclosure agreement or a complex commercial contract, your team likely follows roughly the same steps. Although many legal professionals don’t require a predefined plan, in some cases, having a contract review template is very helpful.

For example, if you have a large legal department, work in a legal firm with numerous clients, or need to scale best practices, in all these cases, process standardization is essential. A contract review template enables you to document all the crucial steps, ensuring that your processes are robust and repeatable.

In this guide, we’ll share a free contract review template for legal teams. We also explain how to use it in Jira or Monday and how to add it to your tasks automatically.

What is a Contract Review Template and What Should it Look Like?

A contract review template is a structured checklist that outlines the essential review steps that must be completed. It helps legal teams keep track of every detail and adhere to the guidelines accepted within their organization.

Most often, such a template is needed for recurring tasks – for instance, reviewing service agreements with vendors. However, it can also be used for contracts that seldom land on your desk. In such cases, a contract review template can include additional guidance on how to handle these situations. This makes knowledge transfer easier and helps you with onboarding new team members and scaling processes.

If you work in a large organization that uses boilerplate contract templates, this checklist can specify terms that can/cannot be altered during the contract negotiation. For teams reviewing high volumes of agreements, dedicated AI contract review software can automate much of this process, flagging non-standard clauses, tracking obligations, and routing contracts for approval without manual follow-up.

A Free Contract Review Template Checklist by Titan Apps

Here’s a hands-on checklist template prepared by Titan Apps’ legal team. This template reflects the main review stages for the most common type of contract – Service Agreement.

This checklist is easily customizable so that you can adjust it to your organization’s workflow. It can also serve as a base for checklists for other contract types, such as NDAs, Data processing agreements, and Purchase agreements, among others.

For your convenience, here’s the same checklist, now divided into sections based on the review stage:

How to Use a Contract Review Template Checklist in Jira

Install Smart Checklist for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace. If you are not working in Jira, you can also use it on Monday.com – in this case, install Smart Checklist for Monday.
Copy the contract review template checklist we shared earlier and paste it into the Smart Checklist section of your Jira issue (Jira work item).
Customize the template (optional). You can add new sections, rearrange steps, structure the checklist with headers, tag responsible people and stakeholders, add due dates, and more. Smart Checklist also allows you to set custom statuses for checklist items or mark selected steps as mandatory.
Save the checklist as a template. Open the Smart Checklist menu (as shown below) and select “Save as a template”.

For more details, please refer to the video guide below:

How to Automatically Add a Contract Review Checklist to Work Items

If you routinely review a large number of legal agreements and organize this work in Jira, you can auto-add your contract review template checklist to your Jira tasks.

This minimizes the task creation time and promotes consistency, which is especially important for a large team. With the contract review checklist added automatically, you can ensure no one forgets about it and everyone has a clear step-by-step plan included in every review task.

To set up this automation, go to a Jira work item with a smart checklist, click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, and select Manage Templates. Then, find the checklist you need in the list and expand it. Next, select the types of work items to which you want to automatically add this contract review template checklist.

Depending on your workflow, it can be useful to first create a dedicated work type for this.

Why Set Up a Contract Review Template With Smart Checklist?

Saving time – it allows you to avoid repetitive planning and optimize the contract review processes
Reduced compliance risks – all the necessary criteria can be included in the checklist
Process consistency – everyone follows the same steps and best practices
Faster onboarding and scaling – new employees can easily check what needs to be verified and who should be contacted
Improved visibility – stakeholders can see what stage each contract revision is currently in

Implement Checklist Templates For Other Tasks

In this blog post, we provided you with a free contract review template checklist and explained how to use it in Jira. Implementing this template allows you to save valuable resources, ensure high standards, and address potential risks.

In addition to contract management, Smart Checklist can help you streamline many other processes, such as:

By utilizing checklist templates across different tasks, you can create more organized and efficient workflows. To push this a step further and maximize business value, consider using other Smart Tools by Titan Apps.

If you're enjoying this article, want to learn more, and get the contract review template in markdown format, see the original article written by Olga Cheban for the TitanApps blog.

Jira Automation Best Practices That Will Save You Time

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:34:14 +0000

Managing projects in Jira often involves many repetitive actions. Creating work items for recurring tasks, reassigning them for reviews, and syncing statuses with dev tools – these are just a few examples. With Jira automation, you can handle such routine actions more efficiently and reduce manual work. If you set up automation rules that work together as a whole, you will create a well-functioning system. This will help you streamline processes and optimize resources.

In this article, we explore hands-on Jira automation best practices that actually save time. You’ll learn how to set up effective rules, avoid common mistakes, and make automation work seamlessly for your team’s unique processes.

What Types of Automation Can You Use in Jira?

To better understand how to utilize best practices, it’s helpful to first examine the types of automation you can set up.

These range from Jira’s native automation rules to data integration and custom automation solutions built using the API. Here’s a brief overview to provide you with the necessary context.

The Top 10 Jira Automation Best Practices

1. Optimize Usage to Save Jira Automation Limits

When working with automation in Jira, it’s important to keep in mind the limits you have in your plan. If you don’t pay attention to this, your automation rules can stop working.

What are automation limits?

Depending on your Jira plan, your team has a specific limit for automation rules. The limits range from 100 runs/month for the Free plan to 1,000 runs/month per user for the Premium plan. The Enterprise plan offers unlimited runs – if that’s your case, you don’t have to worry about saving the limits.

For all others, it makes sense to optimize usage. Limits, even if they are high, can get used up rather quickly. If this happens, all Jira automation rules will be paused until next month, when the limits reset.

What counts as a rule run?

Every time your rule runs successfully and performs at least one action, this counts as a run. If your rule is triggered, but the conditions are not met and the target action is not performed, this doesn’t count as a run.

Example

You have a rule “When a work item is created and it has “Onboarding” in its summary, assign it to the HR specialist”. Once a new work item is created, the rule is triggered and checks whether the summary includes “Onboarding”. If it doesn’t, the rule doesn’t perform the specified action (assigning the work item). This doesn’t count as a run, even though the rule was triggered.

This approach was introduced not so long ago. Previously, every time a rule was triggered, it counted as a run. For more details on the new approach, check out How Jira automation limits are calculated.

How to save Jira automation limits?

Here are some practical tips that will help you use your limits efficiently and do more with less:

Disable rules you don’t need. Regularly review your rules to ensure there are no “empty” runs, where a rule performs an action that isn’t truly necessary.
Use specific triggers that are not too broad. Avoid triggers that will fire more often than you actually need. For example, instead of a broad “Work item updated”, select “Comment added” or “Description edited”.
Narrow down the criteria as early as possible. If you have conditions that will narrow down your results, include them closer to the beginning of the rule. This way, work items that don’t fit your conditions will be filtered out early. This prevents excessive actions and also helps you improve Jira performance.
Add multiple actions to one rule. Regardless of whether a rule performs just one successful action or several, it still counts as one run. So, it makes sense to include several actions in one rule, if possible. For example, you can group similar actions, such as editing multiple issue fields in a single “Edit work item” action.
Use add-ons with automation capabilities. On the Atlassian marketplace, there are solutions that can extend the native Jira automation functionality. They offer extra features and allow you to surpass the limits. Depending on your usage, it may be more reasonable to pay for such an add-on rather than for a more expensive Jira plan with higher limits.

If you need to use automations frequently to standardize processes (auto-create work items, pre-fill fields, or auto-add task descriptions), I recommend trying Smart Tools for Jira. These solutions are not designed to mimic the Jira automation functionality, but they allow you to automate specific actions.

For example, Smart Checklist can automatically add checklists to your work items, and Smart Templates can generate work items on a schedule. These actions don’t consume your limits and make the setup easier for end users.

Optimizing your automation rule usage allows you to stay within limits and prevent disabling your automations.

2. Integrate Jira With External Applications

Jira automation can extend beyond Jira. To maximize benefits for your team, consider integrating it with other tools. For example, you can connect Jira to various business apps, such as Microsoft Teams, Miro, Slack, or Google Sheets. You can also integrate it with various HR applications, data analytics tools, embedded analytics solutions, BI platforms, and more.

This allows you to automate a variety of actions, from setting up custom notifications to syncing data between apps and configuring custom workflows.

A common use case is to integrate Jira with developer tools. For example, you can connect Jira to GitHub or another Git platform. This enables you to view commit history, branch, and pull request details in Jira. Work item statuses will also be updated automatically based on Git activity. Here’s an example of an automation rule for this:

Please note that for this rule to work, you need to set up a Git and Jira integration first. Data between the two apps will sync automatically. Once Jira receives the information about merging the pull request, the rule will be triggered.

Overall, Jira can be integrated with a wide variety of applications. This enables you to connect your tools into a single system and set up cross-app automations.

3. Use Global Rules Sparingly

In Jira, you can set up rules that apply only to one project, to several selected projects, or to all projects in your Jira instance. The latter are called global rules. They are very effective for instances with hundreds or even thousands of projects. If you need the same automation rules for each project, thanks to global rules, you won’t have to set them up separately.

However, for instances with just a few projects, poorly scoped global rules can consume thousands of runs unnecessarily. If a rule is primarily needed for a single project, make it project-specific, not global.

If you need the same automations for two or three Jira projects, it can still be better to configure them separately. This saves your limits, improves visibility, and prevents conflicts between project rules and global rules.

When you do need to use global rules, keep in mind these tips:

Use narrowing conditions and filters. In particular, you can filter by project – this will help you avoid spending rule runs on projects where it’s not necessary.
Adopt unified labels and components. This will allow you to apply filters that work across projects.
Watch out for conflicts with local rules. Check if a similar or connected rule already exists in a project. It’s important to prevent duplication, infinite loops, or conflicting actions. An example of a conflict is when a project-level and a global rule prescribe assigning the work item to different people or transitioning it to different statuses.
Monitor the performance impact. Check the audit log for high-frequency executions and ensure that all rules consuming a large number of runs are essential and bring tangible value to your team.

4. Name Rules Consistently and Use Labels

As the number of rules increases, it can become challenging to find a specific rule on the list. To make this easier, implement clear naming and add consistent labels to the rules. This will help you avoid confusion, increase visibility, and manage your rules effectively.

Jira allows you to search and filter rules by keywords in their names, by labels, owner, and trigger and action. This can be done on the automation tab of your project:

So, having descriptive names and labels is rather important. It helps you find what you need and understand what each rule does without needing to open it and review the steps it includes.

Here are some hands-on tips:

Avoid vague names, such as “New Rule” or “Scheduled automation”. They are not helpful for your team and can create confusion.
Be specific and descriptive. After reading a rule name, you should have a good idea of what its trigger, condition, and main action are. For example, “When a pull request is merged, transfer the work item to Merged”.
Adopt a standardized approach. Some teams use the “When… then…” format, while others opt for more complex naming conventions. For instance, [Event type] + [Category] + [Department] + [Trigger type] + [Condition] + [Description]. For best results, discuss the approach with your team members and adjust it to your processes.
Group rules with labels. Related or similar Jira automation rules can be assigned the same label. For example, in the screenshot above, two rules rely on data synced from dev tools, so they have the “Dev” label. When you filter by this label, you can quickly find all rules involving dev events. To improve searchability, add several labels to each rule, if applicable.

5. Avoid Hardcoding and Keep Your Jira Automation Rules Flexible

While it’s good to make your rules specific, it’s also important to leave room for flexibility. This makes your automations more adjustable and resilient to change.

Example

Let’s say you have a rule: “When a work item is created and its description contains “Marketing”, assign the work item to @ Maria.Smith”. This rule can work well – up to the point when Maria Smith leaves the company and admins delete her Jira account. In this case, the automation will break.

With dozens and hundreds of rules, it can be difficult to keep track of all the automations where this person is mentioned and edit them on time.

Here’s what you can do to avoid such complications:

Reference roles rather than specific people

For instance, select “Work item reporter” or “User who triggered the event” as an assignee instead of “Maria Smith”. You can also set a “User in a group”, “User in a defined list”, or “Copy from another work item”.

Apart from people and their positions, there are many other parameters that can vary. Whenever possible, include a broader group rather than a specific hard-coded parameter.

Use Smart Values to account for possible changes

Smart Values are dynamic placeholders that allow you to reference changing information in Jira automation rules. For example, use {{issue.key}} instead of an actual key like “AB-123”. This will make your rule applicable to a wide range of work items. When it runs, {{issue.key}} will be replaced with the key of the active work item.

There are many other Smart Values you can use, such as {{project.id}}, {{reporter}}, {{initiator.emailAddress}}, and so on. For more about this topic, please see Jira’s Smart Value Guide.

Utilizing Smart Values and referencing broader groups instead of a narrow parameter makes your rules more reliable and adaptable.

6. Use Automation to Standardize Processes

Automation is not just about setting up simple actions like auto-assigning tasks or auto-adding watchers. It can be leveraged to standardize processes and scale best practices.

For example, you can automatically generate standard work items for recurring tasks, such as:

A task for employee onboarding with a list of sub-tasks
A Definition of Done checklist that is added to each work item where it’s applicable
Scheduled tasks for quarterly roadmap reviews and budget planning
Auto-generated tasks for project kick-offs

Such automations allow you to reuse work item layouts and content so that your team members don’t have to start from scratch. Documented once, process descriptions can “live” in Jira as actionable step-by-step instructions. This saves time, improves consistency, and enhances the reliability of your processes.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the examples I mentioned earlier.

Example 1. Generate work items automatically

Employee onboarding is one of the most common recurring processes for any large organization. It typically involves standard steps and requires collaboration from different teams: IT security, legal, HR, and the new hire’s main department.

To make this process more consistent and save time, you can create a standard onboarding task with subtasks in Jira and reuse it multiple times.

Note

While this can be achieved using native Jira Automation, for such cases, it’s more convenient to use the solution designed for process management, Smart Templates for Jira. It allows you to save any work item(s) as a reusable template and generate tasks from that template.

Using this app is a better option because Jira does not allow you to create and manage work item templates. Jira rules can be used as a workaround, but they would be more complex and wouldn’t provide the same features as a full-fledged template management tool.

At the same time, creating a Jira issue template with Smart Templates is simple and doesn’t require any previous experience. In addition, unlike Jira’s native automation, it isn’t limited to those with Jira administrator rights – anyone on your team can create and use these templates whenever they need.

In our example, a template of an onboarding task with subtasks might look like this:

You can pre-assign subtasks to responsible people, add reporters, fill out descriptions and other fields, add checklists, and so on. All this information will be preserved in the template. As a result, when you need to onboard a new team member, the entire set of work items can be generated with a single press of a button.

Smart Templates also allow you to use variables for dynamic values such as employee name, position, project, assignee, etc. When generating work items from this template, you will be prompted to provide specific values for the variables (for instance, “Maria Smith” instead of {{employee_name}}). This information will be updated across all the work items in that set. This makes your template easily adjustable and saves you time.

Let’s have a look at another example, a new project kick-off template.

Here, we also have a task with a set of standard subtasks, but in this case, the subtasks also include checklists. Using such a template speeds up project kick-off preparation and helps you follow a consistent process.

Smart Templates allows you to share this template across multiple projects so that you can use it everywhere in your Jira instance. Alternatively, you can set up an automation rule: when a new project is created, work items from the project kick-off template are created automatically.

You can also use Smart Templates’ in-app Scheduler to generate work items automatically according to your schedule preferences. This is useful for recurring tasks, such as quarterly roadmap reviews, regular budget reviews, monthly feedback meetings, and so on.

Here’s an example of schedule settings for monthly task creation:

Note

This approach can be applied to any repetitive tasks and recurring processes.

To set up automation with templates, first install Smart Templates for Jira. Then, create a work item or set of work items you want to reuse and click Save structure as a template. To configure a custom schedule, please see this Scheduler Guide.

Example 2. Automatically add checklists to work items

Checklists are extremely helpful for implementing process standardization. They document repetitive processes as a sequence of simple, easy-to-follow steps.

Note

You can use Smart Checklist for Jira to create feature-rich checklists, save them as reusable templates, and add them to Jira work items automatically.

One of the most common use cases for agile teams is assigning the Definition of Done checklist to dev tickets. Having the DoD criteria in every task helps developers check their work before passing it on further. This enforces a unified approach and allows your team to maintain high-quality standards.

Here’s the Definition of Done checklist created with the help of Smart Checklist for Jira:

You can structure your checklist with headers, tag people, add due dates, set custom statuses for checklist items, and more.

Other common examples include:

Overall, checklists can be used for any repeatable processes or recurring checks.

With Smart Checklist, you can assign a checklist to all new work items of a selected type. In this example, we assigned the Definition of Done checklist to all Tasks:

Depending on your needs, it can be helpful to create a dedicated work type (issue type) for this. For instance, a work type called “Test Case” for assigning test case checklists, or a work type “Hardware Request” for hardware purchase checklists.

To set up this automation, you will need to first install Smart Checklist for Jira by TitanApps and save your checklist as a template.

Once completed, all new work items of that type will include the checklist you pre-assigned to them. Existing Jira tasks won’t be affected. To add checklists based on more complex criteria, please see this guide on Confluence: Using Smart Checklist with Jira Automation.

Note: This is a no-code solution that works with any Jira instances: Jira Cloud (including Jira Service Management) and Jira Data Center.

If you're finding this useful and want to explore more on Jira automation, read the full article by Olga Cheban on the TitanApps blog.

How to Make Your Jira Sprint Planning Really Agile

viktoriiagolovtseva — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:04:22 +0000

You know the drill: build a product roadmap in Jira, create your product backlog, review it, update the user stories, come up with a sprint goal before the meeting, and finally, review every story to decide which ones need to be completed this sprint.

Easier said than done, right?

Well-planned sprints are what make a great agile dev team even greater and more robust. The better you plan your work, the more likely you are to meet your goals and deliver results on time. In this article, we will explain how to make your sprint planning in Jira as agile as it gets.

But First, What Are Sprints and What Are Sprint Plannings For?

A sprint is a time-boxed period during which a “Done”, usable, and potentially releasable product increment is created. Typically, a sprint lasts between 2 and 4 weeks.

The next sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous sprint. The goal of Jira sprint planning is to define what is crucial to shipping better software faster, minimizing the risk of unwanted surprises and ensuring code quality.

In practice, sprints also serve the purpose of aligning the development team with the PO (product owner). A sprint planning session creates a common ground for the team. This is where you can communicate the expectations and priorities, discuss concerns, and agree on next steps. How can you do this properly? To answer that question, let’s explore how to create a sprint in Jira in the first place.

How to Plan, Create, and Run a Really Agile Sprint in Jira Software?

Here’s a step-by-step guide, enhanced with pro tips, on how to create a truly agile Sprint that follows Jira best practices:

Jira Sprint Planning Meeting

Each upcoming Sprint needs to be filled with work items (Jira issues) that cover necessary stories and functionalities crucial to a successful release. That’s when the whole Agile Sprint planning process takes place.

The Scrum Team needs to meet and decide which tasks have to be completed during the sprint. It is important to plan your backlog according to your team’s velocity and capacity and target the workload to reach the Sprint Goal. Therefore, it’s necessary for the PO to refine the backlog before the Sprint Planning Meeting. Story Points in Jira work items (issues) will be of great help in this regard, as they allow you to evaluate the complexity of each story.

Additionally, remember to break work into smaller sub-tasks. Otherwise, instead of maintaining a steady pace on your burndown chart, you may observe huge drops in your sprint reports.

Create a Sprint in Jira

In your scrum project in Jira, open the Backlog view. There, you will see a placeholder for your first sprint.
Name your sprint and add the start date and the end date (optional).
You can also select the sprint duration. This can be anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks or a custom duration.
Add the sprint goal (optional). Here, you can briefly describe the primary focus of this sprint and what the end result should look like.

Add Work Items to Your New Sprint

This can be done from the Backlog view as well: simply drag and drop the backlog items you need into the sprint scope. You can add existing work items or create new ones and then include them in the current Sprint. Another option is to update the Sprint field directly on a work item view page.

Remember that one work item can’t be in more than one sprint at a time.

Unlike the Kanban board that supports a continuous flow of tasks, your Scrum board will only display the tickets from the active sprint. This setup helps the team to maintain focus and prioritize their work correctly.

Use Story Points to Make Your Jira Sprint Planning More Agile

Story points are used to estimate how much time a task will take. When estimating, the scrum team takes into account task difficulty, size, and complexity.

For example, “Publish 50 landing pages” isn’t a complex task, but as there are a lot of landing pages, the task is large and can require significant time. Conversely, a task like “Fix the checkout bug” may be small, but it’s complex, so it will also require significant time. By examining various aspects of each task, your team can determine how long it will take to complete it.

A task that requires less than two hours is a one-story-point task. Three story points correspond to 1-2 days, while 21 story points correspond to a full sprint. As an alternative to this system, some teams use the T-shirt size scale. The XS size corresponds to 1 story point, S – two, and so on. You can select the scale that your team feels most comfortable with.

Here is an estimation comparison table:

Jira work items have a special field, Story points, where you can enter this information. Using estimations allows you to plan work more effectively and set realistic goals for the sprint scope.

Set the Ticket Prioritization Levels

Another important element of Jira sprint planning is ticket prioritization. Jira’s default priority levels are: Highest, High, Medium, Low, and Lowest. You can set the priority in the work item view tab or on most other tabs that list work items, such as Backlog or Active Sprints.

Each level has a designated pictogram, enabling your team to quickly identify the most important tasks on your Jira board. Additionally, the board can be configured to display the highest-priority tickets first and the lowest-priority tickets last.

Jira doesn’t limit you to the default priority levels: you can use the same field for your custom priorities. For instance, consider the MoSCoW framework, which categorizes tasks as Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have.

Task prioritization is an essential part of agile project management. It helps your team maintain focus and plan individual workloads according to the sprint goals.

Let the Sprint Begin

You can start your sprint as soon as everything is planned out and you’re done adding work for your team. Simply go to your Backlog in Jira, find your planned sprint, and click Start Sprint.

Keep Track of Your Team’s Progress

By all means, starting a sprint is not where your work ends. If you are a Scrum Master, Project Manager, or Product Owner, you will most likely want (and need) to track the progress of your team’s work.

You may also want to pay attention to how much time your team devotes to their tasks, whether they complete them too early, and whether they miss their deadlines.

Check the Reports tab of your scrum project for detailed information about team velocity and sprint progress. There, you will find reports such as the Burndown chart, Burnup chart, Sprint report, and others.

In addition to Jira’s native reporting, you can set up a more insight-rich solution with the Smart Productivity & Team Activity Dashboard by Titan Apps. This tool gathers data not only from Jira but also from Confluence and GitHub, and visualizes it in a single view in near real-time. This allows you to track key productivity metrics and individual and team performance.

In this dashboard, you can find valuable information, such as:

The number of work items created and closed by assignees
The number of commits and pull request data
Productivity medians by team
Individual results by project, sprint, epic, and work item type
The correlation between individual results and the median for the person’s role

All of this is crucial for better understanding team capacity and velocity and preventing bottlenecks.

Pro Tip: Add Smart Checklists to Your Tasks

It’s possible to track progress even more closely. If your team is working on a high-priority task involving multiple steps, you can use Smart Checklist for Jira. It allows you to create feature-rich checklists directly in your Jira work items. Then, you will be able to view progress step by step. This improves transparency and helps your team be more aligned.

With Smart Checklist, you can set custom workflow statuses for each step, tag responsible teammates, add deadlines, include links to useful resources, add extra details in expandable fields, use headers, and more.

Here’s an example of such a checklist template for the hiring process. It outlines the necessary steps in granular detail, with all the relevant links and additional information. When the organization needs to launch the hiring process for a new position, the hiring team can simply reuse this plan in a new work item.

Here’s another example: a pre-production readiness checklist. It covers the key steps that help you check if everything is ready for a release. Thanks to such a checklist template, you can be certain that nothing is missing.

Smart Checklist can be useful for many other agile processes and tasks that involve multiple steps or contain standard criteria. To start using checklist templates, install Smart Checklist for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace.

Close a Completed Sprint

So, two weeks have passed, and you have reached the end of your Sprint. Now, it’s time to close it.

Go to your Active sprints in your Jira Scrum board.
If you have many active sprints, you will need to find the one you want to close.
Select your sprint and click the Complete Sprint button.
If there are any work items that are not done yet, they can be moved back to the Backlog or a new sprint.

After closing a sprint, run a sprint retrospective meeting with the team. Such meetings, also known as retros, are great opportunities for scrum teams to evaluate their work and create a plan for what to improve in future sprints.

Are There Any Templates for Jira Sprint Planning?

Getting ready for sprints can feel tricky at first. Therefore, it’s natural to seek tools that can assist you with this, such as checklists and Jira templates.

The native options range from a simple Confluence document to a whole pre-configured project setup. In addition, there are some third-party options. They can come in various forms and shapes, reflecting different approaches to the Jira sprint planning process. The examples vary from an Excel file listing the preparation steps to a Miro board that integrates with Jira.

If you want to learn more about Jira sprint planning, read the whole article, written by Olga Cheban and published on TitanApps blog.

How to Launch Paid Ads: a Quick Guide With a Hands-on Checklist

viktoriiagolovtseva — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:17:45 +0000

Behind every high-performing paid ad campaign is a simple truth: success comes from preparation and optimization, not blind luck. With all the variety of ad formats and campaign types, the process can be broken down into 5 crucial stages. In this guide, we provide you with the most essential practical information about each of them.

Moreover, we offer a hands-on checklist template that includes detailed, step-by-step instructions. This will allow you to easily launch paid ads without missing a thing.

5 Steps to Launch Paid Ads That Drive Results
In this overview, you’ll find practical tips for setting campaign goals, selecting the right campaign type and ad platform, and developing an effective targeting strategy. We also cover the basics of preparing creatives and ad campaign analytics.

1.Decide on Campaign Goals
Before you launch paid ads, it’s important to clearly define your goals and communicate them to stakeholders. This will provide the foundation for all the decisions you will need to make when preparing for the launch.

Some of the most common goals for a paid ad campaign are:

Generating new leads
Increasing brand awareness
Retargeting past visitors
Improving customer retention
Boosting app downloads
Increasing website traffic
Improving engagement on social media

The goals should align with your organization’s business objectives. This allows you to maximize the business value of your ad campaign. If there are several goals, it’s best to prioritize them based on the expected impact and run a separate campaign for each goal.

To envision what success can look like, check the benchmarks for the key ad metrics in your industry. Additionally, it’s a good idea to revisit ad reports from your previous campaigns. All this information will help you gauge potential results and set realistic objectives.

One best practice is to ensure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, your key objective may be to “increase website traffic by 25% by March.”

2.Select the Campaign Type
Once you’ve defined the goals, you can think about the best way to achieve them. There are several campaign types to consider. They differ in terms of parameters such as approach (or intent) and media format.

The main types of paid ad campaigns by intent:

Awareness campaign: Get seen. This type of campaign allows you to introduce your brand or product to a new audience segment or new market. Here, the focus is on maximizing visibility, reach, and impressions. This helps you build brand recognition and improve brand recall, while getting direct conversions is not a primary goal.
Consideration campaign: Get interest. At this stage, your potential customers are already familiar with your brand and are open to considering it, along with your competitors. Campaigns of this type communicate your value proposition to the audience. This can be done with ads highlighting your product’s USPs, featuring success cases and testimonials, and so on.
Conversion campaign: Get sales. The two previous ad campaign types prepare the ground for an effective conversion campaign. Its focus is on encouraging the customers to perform the target action: complete a purchase, book a demo, subscribe to your blog, and so on. Such campaigns often promote special offers, discounts, or other time-sensitive benefits, creating a sense of urgency.

The selected campaign type should align with the goals you defined in the previous step. Each of these campaign types can be implemented in different ad formats.

Campaign types by channel and media format:

Search ad campaign – ads on the search engine results page, such as Google Search or Bing
Display ad campaign – ads on various websites, typically banners
Video ad campaign – video ads, usually on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or social media networks
Shopping ad campaign – ads presented as product cards, featuring an image, price, and short description. These ads appear on the search engine results page when searching for a product.
Social media advertising campaign – ads on social media platforms (banners, promoted posts, etc.)

When considering different ad formats, take into account your audience’s preferences and industry specifics. This will help you determine which format is most relevant to your target group.

3.Define Your Audience And Targeting Strategy
The next important component you need to launch paid ads successfully is the audience. It’s best if you already have validated ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles) that describe your main customer personas and their pain points.

It’s useful to conduct some additional research to see what’s been trending among your audience lately, what they’re discussing, and what their most recent challenges are. All this is essential for devising an effective ad strategy and delivering a focused message. Marketers can also leverage - to identify high-potential leads and streamline the process of finding and targeting the right prospects for their campaigns.

When you have enough context about your potential customers, their lives, and behavior, you are ready to choose your approach to targeting.

You can target by parameters such as:

Age
Gender
Location
Activities
Industries
Job titles
Interests

Note
It’s crucial not to target your ads at a segment that is either too broad or too narrow. In the former case, you will end up paying for impressions that don’t convert. In the latter case, your bid will need to be quite high. Aim for a balanced approach and adjust based on results.

At this stage, it’s also time to decide on the platform where you want to launch paid ads. Every platform has its distinct audience and offers specific targeting options. For instance, Instagram and LinkedIn attract different demographic groups and are used for different purposes. When selecting one or several advertising platforms to work with, ensure they align with your audience and targeting needs.

Some of the most popular platforms for paid advertising and digital marketing are Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, X Ads (formerly Twitter Ads), and Bing Ads (formerly Microsoft Ads).

4.Prepare Creative Assets
Depending on the campaign format you’ve selected, you will need to prepare messaging, copy, designs, or video materials. The creative assets should revolve around your product’s USPs, clearly communicating the benefits a customer will get after making a purchase.

Here are some tips that will help you launch paid ads with compelling, high-quality creatives:

Prepare several versions of your ad. Experiment with headlines, visuals, and call-to-actions to run A/B tests and determine which approach performs better.
Communicate value in the first 3 seconds. This applies to various ad formats, including videos, banners, and text ads. To achieve this, craft attention-grabbing messages and vivid visual materials.
Align the message with the campaign type. You can use more generic and creative messages for an awareness campaign and prepare more straightforward and descriptive CTAs for the conversion campaign.
Ensure consistency in messaging. Your landing page should continue the conversation that started in the ad. The messaging should fit, and it must be clear how to act on your ad’s CTA. For example, if it’s an ecommerce campaign and your ad promotes a specific product, don’t make the user comb through your catalogue to find it. Create a landing page that aligns with the ad campaign goals and guides users toward conversion.

5.Support Your Campaign With Analytics
PPC data analysis is a powerful tool that can deliver many valuable insights. To launch paid ads successfully, you need to carefully analyze performance data from your past campaigns and use the findings to shape your strategy.

It’s also crucial to ensure that data collection for the new campaign will work normally. Double-check that the conversion tracking is set up correctly and aligns with your goals.

Here are the key pay-per-click metrics to monitor:

Total impressions
Clicks
Click-through rate (CTR)
Cost per click (CPC)
Conversions
Conversion rate
Cost per conversion
Cost per 1k impressions (CPM)
Engagement rate
Ad spend

You can collect and analyze data in Google Analytics 4, review trends directly in your ad platform’s native reports, or set up a custom PPC dashboard that updates metrics in near-real time. Watching your results closely allows you to adjust your strategy quickly: prioritizing what works best, pausing underperforming ads, experimenting with bidding, and so on.

For more detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to launch paid ads, please refer to the checklist template provided in the next section.

A Free Launch Paid Ads Checklist Template
This checklist was prepared with the help of Smart Checklist for Jira by Titan Apps. It covers the main stages in-depth and allows you to launch paid ads confidently. As everything is documented in granular detail, this ensures you won’t forget anything essential.

To make this checklist even more helpful, you can customize it to better fit your specific processes – for example, add more detailed steps for the required approvals. This checklist can be used as a template and serve you for multiple campaigns. This is especially beneficial for ad agencies that manage dozens of clients and run multiple paid advertising campaigns simultaneously.

With a structured launch paid ads checklist, it’s easier to organize processes more efficiently and optimize time.

If you want to learn more about how to launch paid ads, read the whole article written by Olga Cheban for the TitanApps blog.

Post-mortem Incident Review

viktoriiagolovtseva — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:03:33 +0000

Why Structured Post-mortem Reviews Matter

Security incidents, outages, and failures are inevitable, especially in fast-moving agile environments. But what separates high-performing teams from the rest is how they learn from them.

A well-run incident postmortem (or post-mortem meeting) focuses on uncovering contributing factors, surfacing action items, and driving continuous improvement in your incident response and development process.

The challenge? Without a consistent postmortem process, teams often miss key steps, overlook follow-up tasks, and fail to communicate critical takeaways across stakeholders. Spreadsheets, Google Docs, or scattered Slack messages aren’t enough to scale effective postmortems across multiple incidents or teams.

That’s why we created a security-focused incident post-mortem template in Jira – a structured, repeatable system designed to:

Analyze any security incident in real time
Streamline evidence gathering, root cause analysis, and action tracking
Standardize postmortem reports and follow-through
Support blameless post-mortem culture and audit readiness

Post-mortem template is a smarter workspace for conducting postmortems that actually lead to change. In case you’re responding to a data breach, a failed control, or a major incident, this template helps teams deliver clear outcomes and prevent recurrence.

What Is a Postmortem Review Template in Jira?

A postmortem template in Jira is a structured set of tasks and checklists that guides teams through the full postmortem process after a security incident, outage, or other critical failure.

This template helps teams:

Document the incident timeline and discovery details
Capture evidence and perform root cause analysis
Assign and track action items and follow-up tasks
Align on improvements across incident management, security, and engineering

The template is based on real workflows used by information security teams. It follows best practices from blameless post-mortems, agile retrospectives, and incident response programs. Each section is designed to help teams produce actionable insights, reduce recurrence, and drive continuous improvement.

Using this incident post-mortem template in Jira helps you:

Align team members across functions like Security, DevOps, and Legal
Ensure consistent documentation across future projects
Replace manual tools like Google Docs with a shared, repeatable process
Track everything in one place: from metrics to final deliverables

Optimize your post-mortem incident review with Smart Templates

Try it free

How to Structure Your Postmortem Process in Jira

A structured post-mortem template in Jira helps teams act fast, document findings, and prevent similar incidents from repeating. Instead of spreading post-incident reviews across Slack threads, Google Docs, or Statuspage updates, you can use a single, centralized checklist, built for security-focused postmortem analysis and tailored to your internal workflows.

To streamline this process, create a reusable template with Smart Templates for Jira. This approach allows you to plan and run each incident post-mortem in the same way with clear steps, ownership, and traceable outcomes. Each checklist item becomes part of your continuous improvement strategy, reducing risk and saving time across future projects.

Here’s what the incident post-mortem template looks like in Jira, based on Railsware’s internal incident response process:

Post-mortem Template – {{Incident Type}} – {{Quarter}}

The postmortem process is organized into 15 sections. Each one contains specific checklist items to support proper response, investigation, communication, and follow-up. You can copy this structure as a custom issue template, use it manually, or automate its creation using Smart Templates.

This checklist provides a structured, security-focused approach to analyzing and learning from incidents such as data breaches, unauthorized access, service disruptions due to vulnerabilities, or failed internal controls.

Let’s walk through each section with practical context.

1. Acknowledge and Categorize the Incident

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Timely acknowledgment allows teams to align on definitions, response urgency, and communication priorities. It also marks the start of the incident timeline, which becomes the basis for further root cause analysis.

Use a predefined issue type for all incident postmortems. This makes metrics and reports easier to run later

2. Preserve Evidence Immediately

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Forensics rely on raw, unmodified data. Delays or cleanup can result in lost evidence, affecting root cause discovery and resolution.

Tag all files with the incident ID and store backup copies in a shared location like Confluence or Drive. Link that folder in the checklist item.

3. Assign Roles and Notify Key Parties

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Clarifying roles early ensures structured collaboration during a high-stress situation. It also supports proper stakeholder alignment, especially for customer-facing updates or compliance obligations.

4. Review Containment and Eradication Measures

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

This section verifies the issue is under control and stable before deeper investigation begins. It helps teams document immediate actions and avoid recurrence.

Include timestamps and links to the Statuspage update or incident ticket for transparency.

5. Conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Good root cause analysis is the foundation of an effective postmortem. It helps focus follow-up actions on real causes of the incident.

6. Identify Control Failures

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Identifying control gaps supports both remediation and automation. You can prioritize fixing weak spots in monitoring, provisioning, or workflows.

7. Review Audit Logs and Monitoring Gaps

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Effective incident management depends on visibility. This step uncovers monitoring gaps and supports future detection upgrades.

8. Validate Access Control Effectiveness

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Access control is one of the most common failure points. Verifying it helps improve both your development process and incident response posture.

Include a checklist for log systems reviewed (e.g., AWS CloudTrail, GCP logs, Datadog).

9. Assess Backup and Recovery Function

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Backup validation ensures service continuity and prevents data loss. It’s critical in high-severity outages.

Use a dedicated sub-checklist to verify access control policies for all involved systems.

10. Document Customer or User Impact

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Checklist examples:

Backup recovery verified
Backup timestamp matches expectations
No data loss confirmed

Clear customer impact tracking supports transparency and builds trust with clients and external stakeholders.

11. Implement Corrective Actions

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

This section turns insights into outcomes. Tracking action items in Jira ensures nothing gets missed.

12. Update Policies and Playbooks

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Teams build a stronger culture of continuous improvement by updating docs based on real-world cases.

13. Conduct Awareness Session

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

Add checklist items like:

Schedule postmortem meeting
Share recording and notes
Confirm attendance from all relevant teams

Incidents are learning moments. Making them shared experiences builds maturity and improves team resilience.

14. Re-Test Controls and Resilience

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

This part of the post-mortem planning ensures that fixes actually work under real conditions, not just in theory. It also supports audit readiness.

15. Archive the Postmortem

- Create and store a final postmortem report in PDF or Markdown in a secure, accessible location.

- Add important links and information

- Store the file securely and the document with metadata (e.g., “2025?Q1?Incident?AuthBypass?Critical”) for easy retrieval and reporting.

A well-documented postmortem becomes part of your incident timeline and reference library. It speeds up response in future cases and supports project management audits.

Check the example of the Security Incident Report

If you want to explore more tips for post mortem incident review, read the whole article originally posted on the TitanApps blog.

Data Center Migration to Cloud: Step-by-Step Guide

viktoriiagolovtseva — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:52:55 +0000

Teams are migrating away from Jira Data Center due to its impending end-of-life, and staying put increases risks over time. Atlassian recently announced the end of life for Data Center and is focusing its investments on Jira Cloud, where new features, automation, and improvements to roadmaps and dashboards are introduced more rapidly.

Moving to the Cloud reduces tool fragmentation and removes the burden of managing infrastructure. Atlassian handles availability, scaling, backups, and upgrades, allowing your team to focus on workflow design and delivery.

Security was a primary reason many organizations opted for the Data Center. The Cloud has matured here as well, with expanded data residency options, stronger compliance programs such as FedRAMP, and isolated, single-tenant choices for stricter environments. For most organizations, the controls they needed on DC are now available in the Cloud, along with a simpler path to stay current.

A smooth migration starts with structured migration planning: inventory of your instance, running pre-migration checklists, and testing in a sandbox Cloud site before production.

Atlassian’s Cloud Migration Guide and the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA) provide clear migration options, tooling, and validation steps to minimize downtime and technical issues.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to organize the migration process smoothly and share tips and best practices for an effective migration from DC to the Cloud, based on our experience.

Planning Your Data Center Migration

Assessment & Planning

The first step in any Jira Cloud migration is understanding what you’re working with. Before you move data from Data Center to Atlassian Cloud, take time to audit your instance. This means reviewing:

Projects – active vs. inactive, which ones still matter?
Workflows – check complexity and whether all transitions are still needed.
Custom fields – consolidate duplicates and remove unused ones.
Dashboards & reports – decide which should be carried over.
Users & groups – validate accounts and remove inactive profiles.

This inventory helps you streamline the migration, making it faster and cleaner.

Auditing 3rd party tools

Not every app or customization works the same way in the Cloud. Some marketplace apps support automated migration via the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA); others require vendor instructions, and a few might not be available at all. Identifying these blockers early avoids unpleasant surprises during the cutover.

When evaluating data center apps for Cloud, look for:

Support for JCMA and detailed migration documentation.
Enterprise-grade security standards: Runs on Atlassian (ROA), data residency options, SOC2 certification, etc.
Transparent Cloud pricing.
Feature parity between DC and Cloud.

Choosing your migration strategy

You’ll need to decide how to move your data:

Site migration (lift-and-shift): move the entire Jira Software or Jira Service Management instance at once.
Phased migration: move projects in waves, allowing you to test functionality and reduce migration downtime.

Both options are supported in Atlassian’s Cloud Migration Guide, and the right choice depends on your size, complexity, and risk tolerance.

Building your migration plan

Once you’ve audited and assessed, outline your migration plan:

Timeline with test runs and final cutover dates.
Migration strategy (full site vs. phased).
Budget and resources – who’s responsible for data cleanup, app checks, user management, and communication?

A detailed plan gives everyone a clear path and reduces the chance of delays or technical issues.

Pre-migration Preparation

Before you move anything to Jira Cloud, tidy up your Data Center site. A lean instance migrates faster and with fewer surprises.

Prepare your DC instance

Clean up your data

Remove or archive unused projects and internal sandboxes.
Deactivate inactive users and trim stale groups to simplify user management.
Consolidate duplicate custom fields and delete ones you no longer use.
Archive old issues that don’t need to move.

Check app compatibility

Review each marketplace app you rely on. Confirm there’s a Cloud version and how data moves.
Use Atlassian’s guidance to assess and migrate apps with the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA) to see which apps are Cloud-ready and what the path looks like. Check the guide here.

Make sure your tooling is ready

Install/update JCMA on your Data Center site so you can run pre-migration checks and plan waves.
Set up a sandbox Cloud site for test runs, not production.

Migration Methods Explained

You have two main migration options for moving from Data Center to Jira Cloud: the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA) or a Jira Site Import. Choose based on instance size, complexity, and the amount of migration downtime you can accept.

Method 1: Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA) – recommended

JCMA is Atlassian’s migration tool for moving projects, users/groups, and configurations to cloud sites. It supports phased moves, so you can migrate project by project, validate results, and keep risk low. It also preserves issue history and helps you assess marketplace apps and automations before the cutover. Learn more about JCMA.

For most teams, this is the best method. It minimizes disruption, works well for mixed workflows and custom fields, and lets you plan the phased migration. This method is particularly beneficial if you want to test in a sandbox, address permission or user management issues early, and ensure a smooth transition during the final production move.

Prerequisites.

Supported Data Center version and latest JCMA installed.
Destination Jira Cloud site created and connected.

High-level steps.

Install and open JCMA on Data Center.
Connect to your cloud site and create a migration plan.
Assess apps, projects, and users; fix duplicate/invalid emails; verify domains.
Run pre-migration checks and resolve flagged items.
Choose what to move: Projects, Users & Groups, JSM, and supported Apps.
Execute and monitor; review logs; validate results.

Method 2: Jira Site Import (full backup import)

Jira Site Import allows you to export a full XML backup from the Data Center and import it into Jira Cloud. It’s an all-at-once move that can work for small, simple instances. See Site Import.

You can use it within specific scenarios where you need a single cutover and can accept more downtime. Be aware of size limits and that imports tend to overwrite existing Cloud data; partial imports are limited. Plan thorough validation and a rollback path.

High-level steps.

Create a full DC backup.
Import into your cloud environment.
Validate data, permissions, dashboards, and workflows; fix gaps before you go live.

Tip
If you’re unsure, start with JCMA. You can still use Site Import for niche cases after testing with JCMA and confirming what doesn’t fit.

Test Data Center Migration to Cloud

Run a test migration before you touch production. It shows you what moves cleanly to Jira Cloud and what needs fixes, so you can cut migration downtime later.

Set up a test cloud site. Use a separate sandbox to trial your move without impacting users. Install the same marketplace apps you plan to use and mirror key settings. You can learn more about what a sandbox is and how to set it up here: Atlassian sandboxes.

Run a realistic test.

Move a few representative projects first, then expand.
Check issues, attachments, comments, and histories.
Validate workflows, custom fields, dashboards, and automations.
Confirm permissions and user management (groups, roles, access).
Verify apps and integrations behave as expected.

Adjust configurations, clean up data, or change your migration options based on your findings. Repeat until the results are clean. Atlassian’s testing and validation flow is outlined in the Cloud Migration Guide.

Involve users in the process. For example, invite a few project leads or agents to try daily tasks in the test cloud site and share feedback. This catches practical issues early and helps you tune your post-migration onboarding.

Migration itself

When you start the migration, plan the cutover for a low-usage window to keep migration downtime to a minimum. You have to communicate the schedule, expected impact, and where users can check the status.

Also, don’t forget to put the Data Center in read-only mode (freeze changes) so nothing drifts during the move. Then run your chosen method, usually the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant, and watch the run closely.

You should work through your scope exactly as planned: projects first, then users/groups, and any app data supported by the tool. Keep an eye on logs and warnings; fix small issues immediately rather than letting errors pile up.

As soon as the run completes, validate the result in Jira Cloud:

Open a few representative projects and confirm issues, attachments, and histories are present.
Try key workflows end-to-end; check transitions, validators, and automations.
Verify permissions and user management (groups, roles, and access).
Spot-check dashboards, filters, and custom fields for missing or duplicated items.

When everything looks good, confirm completion with a short checklist: user accounts are working, data integrity is verified (projects, workflows, dashboards, custom fields), and priority apps are behaving as expected. Atlassian’s important migration tasks page is a helpful post-run reference for these final checks.

If you find gaps, resolve them right away and re-run only the affected pieces. Then lift the read-only state and announce go-live, including where users can report issues during the post-migration period.

Post-migration actions

You might start with permissions and roles. In Jira Cloud, mappings from the Data Center aren’t always 1:1, so a quick audit saves headaches: can users browse and edit issues, see boards and dashboards, and administer the right projects? If something seems off, review the permission scheme first, then groups and project roles. For a side-by-side view of what changes in Cloud, see Atlassian’s guide on admin differences:

It often helps to review user management early. Confirm accounts and email domains, retire unexpected access, and reassign project roles as needed. If you run Jira Service Management, double-check portal access and customer permissions so agents and customers can get back to work fast.

Next, consider a pass over workflows and automations. Some validators, post-functions, or scripted rules used on-prem won’t exist in your new cloud environment. Rebuild critical rules with native automations, then run a simple “create – transition – notify” test to prove everything still flows. Keep an eye on custom fields too; duplicates or unused fields can slow down teams and clutter screens.

To avoid disruption, we suggest conducting a short smoke test in each key project: create an issue, move it through the main workflow, check notifications, and confirm boards and reports still load. If you spot gaps, fix them immediately and retest. Atlassian keeps a handy checklist of important migration tasks you can adapt for this phase.

Communication goes a long way after go-live. A brief note that highlights “what changed” in Atlassian Cloud (e.g., built-in roadmaps, stronger native automation) plus where to ask for help will calm nerves and speed adoption.

Finally, plan a quick optimization sweep. Check for apps you no longer need, audit the DC side, standardize schemes, tidy dashboards and filters, and document your “new way” so future projects start clean. A light touch here reduces ongoing admin and keeps your Jira Cloud site fast and easy to manage.

Troubleshooting common migration issues

Even with solid migration planning, a few patterns tend to cause headaches. Here’s what to watch for and how you might resolve issues rapidly without extending migration downtime.

App & add-on compatibility

Not every marketplace app from the Data Center has the same functionality in Jira Cloud, and some don’t automatically move data. If you rely on scripting or time-tracking plugins, expect to reconfigure. You might run an app audit first and check each vendor’s path using Atlassian’s app assessment assistant (status, migration path, and notes).

Check how to Assess Marketplace apps with the Cloud Migration Assistant

Impact to look for: missing data, broken workflows, or lost features after cutover.

User management differences

Accounts don’t always map 1:1 between DC and Cloud. Duplicates (same email, different usernames) or reactivated deactivated users can appear. If you used LDAP/AD on-prem, you might plan SCIM provisioning via Atlassian Guard to keep user management clean in the Cloud.

Tip: validate emails and domains during pre-checks; sync groups from your IdP so permissions match what teams expect.

Permission scheme misalignments

Some global permissions and group to role mappings don’t translate perfectly. If users suddenly can’t browse or edit issues, or if dashboards appear empty, start by reviewing the project’s permission scheme, then check membership in groups and roles. A quick comparison against your DC model usually reveals the gap.

Automation & workflow gaps

Automations in Jira Cloud follow different triggers, actions, and service limits. Scripted validators or post-functions from on-prem often require a Cloud-native rewrite. If transitions stall or notifications stop, check the rule’s audit log and Cloud automation limits, then simplify the rule or break it into smaller steps.

Check Automation service limits (Cloud)

Custom fields & configuration conflicts

Duplicate names (e.g., “Customer Name” x2), unused custom fields, or unsupported types can block a run or create data mapping issues. You could consolidate duplicates and archive unused fields before you migrate, then conduct spot-checks of screens and dashboards afterward to ensure fields render as expected.

Large data volumes

Very large product data, especially attachments, can slow down runs or hit plan limits in a cloud environment. If you’re on a Standard plan, storage is limited per product; consider archiving old projects, trimming attachments, or planning a phased move for heavy teams to reduce risk.

How to recover gracefully:

Re-run only the affected projects or app data after you fix the root cause.
Keep a concise post-cutover checklist (issues, attachments, workflows, permissions, key apps) and re-validate before you call it done.
If a rule or integration fails, roll back that change, keep the site usable, and iterate in your sandbox before retrying in production.

Moving Your Marketplace Apps to Cloud

Most marketplace apps support Cloud, and many vendors provide a clear path via the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant. A practical approach is to review each app during planning, confirm Cloud availability, and note whether data moves automatically or needs a manual handover. If an app is critical to your workflows or dashboards, consider a small pilot first, then validate in a sandbox before the production run.

Helpful starting point: Assess and migrate apps with JCMA.

The first thing to check in the marketplace is trust signals, such as the Runs on Atlassian Badge and SOC2 certification that confirm the vendor’s security and credibility.

As you can see on the screenshot below, Smart Checklist has these trust signals on the Atlassian marketplace, which indicates that the app is cloud-ready and secure.

If you’re unsure about specific steps or data handling, it’s best to check the vendor’s docs or contact their support team for a migration guide tailored to your cloud environment.

If you want to explore additional materials on data center migration to cloud step by step guide read the whole article originally posted on the TitanApps blog.

A Free Jira Position Opening Template for Recruitment Teams

viktoriiagolovtseva — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:21:06 +0000

The quality of the hiring process defines the quality of the teams working in your organization. That’s why it’s paramount to ensure that this process is well-organized and built upon best practices. Using templates in Jira for recruitment tasks is a great way to achieve this. They allow you to document your approaches and policies, promote consistency, and simply save time.

In this article, we explain how to create a position opening template for Jira in two different ways. We also provide you with a reusable checklist template, which you can copy and paste into your Jira task. But first, let’s decide what type of template you need.

Two Approaches To Building HR Templates In Jira

A position opening template should list the main steps of the recruitment process and allow you to organize your work effectively. In Jira, this can take different forms:

Checklist in a work item

This type is used when you organize your recruitment process as a stand-alone Jira task (or another work type). In other words, when you have one Jira task for each position you need to close. Then, you can add a structured checklist to that task, documenting all the necessary activities from start to finish. This checklist can be saved as a template and reused for every new position opening.

Pre-configured set of Jira work items

This format is a good fit if you prefer to have several Jira tasks per position. For example, this may be more convenient if you have different assignees for different stages of the process. In this case, you can create a standardized set of Jira tasks and save the whole hierarchy of work items as a template.

For instance, this can be an epic “Recruiting for a CTO position” with separate tasks such as “Position discovery”, “Vacancy posting”, and so on. These tasks can also include subtasks and checklists. Then, for each new position opening, you can quickly create the whole set of ready tasks from this template. This can be done both manually and with the help of automation.

Both formats allow you to optimize time and effort. Moreover, this ensures that each recruiter follows the same sequence of pre-defined steps so that the process runs smoothly and consistently. Let’s see how to build both types of templates with Smart Tools for Jira.

1. A Position Opening Template in The Form of a Checklist

We’ve prepared a free checklist template covering the main stages of the recruitment process. It encompasses everything from the initial steps and position discovery to vacancy posting and shortlisting candidates. The template is organized as a structured action plan where the headers are used to separate one stage from another.

Smart Checklist is a tool that offers a lot of flexibility. As you can see in the screenshot below, this position opening template supports emojis, variables, rich text formatting options, and more:

It also allows you to mention a person who is responsible for a specific step and add links and deadlines. Apart from that, you can set custom statuses for checklist items (such as “Next Up” or “Approval Pending”). There’s also an expandable Details field available for each step. This helps you provide context or additional instructions without cluttering or overloading the checklist.

As a result, you get a clear action plan that also includes all the necessary materials. This can be links to company policies and guidelines, contacts of the people participating in the process, slack channels where you can contact them, mock interview examples, assessment criteria, and so on.

This helps you streamline the process and better organize teamwork:

For example, a new employee is taking part in the recruitment process for the first time. With a checklist, it will be easy for them to understand what to do, where to get the needed materials, and who to contact and when. Using Smart Checklist makes the onboarding into the recruitment process much faster and smoother. So, instead of wasting time and asking around, a person can dive in quickly and start bringing value to the company.
Another example is when a recruiter has to take sick leave or vacation. With a transparent checklist, their colleagues from the HR team can step in and easily see what was done and what was not.

How to create a position opening template in the form of a checklist

Install Smart Checklist for Jira by TitanApps.
Copy the template above and paste it into the Smart Checklist section of a Jira work item. Then, use the markdown editor to customize the template so that it better fits your processes.
Save the checklist as a template. Open the Smart Checklist menu (three dots) and save your checklist as a template:

In particular, Smart Checklist allows you to make such adjustments as:

Edit, add, or remove checklist items
Structure the list with headers
Mention the responsible people
Insert links to internal policies
Mark important steps as mandatory
Add custom statuses for different steps
Add deadlines and other dates

After completing the 3 steps described above, you will be able to reuse this template in new work items whenever you have a new position opening.

How to add this checklist automatically to all recruitment tasks

To further optimize time, it’s useful to automatically add the position opening template to all recruitment tasks in Jira. Smart Checklist has native functionality allowing you to assign this checklist to all Jira work of a specified type. For this purpose, it’s better to have a separate work type reserved for recruitment tasks. In our example, we added a work type called Position Opening to our workflow.

To set up this automation, click the three-dot menu in the Smart Checklist section and select Manage Templates. Find your position opening template on the list and expand its details. Then, select the work types you want to apply it to:

After this, your Smart Checklist template will be included in all new work items (Jira issues) of the selected type for this project. Please note that the work created before making these changes won’t be affected.

A Jira Position Opening Template Split By Stage

To make it more convenient for you, we have split the full template into smaller checklists. Each of them covers a separate stage of the recruitment process.

Recruitment Launch
Position Discovery Template
Job Description Template
Vacancy Posting Template
Responses Tracking & Follow-up Template
Candidate Screening & Shortlisting Template

2. A Position Opening Template Organized As a Set Of Jira Work Items

In Jira, templates for recruitment can also take the form of an epic containing several tasks with checklists. For example, you can have an epic “Recruiting for a new {{position}} || {{project}}”. It can contain several tasks, such as “Recruitment launch”, “Position discovery”, “Vacancy posting”, and so on. Each of these tasks (or work items of another type) can include subtasks and detailed checklists with step-by-step instructions.

With the help of Smart Templates for Jira, you can save this pre-configured set of work items as a template. Then, you will be able to create a new work item from this template every time you start the recruitment process for a new position. The whole task hierarchy will be preserved: an epic with all its work items, subtasks, and checklists. Work item descriptions are included in the template as well.

Alternatively, it’s also possible to organize your template as a single Jira task with subtasks and checklists, skipping the epic level.

In addition, Smart Templates support variables of different types. This allows you to include values that change from one task to another, such as {{position}}, {{recruiter}}, and the {{project}} for which a new hire is needed.

When creating a new Jira work item, you will see a pop-up asking you to provide information for the variables.

After this, the specified information will be used in the new work item in all places where you had placeholders for it: work item titles and descriptions.

And this is how the information provided at the setup is incorporated into the work item title and description:

Apart from reusing task descriptions and including variables, Smart Templates also allow you to pre-select assignees, set dynamic deadlines, and pre-fill both standard and custom fields.

All this helps you streamline and standardize the recruitment process, as well as save time on creating typical tasks and filling in their details. With such a template, you will get a ready set of recruitment tasks in just a few clicks.

How to create a position opening template as a set of Jira work items:

Install Smart Templates for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace.
Prepare and open the work item that you want to turn into a template. This can be an epic with a hierarchy of child issues, or it can be a standalone work item with subtasks and checklists. Use the checklist templates that we provided before: add them to the corresponding tasks using Smart Checklist for Jira.
Adjust the structure further before saving it as a template. Pre-select assignees, add variables, fill out work item fields, insert links to internal documentation, etc.
In the Smart Templates section of your issue, click Save structure as template, name your template, and save it.

That’s it! Now you can create new Jira work items from this template whenever you need to. Just provide the information for variables during the setup, and your set of recruitment tasks will be ready in seconds. For more details on how to use Smart Templates, please see the official documentation.

Benefits of Using Smart Tools in Jira For Recruitment Tasks

Here are the main advantages of utilizing Smart Checklist and Smart Templates for your agile project and, in particular, for recruitment:

Consistency and standardization. Everyone in your organization can follow the same flow step-by-step, ensuring the quality is on a high level and nothing important is missing. As a result, the best practices don’t stay on paper and are integrated into daily tasks.
A single source of truth. A thoroughly prepared position opening template can include all the related information, materials, links to Confluence knowledge bases, contacts of the approvers, and other assets a recruiter might need. With everything in one place, there’s no need to waste time on finding the needed information across different apps and systems.
Better teamwork. Using checklists and epic templates makes processes more transparent. As everyone is on the same page, it’s easier to organize in-team and cross-team collaboration effectively.
Time optimization. With the help of Smart Tools, you can automate the creation of repetitive tasks and eliminate the need to plan the next steps from scratch. Apart from this, using checklists keeps your team more focused.

And, of course, clear milestones and prioritization are important for many areas besides HR: from software development and project management to procurement, finance, legal, and any other field involving complex processes and recurring tasks. For all these use cases, Smart Tools for Jira help teams to better organize their work and produce more value in less time.

If you want to get the Jira position opening template in markdown format, check out the article originally written by Olga Cheban and published on the TitanApps blog.

A Git and Jira Integration Guide: How to Connect GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket to Jira Cloud

viktoriiagolovtseva — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:46:08 +0000

If you ask a developer, product manager, and QA “why integrate your Git repository with Jira,” they will all give different answers. Some like it for reducing context switching and providing automation options, while others value the transparency and improved traceability. But no matter who you ask, everyone is unanimous: this integration is immensely useful for the teams.

In this article, we focus on the most popular Git applications: GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. We explain how to connect them to Jira Cloud and provide you with practical tips on making the most out of this integration. You will learn how to use smart commits, leverage automation, and gain extra value from third-party apps.

The Basics: What Can You Do With The Help Of This Integration?

Connecting your Git repositories to Jira creates an important link between a Jira ticket and your code. With real-time synchronization between the two platforms, you avoid the need to switch back and forth and write updates manually. The key actions in your Git app will be reflected in the corresponding Jira ticket. You simply need to mention its issue key / work item key when creating a new branch, commit, or pull request.

In particular, you will be able to:

View commit history, branch, and pull request details in Jira
Check pull request statuses directly from your Jira board
Quickly access a pull request or branch from the ticket details
Automatically update work statuses based on Git activity
Add comments and log work in Jira directly from your Git app
Get more context for code changes with business details from Jira

The key benefits of setting up a Git and Jira integration include:

Less context switching: You can seamlessly move from Jira to your Git app if needed, or you can just manage your Jira work items without leaving your Git platform. This is much more efficient and improves focus.
Transparency: This integration helps keep everything organized and transparent. A product manager can see what was done for each work item without leaving Jira. In turn, developers can gain more context for old code changes by checking which Jira tasks they are related to:

Better communication: Transparency facilitates more effective collaboration, especially for cross-functional processes. Getting necessary information is easier, leading to better alignment and organization among teams.
Time optimization: As routine updates become automated, teams spend less time manually syncing statuses or adding links between Jira and Git.

These and other benefits are why this integration is so widely used. The value it delivers results in streamlined processes and increased productivity.

How to Set Up a Git and Jira Integration for a Cloud Instance?

There are two main options:

Connect Git and Jira natively: Jira has a built-in Git connector, but it’s only available for Bitbucket.
Use a Git app from the marketplace: Available for various platforms, including GitHub and GitLab.

The process itself is straightforward. First, you need to install the integration app (except for Bitbucket) and connect your repositories. Then, link Git activity to Jira work items by using issue keys. After this, you will be able to view dev information in Jira tickets, use smart commits, and set up automation to further optimize your work. Let’s explore this in detail.

Install the Integration App and Connect Your Repositories

Bitbucket

For a native integration with Bitbucket, open your Jira project and navigate to Settings -> Products -> Integrations block, where you can find DVCS accounts. Then, connect your account and grant the requested permissions. Your repositories will be automatically connected to Jira.

For other tools, use an app from the Atlassian marketplace.

GitHub

Install GitHub for Jira and connect your GitHub account. Select your organization and specify which GitHub repositories you want to link. This can be All repositories or Only select repositories. Grant the requested access permissions, allowing Jira to pull information from GitHub and vice versa.

GitLab

Once you have installed GitLab for Jira, follow the wizard’s prompts to complete the setup. Specify which version of GitLab you are using: for the cloud-hosted version, select GitLab.com. Then, sign in to GitLab and authorize GitLab for Jira. Once done, link your GitLab groups.

To complete the integration process, you will need administrator permissions, as well as the relevant permissions on your version control platform. For the most up-to-date information on the required permissions, it’s best to review the requirements provided by your Git platform during the integration setup.

Please note that this article focuses on the integration with the cloud versions of Git platforms. If you need to connect Jira to GitHub Enterprise Server, Self-managed GitLab, or Bitbucket Data Center, please refer to the official documentation.

Link Your Git Activity to Jira Work Items

Even though your repositories are already connected, the synchronization with Jira may not be complete yet. To finalize this process, you need to link your Git activity to specific Jira issues (work items). This can be done by simply including Jira work item keys in your Git messages:

Commits
Branch names
Pull request titles and descriptions

A work item key (or Jira issue key) is a combination of letters and numbers that serves as a work item identifier in Jira – for instance, TA-9082 or PROJ-123. You can find it at the top of a work item view. On your Jira board, it’s at the bottom of the card.

When you mention a work item key in your Git message, the system recognizes it, and the message is then associated with the work item it mentioned.

For example, this can be a commit message like this one:

git commit -m “TWM-93 ”

Information about this commit will be available in the Development section of the mentioned work item’s view. You can link branches and pull/merge requests to specific Jira work items in the same way.

It’s enough to use one work item key and push changes to the connected repository to complete the synchronization with Jira. After several minutes, it should be fully connected to your version control application. Needless to say, you can still use work item keys in your Git messages whenever you need to link an action to a Jira work item.

View Development Information and Create Branches in Jira
You can monitor Git actions in Jira in several ways, each providing a different perspective. Let’s have a look at these options.

Check your repositories and pull requests from the Code tab

Once your Git and Jira integration is set up, the two apps will be fully synced. As a result, you will be able to see the connected repositories and the latest activity on the Code tab in the Development section in Jira:

Get granular details from a work item view

In addition, you can view development information directly from your Jira work items. Open a work item view, which is an individual page for the selected Jira task, story, bug, etc. Find the Development section in the menu on the right, and click on any branch or commit message.

In the pop-up window that appears, you will see the detailed development information:

This includes a list of commits with various details and a link to the repository. Additionally, there is information about the associated branches and pull requests. This is especially valuable for product managers, as they can easily see all the dev events linked to a specific work item.

Monitor the overall progress from the Release Hub

If you have a company-managed project and work with fix versions in Jira, you can also track ticket statuses from the release hub. In the Jira project menu on the left pane, find Releases in the Development section. Select the release you need and scroll down to Issues/Work Items.

You will see Git statuses for each work item, if relevant. The status icons have different colors:

Green – there is a merged pull request for this ticket
Black – there is a pull request that is still waiting for review or approval
Blue – a branch has been created, but there is no pull request yet
No icon – there’s no development activity for this work item

Create branches, commits, and pull requests from the work item view

In addition to monitoring Git information, you can also perform various actions directly from Jira. Open a work item view and navigate to the Development section. From there, you can create branches, commits, and pull requests.

For example, to create a branch, select your source code integration from the dropdown and provide the required details: repository, branch from, and branch name. These steps are the same for both GitLab and GitHub integration.

Alternatively, you can simply copy the text from the box, as shown below, and run this command in the terminal in your Git project. In this case, you don’t need to specify any additional information, and the branch will be created more quickly.

Use Smart Commits to Manage Jira Work from Your Git App
It’s possible to make changes to Jira work items directly from a Git platform. This is done with the help of smart commits, which are commands included in commit messages. They enable you to perform actions such as:

Adding comments to the specified Jira work items
Recording time-tracking information
Changing an issue’s workflow status / work item status

This allows you, for example, to move Jira tickets from In progress to In review or Done without leaving your Git app, and so on. Once Jira is integrated with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, smart commits should be enabled by default.

A smart commit message has the following syntax:

<ISSUE_KEY> # <optional COMMAND_ARGUMENTS>

The system won’t consider parts of the message marked as ignored. In its simplest form, such a message can only consist of an issue key and a command, such as “TA-095 #close” or “RW-123 #comment fixed.”

Here are the syntax formulas for each of the available commands:

- #comment <comment_string>
- #time w d h m <comment_string>
- #<transition_name> #comment <comment_string>

The is an optional element for all commands except for the first one, #comment. When specifying the transition name, you need to provide a Jira issue status that is included in your team’s Jira workflow (such as Ready for QA or Completed). If the status name has more than one word, replace spaces with hyphens, for example: #ready-for-qa.

For more information, please refer to the official documentation.

Using smart commits helps developers reduce context switching and enhances transparency.

If you are enjoying reading about git and Jira integration and want to learn more, read the whole article written by Olga Cheban and published on TitanApps blog.