Top Interview Questions
JIRA: Overview, Features, and Applications
JIRA is a widely used tool developed by Atlassian that provides a comprehensive platform for issue tracking, project management, and agile software development. Originally released in 2002, JIRA was designed as a bug and issue tracker, but over time it evolved into a robust project management solution suitable for teams of all sizes. Today, JIRA is a cornerstone in the software development industry, especially for agile and DevOps environments, due to its flexibility, scalability, and integration capabilities.
JIRA is primarily a project management and issue tracking software that allows teams to plan, track, and manage their work. It is most commonly used in software development for managing tasks, bugs, user stories, and other issues, but its use has expanded across various domains, including IT service management, business project tracking, and process improvement.
The name “JIRA” is derived from “Gojira,” the Japanese word for Godzilla, symbolizing its power and flexibility in handling complex project management challenges.
JIRA provides a centralized platform where teams can:
Capture issues, tasks, and project requirements.
Plan sprints and releases.
Track progress and performance.
Collaborate effectively through shared workflows and dashboards.
JIRA is rich in features that make it suitable for both traditional and agile project management. Some of its core features include:
a. Issue and Project Tracking
At its core, JIRA is an issue tracking tool. Issues can be anything from bugs, tasks, feature requests, or service requests. Each issue in JIRA has attributes such as:
Title
Description
Priority
Status
Reporter and assignee
Comments and attachments
Teams can categorize issues using labels, components, and custom fields, making it easy to organize and track work.
b. Agile Project Management
JIRA supports agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. Agile features in JIRA include:
Scrum Boards: Allow teams to manage and track work in sprints. Teams can plan sprint backlogs, estimate tasks using story points, and monitor sprint progress through burndown charts.
Kanban Boards: Facilitate visual task tracking using a continuous flow model. Teams can visualize work-in-progress, manage bottlenecks, and optimize throughput.
Backlog Management: Enables product owners to prioritize and manage the product backlog efficiently.
Reports and Analytics: JIRA provides various reports like velocity charts, cumulative flow diagrams, and sprint reports to analyze team performance.
c. Workflow Customization
One of JIRA’s strengths is its highly customizable workflows. Organizations can define custom workflows to match their business processes. A workflow represents the lifecycle of an issue from creation to completion. It can include multiple states (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done) and transitions, along with rules and conditions to enforce business logic.
d. Dashboards and Reporting
JIRA offers real-time dashboards that provide an overview of project progress, workload, and critical issues. Users can create custom dashboards to display relevant metrics using gadgets such as:
Pie charts
Burndown charts
Activity streams
Sprint health gadgets
These dashboards help teams and stakeholders monitor progress, make data-driven decisions, and identify potential risks early.
e. Advanced Search with JQL (JIRA Query Language)
JIRA Query Language (JQL) is a powerful tool for filtering and searching issues based on specific criteria. Users can create complex queries such as finding all high-priority bugs assigned to a specific team member or issues that are overdue. JQL helps improve productivity by making issue tracking precise and efficient.
f. Integration Capabilities
JIRA seamlessly integrates with a wide range of tools commonly used in software development and business operations, such as:
Confluence (for documentation)
Bitbucket and GitHub (for code repositories)
Slack and Microsoft Teams (for communication)
Jenkins and Bamboo (for CI/CD pipelines)
These integrations allow teams to maintain a single source of truth and streamline the software development lifecycle.
Atlassian offers several JIRA products tailored for different use cases:
a. JIRA Software
Designed for software development teams, JIRA Software combines issue tracking with agile project management features such as Scrum and Kanban boards, agile reporting, and backlog management.
b. JIRA Service Management
Previously known as JIRA Service Desk, this product is tailored for IT service management (ITSM). It enables teams to manage incidents, service requests, and changes. It includes features like SLA tracking, automated workflows, customer portals, and knowledge base integration.
c. JIRA Core
JIRA Core is a simpler version of JIRA aimed at business teams, such as HR, finance, and marketing, who need to manage projects and workflows without the complexity of agile software development features.
a. Enhanced Collaboration
JIRA serves as a central hub where team members can communicate, share updates, and collaborate effectively. Commenting on issues, attaching documents, and tracking changes ensures everyone stays aligned.
b. Improved Transparency and Accountability
With JIRA, every task is visible, assigned, and tracked. Managers and team members can monitor task progress, deadlines, and priorities, which enhances accountability.
c. Flexibility and Customization
JIRA is highly configurable to meet specific organizational needs. Teams can customize workflows, fields, issue types, and screens, enabling them to adapt JIRA to their processes rather than forcing them to conform to rigid structures.
d. Data-Driven Insights
JIRA’s reporting and analytics capabilities provide valuable insights into project performance, team productivity, and bottlenecks. This helps in continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
e. Agile Adoption
For organizations adopting agile methodologies, JIRA provides built-in support for Scrum and Kanban, helping teams transition smoothly and embrace agile practices effectively.
a. Software Development
JIRA is extensively used by software development teams to track bugs, plan sprints, and manage releases. It enables developers, testers, and product owners to collaborate efficiently and deliver high-quality software on time.
b. IT Service Management
JIRA Service Management helps IT teams manage incidents, service requests, and changes. It supports ITIL processes and provides visibility into service performance through dashboards and SLA tracking.
c. Project Management Across Business Functions
Beyond IT and software, JIRA Core is used by HR, finance, marketing, and operations teams to manage workflows, track tasks, and monitor progress, making it a versatile project management tool.
d. DevOps Integration
JIRA integrates with CI/CD pipelines, code repositories, and monitoring tools, making it an integral part of the DevOps lifecycle. Teams can link code changes to issues, track deployments, and ensure accountability.
Despite its many advantages, JIRA comes with some challenges:
Complexity for Beginners: JIRA’s vast customization options and features can overwhelm new users. Proper training is essential to use it effectively.
Performance Issues: Large instances with thousands of issues and users may experience slower performance.
Cost: While JIRA offers flexible pricing, enterprise-level deployments can become expensive depending on user count and add-ons.
Overhead in Configuration: Setting up workflows, permissions, and custom fields requires planning and effort.
To get the most out of JIRA, teams should follow best practices such as:
Clearly define workflows and issue types to match team processes.
Regularly update issue status to maintain accurate tracking.
Use JQL to create targeted filters and dashboards for specific teams or projects.
Integrate JIRA with other tools to streamline development, communication, and reporting.
Conduct regular reviews of backlog, sprint progress, and team performance metrics.
JIRA has become the industry standard for project and issue management in agile environments. Organizations of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, rely on JIRA to streamline their software development, IT operations, and business projects. Its robust ecosystem of plugins, cloud-based services, and integration capabilities makes it highly adaptable to evolving business needs.
Atlassian continues to innovate with JIRA, expanding its cloud offerings, AI-assisted automation, and enhanced reporting features. With the growing emphasis on agile practices, DevOps, and digital transformation, JIRA is expected to remain a critical tool for teams seeking efficient collaboration, transparency, and data-driven project management.
Answer:
| Feature | JIRA | Bugzilla |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Project management & issue tracking | Mainly bug tracking |
| Agile Support | Yes (Scrum/Kanban) | No |
| Workflow | Custom workflows | Limited |
| Reporting | Advanced reports & dashboards | Basic reports |
| Integration | Confluence, Bitbucket, Slack | Limited |
Answer:
Component: Subsection of a project used to organize issues (e.g., Frontend, Backend).
Version: Represents a release of the project. Issues can be assigned to a version to track fixes and features for that release.
Answer:
A board visualizes issues in a project.
Scrum Board: Time-boxed sprints with planned work.
Kanban Board: Continuous flow without time-boxed sprints.
Key Features:
Columns represent issue statuses.
Drag-and-drop issues between columns to update status.
Useful for visual tracking of project progress.
Answer:
Assignee: Person responsible for completing the issue.
Reporter: Person who created or reported the issue.
Answer:
Basic Search: Uses a GUI to select project, status, assignee, etc.
Advanced Search: Uses JIRA Query Language (JQL) for complex queries.
Example JQL Queries:
status = "Open" AND assignee = yash
project = "ABC" AND priority = High ORDER BY created DESC
Answer:
Resolution defines how an issue was resolved.
Common values: Fixed, Won’t Fix, Duplicate, Incomplete, Cannot Reproduce.
It is set when an issue is closed or resolved, not while it is in progress.
Answer:
Filters are saved search queries to quickly access specific issues.
Steps to save a filter:
Perform a search (basic or JQL).
Click Save as.
Name your filter and set sharing permissions.
Example:
“All high-priority issues assigned to me”
JQL: assignee = currentUser() AND priority = High
Answer:
A workflow scheme associates workflows with issue types in a project.
Example: Bug issues follow “Bug Workflow,” Task issues follow “Task Workflow.”
This allows different issue types to have different workflows within the same project.
Answer:
A permission scheme defines what users can do in a project.
Can control actions like creating, editing, assigning, or resolving issues.
Example permissions:
Browse Projects: View issues
Assign Issues: Assign to users
Close Issues: Close completed issues
Answer:
| Aspect | Permission Scheme | Issue Security Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Controls actions users can perform | Controls which issues users can see |
| Example | Edit, Create, Assign | Only allow management team to view issue |
| Scope | Project-wide | Issue-specific |
Answer:
Epic – Large feature or work item
Story – User requirement or functionality
Task – Work to be done
Bug – Defect or issue in the system
Sub-task – Small unit of work under a story/task
Improvement – Enhancements to existing functionality
Answer:
Epic Link connects stories or tasks to an epic.
Helps track the progress of an epic by viewing all associated issues.
Answer:
Software Project – For software development (Scrum/Kanban)
Business Project – For business teams (HR, marketing, finance)
Service Desk Project – ITSM for managing tickets and requests
Answer:
Shows the progress of a sprint.
Includes:
Completed vs. incomplete issues
Burndown chart for work remaining
Stories moved to different statuses
Answer:
A release (or version) groups issues for a project deployment.
Helps track which features or bug fixes are included in a particular release.
Answer:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | Issue has been created but work hasn’t started |
| In Progress | Work on the issue is ongoing |
| Resolved | Issue has been fixed or completed |
| Closed | Issue verified and closed |
Answer:
Sub-task: Part of a parent issue; automatically inherits certain attributes.
Linked Issue: Separate issue that is related to another, without hierarchy. Example: “blocks,” “duplicates,” “relates to.”
Answer:
While creating or editing an issue, click Attach File or Drag and Drop files.
Can also paste screenshots in the description field.
Useful for reporting bugs with visual evidence.
Answer:
Gadgets are visual components on dashboards.
Common gadgets:
Filter Results – Display issues from a saved filter
Pie Chart – Distribution of issues
Sprint Burndown – Progress of sprint
Two Dimensional Filter Statistics – Issues by assignee vs. status
Answer:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Affects Version | Version of the product in which the issue exists |
| Fix Version | Version in which the issue will be or has been fixed |
Answer:
| Feature | JIRA Cloud | JIRA Server |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Atlassian cloud | On-premises |
| Updates | Automatic updates | Manual updates |
| Customization | Limited customization | Full customization |
| Access | Web-based | Web or local network |
Answer:
Confluence is a documentation tool.
Steps to link:
Use Application Links in JIRA admin settings.
Enter Confluence URL.
Authenticate with OAuth.
Allows creating issues from Confluence and linking project documentation.
Answer:
Click on More → Clone
Creates a copy of the issue with a new issue key.
Useful when a similar task or bug needs to be created without manually entering all details.
Answer:
Formerly known as JIRA Agile, now integrated into JIRA Software.
Provides Scrum and Kanban boards, backlogs, sprints, and reports for Agile teams.
Answer:
Notifications are emails or alerts sent when issues are updated.
Controlled via Notification Schemes.
Can notify:
Reporter
Assignee
Watchers
Project Role or Group
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Answer:
Issue links define relationships between two separate issues.
Common link types:
Blocks / Is Blocked By – One issue prevents another from progressing.
Relates To – Issues are related but independent.
Duplicate / Is Duplicated By – One issue is a duplicate of another.
Use Case:
Helps in tracking dependencies between tasks, stories, or bugs.
Answer:
A sub-task is a smaller unit of work under a parent issue (task or story).
Used when an issue needs to be broken into multiple actionable steps.
Attributes like status, assignee, and description can be different from the parent.
Example:
Story: “Create Login Page”
Sub-tasks:
Design UI
Implement Backend
Write Test Cases
Answer:
Workflow: Defines the lifecycle of an issue (statuses and transitions).
Workflow Scheme: Associates workflows with issue types in a project.
Example: Bug issues may follow a Bug Workflow, while Task issues follow a Task Workflow.
Answer:
A permission scheme defines what users can do in a project.
Permissions include:
Browse Projects – View issues
Create Issues – Add new issues
Edit Issues – Modify issue details
Assign Issues – Assign issues to users
Close Issues – Mark issues as done
Answer:
Controls which users can view specific issues.
Security levels can be assigned to issues.
Example: Only management team can view high-priority issues while developers see normal issues.
Answer:
Go to JIRA Administration → Issues → Workflows
Click Add Workflow
Define Statuses (e.g., Open, In Progress, Done)
Add Transitions between statuses
Publish the workflow and associate it with a Workflow Scheme
Answer:
A board visualizes issues in a project.
Types:
Scrum Board – Time-boxed sprints, planned work.
Kanban Board – Continuous work without time-boxing.
Boards allow drag-and-drop issue tracking.
Answer:
JIRA Agile (now JIRA Software) provides Scrum and Kanban boards, sprints, and backlog management.
Features:
Sprint planning
Burndown charts
Velocity charts
Epic tracking
Answer:
Epics are large bodies of work broken into multiple stories or tasks.
Track progress by linking stories to epics using Epic Link.
Example: Epic “User Authentication” contains stories like “Login,” “Signup,” “Forgot Password.”
| Issue Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Story | User requirement or feature |
| Task | A piece of work to be done |
| Bug | Defect or problem in the system |
| Sub-task | Smaller part of a parent issue |
Answer:
A Sprint is a time-boxed iteration in Agile (usually 1–4 weeks).
Teams commit to a set of issues and track progress.
Sprint reports help in tracking:
Completed vs remaining tasks
Burndown chart
Velocity
Answer:
Go to Backlog → Create Sprint
Add issues from backlog to sprint
Click Start Sprint
Set Sprint name, duration, and goal
Answer:
Visualizes work completed vs work remaining in a sprint.
Helps monitor sprint progress and adjust workload.
Available under Reports → Burndown Chart.
Answer:
Displays story points completed in each sprint.
Helps predict future sprint capacity.
Answer:
Powerful search tool in JIRA for filtering issues.
Example Queries:
assignee = currentUser() AND status = "In Progress"
project = ABC AND priority = High ORDER BY created DESC
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Affects Version | Version in which the issue exists (bug found) |
| Fix Version | Version in which the issue will be or is fixed |
Answer:
Saved searches to quickly view specific issues.
Can be shared with users or used in dashboards.
Example: “All high-priority bugs assigned to me”
Answer:
Customizable overview of project data.
Include gadgets like pie charts, issue statistics, sprint burndown.
Helps teams track progress and performance.
Answer:
Use Application Links in JIRA admin.
Allows creating issues from Confluence pages and linking project documentation.
Useful for requirements tracking and documentation.
Clone: Copies issue with new ID, keeps same summary, description, and attachments.
Move: Transfers issue to another project or issue type.
Available under More → Clone/Move.
Answer:
Email or in-app alerts for issue updates.
Controlled via Notification Schemes.
Notify: Reporter, Assignee, Watchers, Project Role, Group
Answer:
Associates issue types with projects.
Example: Software project → Bug, Task, Story, Epic.
Business project → Task, Improvement.
| Feature | Sub-task | Linked Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship | Parent-child | Independent relation |
| Dependency | Cannot exist without parent | Exists independently |
| Status Flow | Can be inherited from parent | Separate |
Answer:
Use Attach File while creating or editing an issue.
Drag-and-drop files or paste screenshots in description.
Useful for bug reporting.
| Feature | Scrum | Kanban |
|---|---|---|
| Iterations | Time-boxed Sprints | Continuous |
| Metrics | Burndown, Velocity | Cycle time, Flow |
| Planning | Sprint Planning | No formal planning |
| Best for | Iterative projects | Ongoing tasks |
| Feature | JIRA Cloud | JIRA Server |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Atlassian cloud | On-premises |
| Updates | Automatic updates | Manual updates |
| Customization | Limited customization | Full customization |
| Access | Web-based | Web or local network |
Answer:
JIRA Service Management provides:
Incident Management
Service Requests
Problem Management
Change Management
Helps IT teams handle requests, incidents, and approvals efficiently.
Answer:
Visual components on dashboards.
Examples: Pie Chart, Sprint Burndown, Two Dimensional Filter Statistics, Issue Statistics.
Answer:
Permissions managed via Permission Schemes and Roles.
Example: Only developers can edit issues, testers can comment, admins manage workflow.
Regularly update issue statuses.
Use clear descriptions and summaries.
Keep comments informative.
Learn to use filters, dashboards, and JQL.
Understand Agile concepts like sprints, stories, and epics.
Answer:
JIRA is a project management and issue tracking tool developed by Atlassian.
It is primarily used for bug tracking, issue tracking, and Agile project management.
Key uses for experienced professionals:
Managing complex workflows across multiple teams
Tracking epics, stories, tasks, and sub-tasks
Generating custom reports and dashboards
Integrating with Confluence, Bitbucket, and CI/CD pipelines
| Feature | JIRA Cloud | JIRA Server/Data Center |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Atlassian Cloud | On-premise |
| Updates | Automatic | Manual |
| Customization | Limited | Full customization |
| Access | Web-based | Web or local network |
| Scaling | Scales automatically | Scaling managed by organization |
Answer:
An issue is any work item in JIRA, such as a bug, task, story, or improvement.
Common issue types for experienced users:
Epic: Large body of work spanning multiple sprints
Story: Functional requirement
Task: Work item that is not necessarily a story
Bug: Defect in the system
Sub-task: Smaller unit of work under a parent issue
Improvement / New Feature: Enhancements to existing features
Answer:
An Epic is a large work item that can span multiple sprints.
Experienced users manage epics by:
Breaking them into stories/tasks/sub-tasks
Using Epic Link to associate child issues
Tracking progress using Epic Report and Roadmaps
Answer:
Workflow: Represents the life cycle of an issue (statuses and transitions).
Experienced users can customize workflows to include:
Custom statuses (e.g., QA Review, UAT)
Transitions with conditions, validators, and post-functions
Automation to trigger notifications, field updates, or webhooks
Example Workflow:
Open → In Progress → Code Review → Testing → UAT → Closed
Answer:
Workflow Scheme: Associates different workflows to different issue types in a project.
Difference:
Workflow → Life cycle of a single issue type
Workflow Scheme → Mapping of workflows to multiple issue types
Answer:
Defines what users can do in a project.
Common permissions for experienced users:
Browse Projects: View issues
Assign Issues: Assign issues to team members
Transition Issues: Move issues between statuses
Manage Sprints: Start/end sprints in Agile projects
Edit Issues: Modify issue fields
Answer:
Controls who can see specific issues.
Example: High-priority bugs may only be visible to QA leads and managers.
Security levels can be configured at the issue level.
Answer:
JQL is a powerful tool for searching issues based on criteria.
Examples for 4-year users:
Issues assigned to a user:
assignee = yash AND status = "In Progress"
Bugs with high priority in a project:
project = ABC AND issuetype = Bug AND priority = High ORDER BY created DESC
Issues in a specific sprint:
sprint = 25 AND status != Done
Answer:
Filters are saved JQL queries.
Experienced users use filters to:
Generate dashboards and reports
Automate notifications
Track issues across multiple projects
Filters can be shared with teams or specific roles.
Answer:
Dashboard: Custom view for tracking project metrics.
Gadgets: Visual components (charts, graphs, issue lists) on dashboards.
Common gadgets for experienced users:
Filter Results
Pie Chart (issues by status/assignee/priority)
Two-dimensional filter statistics
Sprint Burndown / Velocity Chart
Answer:
Experienced users manage Agile sprints by:
Planning sprint backlog
Using Scrum boards for issue tracking
Monitoring progress with Burndown and Velocity charts
Closing sprints and carrying over incomplete issues
Tips:
Assign story points for estimation
Track epics and dependencies
| Feature | Scrum Board | Kanban Board |
|---|---|---|
| Iterations | Time-boxed sprints | Continuous workflow |
| Planning | Sprint Planning required | No formal planning |
| Metrics | Burndown, Velocity | Cumulative Flow, Cycle Time |
| Best for | Iterative projects | Continuous delivery |
Answer:
Components divide a project into sub-sections (e.g., Frontend, Backend, API).
Experienced users use components to:
Assign issues to teams
Track issues per module
Filter and generate component-wise reports
Answer:
Versions represent product releases.
Experienced users:
Assign issues to fix versions
Track release progress using Release Report
Mark versions as released after deployment
Answer:
Issue linking establishes relationships between issues.
Types: Blocks, Is Blocked By, Relates To, Duplicate
Example scenario: A bug in login feature blocks the release of the authentication module.
Answer:
Typical advanced bug lifecycle:
Open → Assigned → In Progress → Code Review → Testing → UAT → Resolved → Closed → Reopened (if needed)
Experienced users may include additional statuses like QA Review, UAT, Pending Approval.
Answer:
Use Project Hierarchies: Project → Epics → Stories → Sub-tasks
Use Advanced Boards and Cross-project Filters
Assign Components and Versions for modular tracking
Set Permission and Notification Schemes for roles
Use Roadmaps and Reports for high-level tracking
| Feature | Permission Scheme | Security Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | What actions users can perform | Who can see issues |
| Scope | Project-wide | Issue-specific |
| Example | Assign, Edit, Close | Only managers can view high-priority issues |
Answer:
Experienced users integrate JIRA with:
Confluence – Documentation and knowledge base
Bitbucket/GitHub – Link commits, pull requests to issues
Slack/MS Teams – Notifications and alerts
Jenkins/CI/CD tools – Track builds and deployments
Test Management Tools – Zephyr, Xray
Answer:
Built-in Reports: Burndown, Velocity, Cumulative Flow, Pie Charts
Custom Reports: Using JQL filters + gadgets
Export options: CSV, Excel, or integrate with BI tools
Use Cases: Track team velocity, component-wise issues, release readiness
Answer:
Use Workflow Schemes to assign workflows to different issue types
Example:
Bug → Bug Workflow
Story → Story Workflow
Task → Task Workflow
Customize workflows with conditions, validators, and post-functions
Answer:
Track issues by Fix Version
Monitor progress using Release Report
Mark version as released when all issues are completed
Generate release notes from issue summaries
Examples:
All open bugs assigned to me in last 7 days:
assignee = currentUser() AND status = Open AND created >= -7d
Stories in Epic “Authentication” not done:
"Epic Link" = AUTH-123 AND status != Done
Issues in multiple projects with high priority:
project in (ABC, DEF) AND priority = High
Keep issue descriptions clear and actionable
Use components, versions, and labels for tracking
Regularly update statuses and resolutions
Use dashboards and filters to monitor team performance
Avoid over-complicating workflows
Leverage automation rules to reduce manual updates
Use advanced JQL queries for reports and tracking
Answer:
A JIRA project is a collection of issues that represents work for a team or product.
Experienced users manage multiple projects by:
Using Project Categories to group related projects
Standardizing Issue Types, Workflows, and Permission Schemes across projects
Creating cross-project filters and dashboards
Tracking high-level progress with Portfolio/Advanced Roadmaps
Answer:
Use Issue Links to define relationships:
Blocks / Is Blocked By – Shows dependency
Relates To – Logical connection
Duplicate / Is Duplicated By – Avoid redundant work
Use advanced JQL to filter dependent issues:
issue in linkedIssues("PROJ-123", "blocks")
Answer:
Assign Components to different teams
Use labels to tag issues for team identification
Share dashboards and filters
Integrate JIRA with Slack/MS Teams for notifications
Track progress via epics, sprint reports, and portfolio roadmap
Answer:
Experienced users create custom fields for project-specific needs:
Text Field, Dropdown, Checkbox, Date Picker
Assign custom fields to screens and issue types
Avoid excessive fields to prevent clutter and slow performance
Use contexts to make fields visible for certain projects only
Answer:
Screen: A collection of fields displayed during issue operations (Create, Edit, View)
Screen Scheme: Assigns screens to issue operations
Issue Type Screen Scheme: Assigns screen schemes to specific issue types
Example: Bug may have extra fields like Severity, Environment; Story may have Story Points
Answer:
Condition: Controls who can see the transition
Validator: Checks criteria before allowing transition (e.g., mandatory fields)
Post-function: Automated action after transition (e.g., assign issue, update field, send email)
Example:
Transition “Resolve Bug” only allowed if QA approval field is filled
Automatically move issue to Testing after resolution
Answer:
JIRA Automation allows automating repetitive tasks without scripting
Common automation rules for experienced users:
Auto-assign issues based on component or project
Send notifications on status change
Auto-update linked issues when parent issue is closed
Use Triggers, Conditions, and Actions to define automation
Example:
Trigger: Issue resolved
Condition: Issue type = Bug
Action: Notify QA team
Answer:
Bulk operations allow modifying multiple issues at once:
Bulk Edit: Update fields for multiple issues
Bulk Move: Move multiple issues to another project or issue type
Bulk Transition: Change status of multiple issues
Important for large projects to maintain consistency
Answer:
Boards are visual representations of work:
Scrum Board: Track sprints, backlog, epics
Kanban Board: Track continuous workflow
Advanced users customize boards using:
Quick Filters for specific teams or components
Swimlanes for epics or assignees
Card colors based on priority or labels
Answer:
Advanced reporting includes:
Burndown and Velocity for sprint tracking
Cumulative Flow Diagram for Kanban efficiency
Epic and Version Reports to monitor progress
Custom Filter Reports using JQL and gadgets
Integrate with Confluence to share reports across teams
Answer:
Assign issues to Fix Version
Track completion using Release Report
Generate release notes automatically
Manage multiple releases with Version Schemes
Answer:
Configure Notification Schemes per project
Assign watchers to critical issues for visibility
Avoid notification spamming by using role-based notifications
Integrate with email or Slack for automatic alerts
Answer:
Create epics for large features
Break epics into stories or tasks
Track progress using:
Epic Report
Roadmaps (Advanced Roadmaps plugin)
Burndown by epic
Experienced users link stories to dependencies and versions
Answer:
Use Application Links to connect JIRA and Confluence
Benefits for experienced users:
Create JIRA issues directly from Confluence pages
Link requirements to issues
Display reports and dashboards in Confluence pages
| Feature | JIRA Software | JIRA Service Management |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Agile development tracking | ITSM, support, and service requests |
| Issue Types | Story, Task, Bug | Incident, Service Request, Change |
| SLA Management | Not available | SLA tracking and reporting |
| Queues | Not available | Custom queues for requests |
Answer:
Portfolio/Advanced Roadmaps allow cross-project planning
Features:
Visualize dependencies between projects
Plan releases and track progress
Resource and capacity planning
Used by managers to track high-level roadmap and delivery
Answer:
Use epics and labels to categorize issues
Prioritize using ranking and story points
Apply filters and quick filters to focus on critical items
Conduct regular backlog grooming
Answer:
Use Workflow Schemes to assign workflows to issue types
Example:
Dev team → Workflow with code review and QA stages
QA team → Workflow focused on testing, defect verification
Use Conditions and Validators to ensure correct transition
Answer:
Sandbox is a test environment for trying new configurations or workflows without affecting production
Experienced users test:
Custom workflows, screens, and automation rules
Plugin installations
Permission and notification changes
Answer:
Create fix versions for planned releases
Track issue progress by version
Generate release notes automatically
Move incomplete issues to the next release
Monitor using Version Report
Answer:
Labels are flexible tags for categorization
Used for:
Cross-project tracking
Identifying quick filters
Grouping issues for reports
Avoid overusing to maintain consistency
Answer:
Track velocity, burndown, sprint reports
Track epic completion progress
Monitor cumulative flow for Kanban
Analyze bottlenecks using cycle time and lead time
Answer:
Use JQL with multiple projects:
project in (PROJ1, PROJ2) AND status != Done
Create cross-project dashboards
Use Portfolio/Advanced Roadmaps for portfolio-level reporting
Standardize issue types, workflows, and fields across projects
Avoid excessive custom fields
Use components and versions to organize work
Maintain clean and clear dashboards
Automate repetitive tasks using JIRA Automation
Conduct regular backlog grooming and sprint planning
Use JQL and filters for advanced tracking and reporting
Answer:
Too many custom fields → slow performance → Use field contexts
Massive workflows → complexity → Simplify and use sub-workflows
Notification spam → overload → Role-based notifications
Cross-project visibility → limited → Use portfolio or cross-project filters