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Be a Jira HeroA guide for Admins, by Admins

INTRODUCTIONOne of the best things about Jira Software is how customizable it is.But on the flip side, that same level of flexibility can be a lot to digest ifyou’re new to Jira. That’s why we put together this guide full of tips andtricks – curated from actual, real-life Jira admins.Whether you’re a seasoned Jira admin or signing up for the very first time, thesebest practices, tips, and shortcuts are aimed to help you setup and maintainthe most efficient Jira instance possible. Because, an efficient and intuitiveJira instance translates to happy Jira users who actually enjoy logging in andupdating their work. Win win!Most, but not all, of these best practices are deployment agnostic; meaningthey’re generally applicable whether your Jira is on-premise or in the Cloud (theUI may differ slightly across Jira versions, however). Nervous to experiment toomuch in a live Jira instance? Remember, you can now use Jira Software Cloudfor free: sign up now. Consider it your team’s free Cloud sandbox! Now, onto thegood stuff!

Table of Contents1SECTION 1:Keeping Jira clean and simple for your users4SECTION 2:6SECTION 3:9SECTION 4:1314Issues: We’ve all got ‘emCustom Fields & Screens: Less is moreWorkflowsSECTION 5:BacklogSECTION 6:People & Permissions15SECTION 7:17SECTION 8:20SECTION 9:21JQL, Reporting & DashboardsShortcuts & HacksAutomationSECTION 10:App Recommendations

01Keeping Jira clean andsimple for your users1Understand your users’ behaviorBefore even touching anything in the Jira tool, observe what your usersare doing day-to-day and identify challenges that Jira could solve. Forexample, do you see someone trying to run a process from a spreadsheetor an email? Offer to understand the use case and replicate the processin Jira. Moving project management away from spreadsheets and to Jirais a great first step to making work more streamlined.2Set some time for weekly maintenancePut some time on the calendar to make sure all active issues areunderstandable and there aren’t duplicates (or ensure your scrum masterand/or PM does!)BE A JIRA HERO1

3Beware of over-customizing Jira. Reuse as much as you can.For new, one-off fields: set the field context to keep its purpose clear tousers, and ensure it’s only visible to the project(s) that need it.Here’s how.4Make Jira a place you’d want to visitInvest time to make Jira feel “homey” for users by keeping it colorful andtidy by setting your corporate colors and icons. Here’s how.5Bookmark your most important screensCLOUDIn your web browser, star the screens you visit the most so they’re only aclick or two away. Encourage your users to the same so they won’t losetrack of their boards.BE A JIRA HERO2

Homesweet home!Tip #4Make Jira a place you’dwant to visitInvest time to make Jira feel“homey” for users by keeping itcolorful and tidy by setting yourcorporate colors and icons.

02Issues: We’ve all got ‘em6Keep the issue summary and description fields asconcise as possibleSeriously, relevant info only.7Use keywords in the description fieldYou should still use relevant Jira field where possible, but using keywordswill make the issue easier to search. You should also incorporateimportant points from comments to the description field - this makes lifeof implementer easy.8Always assign dates to issuesThis helps with search and makes identifying stale issues easier. Fornon-tech projects that require multiple dates, timelines can be easilyprioritized, managed, and reminded upon (Notification Assistant isgreat for this).BE A JIRA HERO4

USE KEYWORDSin projectdescriptionsTip #7You should still use relevant Jirafield where possible, but usingkeywords will make the issue easierto search. You should also incorporateimportant points from comments tothe description field - this makes lifeof implementer easy.

9Link related issues to each otherJust be sure to assign correct link type. Links allow you to connect andmaintain visibility across the various efforts related to a single project.10Ensure sub-tasks are completeSet up approvals for subtasks to prevent users from moving tasks todone until all sub-tasks are complete. Automation rules are great for this.03Custom Fields & Screens:Less is more11Resist the urge to add multiple issue fields and integrationsAdding too many issue fields causes Jira issues to load slower andmore difficult to manage - not fun to work with for users (or admins!).Discipline here will earn you major user-friendliness points.BE A JIRA HERO6

12Repurpose general-use fieldsWhen starting a new project, rather than creating a super-specific fieldthat will only get used once, reuse an existing general-use field. Trycreating a threshold for adding new custom fields (for example, if youthink it will be used in at least 20% of issues). Don’t be afraid to askusers, “what do you intend to do with that field?”13Use tabs to group related fieldsAim to place less-used fields onto separate tabs. You can also add,remove, rename, and reorder tabs.14Create screens for specific points in the user flowAssign screens at important transitions points that prompt users to enterinfo at specific points in time. Not all the fields need to be mandatory,but this is an opportune time to remind the user to fill in all the relevantinformation they have (rather than randomly in the future).BE A JIRA HERO7

Do you need acustom fieldfor every newproject?Tip #12Repurpose general-use fieldsWhen starting a new project, ratherthan creating a super-specific fieldthat will only get used once, reuse anexisting general-use field. Try creating athreshold for adding new custom fields(for example, if you think it will be used inat least 20% of issues). Don’t be afraid toask users, “what do you intend to do withthat field?”

04Workflows15Before setting up a project answer these questionsWhat are you trying to accomplish? Who is the audience? What canstreamline your experience? It may sound basic, but aligning on thesequestions will help you down the road. You can start with MVP board andbuild on there.16No one project fits allBoards are only as important as the information you put into them. Beingstrategic about which information you add will go a long way towardsmaking your project a success. If you’d like to make a change to yourboard process, try A/B testing the old board vs. your new board.17Custom workflows: focus on the userThe default workflow is designed for general purpose tasks but you’ll findit very convenient having mapped every relevant status for you.BE A JIRA HERO9

Also, this allows you to introduce conditions to execute transitions (suchas approvals, validations) and automate to some degree what happensafter a transition (post-functions).Add a date/time field that autofills on transitionPRO TIPbecause you can export that field to any report youmight need later.18Keep workflows simple for the userAs an admin, you should provide workflows with as many functionalitiesas needed - without overcomplicating things. Create workflows thatshow different routes for:· Different users based on the user permissions· Values that are being introduced during the life of the issue· Time elapsed· Responses received from other systems.19Use transitions in workflowsInstead of adding extra status steps - use transitions and recognizethe difference in the process of mapping the business workflow.BE A JIRA HERO10

KEEPWORKFLOWSSIMPLETip #18Some ideas: create routes fortime elapsed, responses receivedfrom other systems, or valuesbeing introduced during the lifeof the issue.

20Incorporate Resolution into your workflowsEither use a post-function to set the Resolution when transition to Done(ensure a resolution is set on the final step or you’ll find end up withissues that are Done but not Resolved) or present the field in a transitionscreen for selection.21Consider versioning workflowsWhen creating and updating workflows, consider versioning them. Why?· If there are many interrelated changes to make, you can get them alldone and apply all at once, especially if some stuff breaks other stuffuntil all the things are done.· Perhaps more importantly, if something bad happens, you can veryquickly roll back to the previous version.Keep it simple and don’t feel compelled to update the version with everysmall change, but if there’s a substantial workflow change, here’s whatyou can do:1. Copy the current workflow and give it a new version (Major if a hugere-write, minor if adding more than a few changes/features)2. Make the changes on the new version just created but not yetin production3. Replace the old workflow with the new one when ready (however, ifyou have automatic transitions and they’re looking for a transition ina named workflow – they might break). Read more here.BE A JIRA HERO12

05Backlog22Apply version and epic assignments on backlog items firstThis becomes an arduous task down the road if done incorrectly ornot at all.23Use the right-click on the Backlog and use the“Send to:” function:CLOUD· Send an issue to the top of the backlog or to the current sprint· Split an issue· Perform a bulk change (you can select multiple issues using Shiftor CTRL)BE A JIRA HERO13

06People & Permissions24Make use of Filter SubscriptionsSubscription provides you with a periodic notification for all issuesreturned by the search. Remind users of due dates or other importantupdates so tasks don’t fall through the cracks.25Send notifications strategicallySend notifications only if action is required or as a summary of acompleted fairly complex action. Format these alerts differently so it’svery clear when an action is required.BE A JIRA HERO14

07JQL, Reporting & Dashboards26Specify criteria you can’t define in quick or basic searchesJQL (Jira Query Language) is an advanced search that allows you tospecify criteria that you can’t define in the quick or basic searches. It’sa powerful skill for every Jira admin. For even more JQL tips, check outthis blog.Got some JQL knowledge under your belt?Use the custom filter results gadget to display the results of aspecified filter on a dashboard.27Use and manage issue filters to create digestible dashboardsUse JQL to narrow your search results and ensure you have the relevantfields on display. From there, you can bring them into your dashboards toreport tons of information in multiple ways.BE A JIRA HERO15

For example:You can create a 2-dimensional chart of issues completed byapplication (a custom field), and show it graphically with a pie chart –making it super easy for management teams to understand andact on.28Add context to roadmaps & reports in ConfluenceJira macros in Confluence (sometimes embedded in other macros) allowreporting and documentation to be in a home suited to it and allow youto add written context to help explain the data being presented.You can now embed live roadmaps from Jira in Confluence. When updates are made tothe roadmap, those updates come through in real-time in Confluence.29Create customized dashboards for users with different needsShowing different groups the information that matters most to them is agreat play to win user satisfaction points!30Save time with Saved ReportsUse the Saved Reports function to find reports you look at frequently.BE A JIRA HERO16

08Shortcuts & Hacks31Press ‘G’ twice on keyboard for a menu searchYou can use this search for specific admin pages, like global mailsettings, Lexorank, design settings, and more! It can also be used onan issue details page to see actions you can take, like edit, transition,comment, etc.32Get a full menu of Jira shortcutsPress ‘?’ anywhere on your Jira Cloud screen to see a menu ofall shortcuts.Global shortcutsBE A JIRA HEROStarred and recent\Keyboard shortcuts?Quick search/Find issuesg then iClose drawerEscBrowse to a projectg then pCreate issuecToggle sidebar[17