Jira ticket structure

Issue types

The issue type tells you the category and size of the work an issue represents.

For example: the subtask issue type indicates this work is just one piece of a larger deliverable.

Epic

An epic represents a large body of work that can break down into smaller chunks.

For example: you might create an epic for a redesign of a homepage, or writing and publishing a series of blog posts.

Known as "parent" issues, epics contain smaller issues within them. You and your team can decide what's a large body of work and what isn’t.

Story

A story is a deliverable from the user's perspective. They define work items in non-technical language.

For example: a story titled “Design return function” might have this description: “As a user, I need a back button on this screen."

Task

A task contains a detailed description of a work item, usually from your perspective.

For example: a task titled “Review survey data” might have a list of metrics that you want to analyze and specific requirements for your review.

Bug

A bug describes a problem or error.

For example: you might use a bug to represent the work needed to investigate and determine a solution for a broken button on your website.

Subtask

A subtask is the smallest piece of work, just one step toward completing a larger issue.

For example: you might have a story called “Send marketing email” with several subtasks. One of the subtasks could be “Test subject lines for effectiveness.”

Subtasks must have a parent issue type. They can't exist on their own.

Create an issue

Go to your Kanban board.

To create an issue, click the create button in the main navigation bar or press c on your keyboard.

You can also create issues within other issues, like creating a story within an epic or a subtask within a task. In fact, you can only create subtasks within another issue.

Edit the fields to define your work.

Select the type of issue (epic, story, bug, or task).

The summary is the short title or name of the issue. It helps you quickly recognise the issue. It appears on the issue card throughout Jira.

If applicable, select a parent issue.

The description is a place to add supporting details about the issue.

The description should include:

problem statement or user story (if the ticket issue is a story)
task description
acceptance criteria (a set of predefined requirements that must be met in order to be considered “complete” / accepted by stakeholders)
deliverables and success metrics (if applicable)