Sometimes it’s important to understand how far your Jira application has strayed from the default configuration. Was that setting there from the beginning or did an application administrator add it eons ago?
To find out, visit Admin > System > Global permissions in your application. Then use this baseline list to compare your Jira settings to the default.
Initial settings for Jira Cloud and Jira Server/Data Center v8.15 are included below. I keep fresh and untouched application instances around so you don’t have to!
Jira Software Cloud Global Permissions
Administer Jira
Create and administer projects, issue types, fields, workflows, and schemes for all projects. Users with this permission can perform most administration tasks, except: managing users, importing data, and editing system email settings.
Users/Groups:
system-administrators
atlassian-addons-admin
site-admins
trusted-users-xxx (unique alphanumeric string)
administrators
jira-administrators
Browse users and groups
View and select users or groups from the user picker, and share issues. Users with this permission can see the names of all users and groups on your site.
Users/Groups:
system-administrators
site-admins
jira-software-users
administrators
jira-administrators
atlassian-addons-admin
Share dashboards and filters
Share dashboards and filters with other users.
Users/Groups:
atlassian-addons-admin
jira-software-users
system-administrators
jira-administrators
site-admins
administrators
Manage group filter subscriptions
Create and delete group filter subscriptions.
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
jira-software-users
administrators
system-administrators
atlassian-addons-admin
site-admins
Make bulk changes
Modify collections of issues at once. For example, resolve multiple issues in one step.
Users/Groups:
atlassian-addons-admin
jira-software-users
site-admins
administrators
jira-administrators
system-administrators
Create next-gen projects
Create projects separate from shared configurations and schemes. Next-gen projects don’t affect existing projects or shared configurations like workflows, fields or permissions. Only licensed users can create next-gen projects.
Users/Groups:
Public, anyone on the internet, including logged in and anonymous users.
Jira Software Server & Data Center Global Permissions
Jira System Administrators
Ability to perform all administration functions. There must be at least one group with this permission.
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
Jira Administrators
Ability to perform most administration functions (excluding Import & Export, SMTP Configuration, etc.).
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
Browse Users
Ability to select a user or group from a popup window as well as the ability to use the ‘share’ issues feature. Users with this permission will also be able to see names of all users and groups in the system.
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
jira-servicedesk-users (If installed)
jira-software-users
Create Shared Objects
Ability to share dashboards and filters with other users, groups and roles.
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
jira-servicedesk-users (If installed)
jira-software-users
Manage Group Filter Subscriptions
Ability to manage (create and delete) group filter subscriptions.
Users/Groups:
jira-administrators
jira-servicedesk-users (If installed)
jira-software-users
Bulk Change
Ability to modify a collection of issues at once. For example, resolve multiple issues in one step.
The Jira Strategy Admin Workbook will save you time, money and frustration. This book is different – it’s not documentation. It’s recommendations from years of cleaning up horrible Jira configurations! It’s about what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and why.
The Ultimate Guide to Jira Migrations: How to migrate from Jira Server to Data Center or Cloud
Rachel Wright teamed up with Atlassian Solution Partner Botron Atlassian Apps to create this 180 page master resource to answer all your migration questions and provide a comprehensive plan to follow.
This 64 page book from ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright helps you bring the benefits of Jira to more teams in your organization. The book includes tips for governance, administration, maintenance, best practices, and more.
How many custom fields do you have? For most of us the answer is, “Too many!” ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright collaborated again to produce this 35 page book to help you audit, delete, reduce, and manage your Jira custom fields.
The latest ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright collaboration. This 57 page book helps you convert paper forms to Jira, choose the right field types, and create efficient forms and screens in Jira and Jira Service Management.
Download the worksheets, templates, and companion materials using the coupon code in your book’s “Worksheets, Templates & Companion Materials” section. The following are downloadable after your book purchase:
Atlassian Summit Notes
Determine Jira Permissions
Jira Add User Instruction Based on Issue ID
Jira Annual Report
Jira Application Administrator Responsibilities
Jira Application Comparison
Jira Automated Testing
Jira Bulk Import
Jira Change Select List Formatting
Jira Clean Instance
Jira Conditional Announcement Banner
Jira Custom Workflow Documentation
Jira Database Queries
Jira Detailed Upgrade Plan
Jira Genie and Jira Gerbil Character Users
Jira HTML Links
Jira Incident Log
Jira Issue Creation via Email Instructions
Jira Issue Security Worksheets
Jira Menu and Transition Buttons Graphic
Jira Monitoring
Jira New Custom Field Requests
Jira New Project Configuration Checklist
Jira New Project Request
Jira New User Communication and Checklist
Jira New User Request
Jira Notification Scheme
Jira Permission Scheme Worksheets
Jira Plugin and Add-on Vetting Procedure
Jira Plugin Tracking
Jira Project Status
Jira Project Wording
Jira Recommendations and Tips
Jira REST API and Database Users
Jira Rollback Plan
Jira Scheduled Maintenance
Jira Scheme Wording
Jira Security Policy Considerations
Jira Standard Capabilities
Jira Standard Regression Testing
Jira Status Update Email Notification Instructions
Jira Support and Emergency Escalation
Jira System Stats
Jira Upgrade Wording
Jira Use and Future Predictions
Jira Users Wording
Jira Workflow XML
New Jira Features
Sample Jira Support Project Set Up
Top Jira Support Measurements
Download the files individually or a few at a time as you need them. You can also download them all at once, in one .zip file. See download instructions.
As organizations continue to adopt digital technology, more and more teams are leveraging Jira to track their work. Here are some do’s and don’ts for Jira users.
Do
Here are some best practices and good habits:
Create Jira issues
Create a Jira issue any time you need to track a task. Jira can handle many millions of issues, so don’t worry about filing too many. Also, you can’t really break anything in Jira, so don’t be afraid to use it! The only thing your administrator can’t undo is deletion of data.
Break up large tasks into smaller ones
If you’re working on something big, create multiple issues to break it up into small, manageable chunks. For example, if the task is to make a cake, break that up into different sub-tasks for ingredient shopping, for mixing and baking the ingredients, and for icing the cake after it’s cooled. Ask your Jira Administrator about issue hierarchy in your application.
Breaking up work is also the way to assign multiple people to similar tasks.
Transition issues as you work
Transition issues forward in the workflow as you work on them in real-time. It’s your responsibility to make sure an issue’s current status mirrors reality.
Keep issue details accurate
Keep all issue details and fields up to date. It’s important to complete as many fields as possible and update them as soon as information changes. It’s OK if additional details become available after an issue is created. Add it to Jira right away so everyone has the best information.
Accurate information helps others find issues and generate reports. When an issue is complete, its information should serve as a legal and historical record of what was done.
Take action on issues assigned to you
If an issue is assigned to you, it meansyou need to take action! Look at the status to see what to do and look in the comments field for any notes left for you.
Fix incorrect assignments
If an issue is assigned to the wrong person simply change the assignee. Unassigned or incorrectly assigned issues create unnecessary delays.
Record action details
When you’ve completed an issue, add a comment explaining what you did, where or how you did it, and anything else others should know right now or in the future.
In the example, a typo on the company website was reported.
I fixed the typo and then added a comment showing I corrected the spelling of the word “customer”, that the change occurred in the first paragraph on the page, and the page I changed was named “terms.html”.
Now anyone who needs to verify my change knows exactly what to look for and where. This is just good record keeping.
Log time
When you’ve completed an issue, log how much time it took to complete. Get into this good habit, even if your organization doesn’t require it.
Logging work is NOT about how good or fast you are! It’s about planning, prioritization, allocation of resources, and improving estimation for future similar tasks.
For example, if my estimate is 1 hour and I’ve logged 3 hours so far, this could signal there are other factors making this task take longer than expected. Maybe the code is super complex, maybe I could some help clearing road blocks, or maybe I simply mis-estimated. In the real world, these things happen all the time! Jira just gives you a way to show it.
A final thought on time logging:
Do you submit a time card or a report of what you’re working on? Jira can handle both those things for you. No need for extra manual work! Ask your Jira Administrator about progress reporting and time logging in your Jira application.
Don’t
Now let’s cover a few things not to do:
Delete issues
If you don’t need an issue, it’s smarter to simply close it rather than delete it. Use the “Resolution” field to indicate no work is needed because it’s invalid, can’t be reproduced, is a duplicate, or won’t be fixed.
Report an issue and walk away
If you create an issue, you should follow it through to completion, be ready to verify the resolution, and be available to answer questions. If you create an issue and walk away, it might not be addressed any time soon.
Enter sensitive information
Don’t enter sensitive information into Jira or other applications. This is sometimes referred to as PII (personally identifiable information) or SPI (sensitive personal information).
Sensitive information includes passwords, personal data (social security numbers and mother’s maiden names), health information (like which health insurance plan an employee has) employment information (like citizen status or salary), and any proprietary or confidential personal or company information.
Contact your Jira Administrator,
Security, Legal, and Compliance teams for any company-specific policies.
Are you migrating from Jira Server to Jira Cloud (or vice versa)? The user interfaces are similar, but there are some differences to prepare for.
In early 2020 Atlassian started incrementally delivering a new navigation experience for Jira Cloud. The return of the horizontal navigation makes the application look similar to Server, but there are still UI differences to be aware of.
Now that you know why good form design is important and how to ask good questions, here are some quick ways to improve Jira screens and Jira Service Desk request forms.
Jira
Use these easy field tips in Jira.
1. Limit fields on the Create screen
When you create a project, Jira automatically creates screens and schemes for it. A “Kanban Default Issue Screen” includes 14 fields! By the time you’ve added additional custom fields, screens are often long and cumbersome. Just because info is needed, doesn’t mean it’s needed at the same time the issue is created. Group your fields into the following categories:
information needed immediately (Ex: Description and Requested date),
information needed later in the workflow (Ex: Estimate and Due date),
and information needed before an issue is completed (Ex: Time tracking and Root Cause).
Fields for a Simple Create Screen
Only show fields in the first category on the “Create” screen. Fewer fields make issues easier to create, especially for non-technical users.
Also only ask for information the creator can immediately provide. For example, if the creator isn’t the person who calculates the estimate or determines the release date, omit those fields. You can collect that information, during a scheduling process, later in the workflow.
If you have “Edit” and “View” screens, include all the relevant fields, so info is easy to update at any time. Usually these actions can share the same screen but sometimes they are different. Example: A field has a value but editing it is not desired. In this case, the “View” screen shows the field but the “Edit” screen does not. As a reminder, for Jira Cloud Next-gen projects, there’s just one screen per project or per issue type and no distinction between the create, edit, and view operations.
2. Use tabs to group similar fields
If there are many fields, use the “tabs” feature to group them. In the screenshot, all user picker fields are together in the “People” tab and all date and version fields are in the “Internal” tab.
Two Custom Tabs on a Screen
3. Collect additional information during the workflow
Determine when in the workflow other fields should be completed. For example, fields like “Assignee”, “Due date”, and “Original Estimate” should be filled before an issue reaches the “In Progress” status. Use a workflow transition screen, and validators, to require entry. If you’re using ProForma, you can create separate forms to collect information at different times in the workflow.
4. Order fields strategically
List fields in the order the user is likely to supply the information. Place more important fields at the top.
Always place the “Priority” field before a “Requested” date field. It may help set realistic expectations to ask for the importance before the date.
5. Order fields consistently
Use a consistent field order for all issue types and projects. Users expect and appreciate a standard.
6. Only create fields that are reported on
Don’t show unnecessary fields, collect information you won’t use, or create custom fields that aren’t queried. Instead, use the standard “Description” and “Comment” fields and train users what information to provide.
7. Utilize best practices and standard web form conventions
When creating screens, be aware of the web and application standard conventions that users expect. Here are some tips for effective and useful web forms.
Don’t ask too many questions Only ask for information you’ll use. For example, if you plan to respond to issues via email, only ask for an email address (not an email address, a phone number, and a mailing address.) If you already have the reporter’s email address on file, don’t ask them to type it. Short web forms are more likely to be completed. Users dislike providing many ways for you to contact (aka spam, annoy) them.
Ask specific questions Use field descriptions to ask the user for specific information or to provide formatting instructions. Asking a specific question gives you better information than a blank or “Enter your message here” description. Examples: “What software do you need installed?” or “What is the expected result of the defect?”
If a field has validation requirements, tell the user exactly what to enter Give clear and easy to understand directions. Don’t wait for a user to enter data incorrectly before providing them with formatting instructions. For example, tell the user to enter their phone number in the format: ###-###-#### rather than provide the vague error “Please enter a valid phone number.”
Confirm successful submissions After a user clicks the submit button, there should be a confirmation that the message was received or an error message if there were any problems. Jira handles this functionality by default.
Post and adhere to your privacy policy Any time you collect user information, you should have an easily accessible privacy statement that addresses what you collect, how you use it, and under what circumstances, if any, you disclose it. If completing a form means you’ll add their email address to your newsletter system, for example, that needs to be clear. This is important for public instances and when you use Jira for customer support.
Consider your audience As with everything web related, create forms with the end user and their specific goals in mind. You may need separate forms for existing customers, new prospects, or different situations. Don’t try to serve all users and all conditions with the same form.
Jira Service Desk
With Jira Service Desk, you have a different audience to consider. In Jira, the create form should be as short as possible. But in Jira Service Desk, it’s important to collect all the important details up front, to avoid multiple rounds of follow-up questions. This is especially important when working with external customers in different time zones.
Use the Jira tips above and these additional tips for JSD.
1. Use “Introduction text” to provide portal instructions
Enter a custom message to help users understand support options and share additional help resources. The intro message is especially important when there are multiple Service Desk portals. Intro message space is available in addition to the temporary announcement banner. (Both are pictured below.) Visit Project Settings > Portal settings to enter introduction text.
Sample Portal Introduction Message
2. Use the “Description” field to help users select the correct form
Add a short description for each request form, so users can determine the best selection for their request.
Sample Form Description
Always provide a selection for “all other requests”. In the screenshot above, there’s a generic form titled “Get IT help.”
3. Use the “Help and instructions” field to set request expectations
Enter custom instructions for each request form so users know what information is needed and how long it usually takes to receive a response. In the screenshot below, the user can expect help within 2 hours for this type of support request.
Sample Request Message
4. Customize field labels and add field descriptions
In JSD you can customize a Jira field’s label. For example, I often change the default “Summary” label to the more descriptive “Summarize the problem.”
Similarly, you can also customize field descriptions. Use the Jira field description for Jira users and tailor language in the Portal to that audience.
Custom Field Labels and Descriptions
5. Group forms by request type
In my former role as a web developer, I always considered a user’s capacity for processing information. Too many form choices can overwhelm a user. If you have more than 5 request forms, use the JSD “groups” feature to categorize the list.
Five Sample Form Categories
6. Use unique form icons
Each request form has an icon. Make each unique and choose icons that visually communicate what each request form is for. If you can’t find the right icon, you can make your own. Atlassian recommends a 20px grid with 24px padding. Read more
Finally, and most importantly, make it easy, intuitive, and painless to complete Jira screens and Jira Service Desk request forms. The process should be simple for all users.
Writing Good Form Questions in Jira: Part 1 – How do you choose the right words, field types and validation levels? This article will dig into the nitty gritty of creating good form questions.
Writing Good Form Questions in Jira: Part 2 – Choice questions are great for collecting structured data. We’ll look at the options for choice questions and discuss ways to influence, or mitigated influence on the user.
Update: A new navigation for Jira Cloud is here! The experience was fully delivered to all new and existing applications in June 2020. As of September 2020, the old navigation is no longer available for users to switch back to.
Atlassian is returning to Jira’s navigation roots by replacing the left sidebar menu with a top nav bar. Former Jira Server users will find the design very familiar.
Users are likely to adopt these changes quickly. My colleague, Chris Lutz, who has previously only used the vertical navigation, said the new look is really easy to get used to. He likes that his primary dashboard is easier to find and says “the new experience much more intuitive”.
Here’s a “before and after” comparison so you’re prepared when the change comes to your application.