Jira Workflows¶
What is a Workflow?¶
A workflow defines the lifecycle of an issue from creation to completion. It consists of statuses (stages) and transitions (movements between stages).
Workflow Components¶
Statuses¶
States that an issue can be in:
Transitions¶
Actions that move issues between statuses:
Transitions:
- Start Progress (To Do → In Progress)
- Submit for Review (In Progress → In Review)
- Approve (In Review → Done)
- Reject (In Review → In Progress)
- Block (Any → Blocked)
Workflow Diagram¶
┌─────────┐
│ TO DO │
└────┬────┘
│ Start Progress
↓
┌─────────────┐
│ IN PROGRESS │←──────┐
└──────┬──────┘ │
│ Submit │ Reject
↓ │
┌─────────────┐ │
│ IN REVIEW │───────┘
└──────┬──────┘
│ Approve
↓
┌─────────────┐
│ DONE │
└─────────────┘
Default Workflows¶
Simple Workflow¶
Use Case: Small teams, simple projects
Standard Workflow¶
Use Case: Most software development teams
Complex Workflow¶
Use Case: Large teams with strict processes
Viewing Workflows¶
View Project Workflow¶
Workflow Diagram View¶
Visual representation showing:
- All statuses (boxes)
- All transitions (arrows)
- Transition conditions
- Post functions
Customizing Workflows¶
Team-Managed Projects¶
Adding Status:
Editing Transitions:
Company-Managed Projects¶
Creating Custom Workflow:
1. Jira Settings → Issues → Workflows
2. Click "Add workflow"
3. Enter workflow name
4. Click "Add"
5. Design workflow:
- Add statuses
- Add transitions
- Configure conditions
6. Publish workflow
7. Associate with project
Workflow Statuses¶
Status Categories¶
Every status belongs to a category:
| Category | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| To Do | Not started | Backlog, To Do, Open |
| In Progress | Work ongoing | In Progress, In Review, Testing |
| Done | Completed | Done, Closed, Resolved |
Creating Custom Status¶
1. Jira Settings → Issues → Statuses
2. Click "Add status"
3. Enter:
- Name: "Code Review"
- Category: In Progress
- Description: "Awaiting code review"
4. Click "Add"
Status Best Practices¶
✅ Good Status Names:
- Clear and descriptive
- Action-oriented
- Consistent naming
- Examples: "In Development", "Awaiting Review", "Ready for Deploy"
❌ Avoid:
- Vague names: "Status 1", "Phase 2"
- Too many statuses (keep under 10)
- Duplicate meanings
Workflow Transitions¶
Transition Properties¶
Transition: "Start Progress"
From Status: To Do
To Status: In Progress
Screen: None
Conditions:
- User has "Transition Issues" permission
- Issue is assigned
Validators:
- Field "Assignee" is not empty
Post Functions:
- Assign to current user
- Add comment
- Update field
Transition Screens¶
Forms shown during transition:
Example: "Resolve Issue" Transition
Screen Fields:
- Resolution (Required)
- Comment (Optional)
- Fix Version (Optional)
- Time Spent (Optional)
Conditions¶
Rules that must be met to show transition:
Common Conditions:
- User is in specific role
- User is assignee
- User is reporter
- Issue has specific field value
- Sub-tasks are resolved
Example:
Transition: "Deploy to Production"
Conditions:
- User is in "Deployers" role
- All sub-tasks are Done
- Field "QA Status" = "Approved"
Validators¶
Checks performed before transition completes:
Common Validators:
- Required fields are filled
- Field has specific value
- User has permission
- Parent issue is in specific status
Example:
Transition: "Close Issue"
Validators:
- Resolution field is not empty
- All sub-tasks are closed
- Time spent is logged
Post Functions¶
Actions performed after transition:
Common Post Functions:
- Update field value
- Assign issue
- Create sub-task
- Send notification
- Trigger webhook
- Add comment
Example:
Transition: "Start Sprint"
Post Functions:
1. Set "Sprint Start Date" to current date
2. Assign to current user
3. Send email to team
4. Add comment "Sprint started"
Workflow Examples¶
Bug Workflow¶
Feature Workflow¶
Support Ticket Workflow¶
Workflow Schemes¶
What is a Workflow Scheme?¶
Maps issue types to workflows:
Workflow Scheme: "Software Development"
Issue Type Mappings:
- Story → Feature Workflow
- Bug → Bug Workflow
- Task → Simple Workflow
- Epic → Epic Workflow
Creating Workflow Scheme¶
1. Jira Settings → Issues → Workflow schemes
2. Click "Add workflow scheme"
3. Enter scheme name
4. Add issue type mappings:
- Select issue type
- Select workflow
- Click "Add"
5. Click "Create"
Assigning to Project¶
1. Project Settings → Workflows
2. Click "Switch scheme"
3. Select workflow scheme
4. Click "Associate"
5. Migrate existing issues (if needed)
Advanced Workflow Features¶
Parallel Transitions¶
Multiple paths from one status:
Looping Transitions¶
Return to previous status:
Global Transitions¶
Available from any status:
Workflow Automation¶
Automated Transitions¶
Example: Auto-close after 30 days
Rule:
- Trigger: Scheduled (daily)
- Condition: Status = "Resolved" AND updated < -30d
- Action: Transition to "Closed"
Webhook Integration¶
Example: Notify Slack on deployment
Post Function:
- Trigger: Transition to "Deployed"
- Action: Send webhook to Slack
- Payload: Issue key, summary, assignee
Workflow Best Practices¶
Keep It Simple¶
✅ Good: 4-6 statuses
❌ Too Complex: 15+ statuses
Simple is better:
To Do → In Progress → Review → Done
Clear Naming¶
✅ Good:
- "Awaiting Code Review"
- "Ready for Testing"
- "Deployed to Production"
❌ Confusing:
- "Status 1"
- "Phase A"
- "Step 3"
Logical Flow¶
✅ Linear progression:
Backlog → Dev → Review → Test → Deploy → Done
❌ Confusing loops:
Status A ⇄ Status B ⇄ Status C ⇄ Status A
Minimize Transitions¶
✅ Essential transitions only:
- Start work
- Submit for review
- Complete
❌ Too many options:
- 10+ transitions from one status
- Redundant paths
Workflow Migration¶
Changing Workflows¶
1. Create new workflow
2. Test in separate project
3. Create migration plan
4. Communicate to team
5. Perform migration:
- Map old statuses to new
- Update automation rules
- Update reports
6. Monitor and adjust
Status Mapping¶
Old Workflow → New Workflow
Open → To Do
In Progress → In Development
Review → Code Review
Testing → QA Testing
Done → Completed
Troubleshooting¶
Issue Stuck in Status¶
Check:
1. Available transitions
2. Transition conditions
3. User permissions
4. Required fields
5. Validators
Transition Not Visible¶
Check:
1. Workflow configuration
2. User role permissions
3. Conditions on transition
4. Issue current status
Workflow Changes Not Applied¶
Solutions:
1. Publish workflow (draft mode)
2. Clear browser cache
3. Check workflow scheme association
4. Verify project uses correct scheme
Next Steps¶
Learn about Sprints to understand sprint planning and execution in Scrum projects.