JIRA - Issue Creation

Jira - Modern Issue Creation

To create an issue in Jira, you typically need ‘Create Issues’ permission for the specific project. Jira administrators configure these permissions at the project level. These permissions ensure that only authorized users can create issues within a project, maintaining project integrity and workflow.

Steps to Create an Issue

The most common way to start creating an issue is by clicking the prominent ‘Create’ button, usually found in the main navigation bar at the top of your Jira screen. Clicking this button will open the ‘Create issue’ dialog or a dedicated screen.

This dialog is your primary interface for inputting all necessary details for the new issue. It’s designed to be intuitive, guiding you through the required and optional fields.

To complete the process of creating an issue, carefully consider the following:

• Select the Project: Choose the project where the issue belongs. If you’re already working within a project context, this might be pre-selected.
• Select the Issue Type: Specify the nature of the issue, such as a ‘Bug’, ‘Story’, ‘Task’, ‘Epic’, or a custom type defined for your organization. The available issue types depend on the project’s configuration.
• Write a Summary: Provide a concise, one-line summary or title for the issue. This is crucial as it’s often how the issue will be identified in lists and boards. Make it clear and descriptive.
• Provide a Description: In the Description field, elaborate on the issue. For bugs, include steps to reproduce, expected behavior, and actual behavior. For features or stories, detail the requirements or user goals. Utilize the rich text editor for formatting, like bullet points, bold text, or code blocks, to improve readability. Attaching relevant files or screenshots can also be very helpful here.
• Check ‘Create another’ (Optional): If you need to create multiple similar issues consecutively, check the ‘Create another’ checkbox. This will reopen the ‘Create issue’ dialog (often pre-filled with the same Project and Issue Type) after you submit the current one.
• Fill other relevant fields: Depending on your project setup, you’ll see various other fields. Fill these in as accurately as possible (more on common fields below).
• Click ‘Create’: Once all necessary details are entered, click the ‘Create’ button to submit the issue.

The ‘Create issue’ screen dynamically adapts based on the selected project and issue type, presenting fields configured by your Jira administrator as relevant for that context. Some fields will be mandatory (often marked with an asterisk *), while others are optional.

Upon successful creation, Jira typically displays a notification, often in the corner of the screen, containing a link to the newly created issue. Depending on your Jira configuration and personal settings, you might be automatically navigated to the new issue’s detail page, or you might remain on your current page. If you checked ‘Create another’, the ‘Create issue’ dialog will simply refresh, ready for your next entry.

Understanding Common Issue Fields

The fields available on the ‘Create issue’ screen are determined by your Jira administrator through ‘Screen Schemes’ and ‘Field Configurations’ specific to the project and issue type. While users generally cannot alter the form’s structure, some Jira setups might offer an option like ‘Show more fields’ or a ‘Configure fields’ button that allows you to toggle the visibility of certain pre-defined optional fields for your current view. Here are some common fields you’ll encounter:

• Reporter: The user who is creating or reporting the issue. This defaults to you, the logged-in user. In some cases, and with appropriate permissions, you might be able to change the reporter.
• Priority: Indicates the urgency or importance of the issue. Common levels include Highest, High, Medium, Low, and Lowest. This helps teams in prioritizing their work.
• Labels: Tags for informal categorization, making issues easier to find through search or filters. You can apply multiple labels to an issue (e.g., ‘onboarding’, ‘ui-ux’, ‘performance’).
• Attachment: Allows you to upload files, screenshots, logs, or other documents relevant to the issue.
• Due Date: An optional field to set a target completion date for the issue. This can be useful for time-sensitive tasks.
• Components: Sub-sections or modules of a project (e.g., ‘User Interface’, ‘Database’, ‘API’). Assigning issues to components helps organize work within a large project.
• Affects Version/s: Specifies the version(s) of the product or software that are affected by a bug or issue.
• Fix Version/s: Indicates the version(s) of the product in which the issue is planned to be, or has been, resolved.
• Assignee: The team member responsible for working on and resolving the issue. This can be assigned at creation or later. If unsure, it can often be left ‘Unassigned’ for the team to pick up.
• Linked Issues: Establishes relationships between this issue and others. You’ll select a link type (e.g., ‘blocks’, ‘is blocked by’, ‘relates to’, ‘duplicates’) and then search for the target issue by its key or summary. This is crucial for dependency tracking.
• Epic Link / Parent Link: If the issue is a smaller part of a larger initiative (an ‘Epic’) or another parent-level issue, this field links it appropriately. The exact field name (‘Epic Link’, ‘Parent’) can vary based on your Jira configuration (e.g., Company-managed vs. Team-managed projects, Jira Software Premium features like Advanced Roadmaps). This helps in hierarchical organization and progress tracking.
• Sprint: For teams using Agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, this field assigns the issue to a specific Sprint. This is often done during Sprint Planning meetings rather than at initial issue creation, but the field might be available.

Best Practice: When creating an issue, aim for clarity and completeness. A well-described issue saves time for everyone involved and helps ensure it’s addressed effectively. Consider your audience – will a developer, QA engineer, or product manager understand the details provided?

In the next chapter, we will explore how to manage and interact with existing issues.