Jira Epics Tutorial
This tutorial will explain how to use epics in agile software development with Jira Software. It will focus on epics in company-managed and team-managed projects.
When should I create an epic?
Consider creating an epicif you have a large body of work that needs to be completed over several sprints or over a long period of time. You can also create an epic when you notice a pattern among several user stories, and you want to bundle them into one group. Check out our guide on Epics to learn about examples and templates.
If you're using a team-managed project, click here.
Time:
10 minute read. Complete over 2 weeks or more
Audience:
You are new to agile software development or Jira Software
Prerequisite:
You have created a Jira Software account, and a Jira Software project (Scrum or Kanban)
Get it free
Working with epics in company-managed projects
Step 1: Create a new epic in Jira Software
There are three ways to create epics in Jira Software the Roadmap, Backlog, and Global Create issue button. When you create an epic, you'll need to enter the following details:
- Epic name- A short identifier for your epic. This will be used as a label on issues that belong to this epic.
- Epic summary- You'll see this whenever Jira displays the epic.
Create an epic on the Roadmap
The roadmap is useful for visualizing and planning large pieces of workthat may be in progress right now or you may prioritize in the future.
First, enable the roadmap.
- From your board selectMore(•••) in the top right corner >Board settings
- In theRoadmaptab, enable the feature for your project.
- Then, select Roadmap from the menu on the far left.
- Hit + Create epic on the Roadmap. If your Roadmapis empty, simply start typing to create your first epic.
Pro tip:You can also create a new epic by hovering between epics on the roadmap. Learn more about roadmaps in Jira Software.
Create an epic from a new issue
You can create epics and any other issue types using the global navigation menu.
- Clickthe create button located in the global navigation bar at the top of the screen.
- SelectEpicfor the issue type.
Create an epic from the Epic Panel in the backlog
- Navigate to the Backlog.
- Click on the Epics Panel.
- HitCreate Epic.
Step 2: Add stories or child-issues
When you've created an epic, you'll need to add stories or child-issues to it.
What's the difference between epics and other issue types?
Stories, bugs, and tasks describe a single piece of work, while epics are used to describe a group ofissuesthat all relate to the same, larger body of work.Epics are typically completed over several sprints, or a longer time frame if you don't use sprints. Check outour guide on delivery vehiclesto learn how agile teams gracefully manage scope and structure work. You can also reference the guide to working with issues in Jira Software.
There are two ways to add a story to an epic:
From the issue create screen
- ClickIssuein the top-left corner. Select an issue type other than epic. Find theEpic Linkfield, and select your epic. Fill in any other details and clickCreate.
From the Epics Panel
-
Navigate to the Backlog.
-
Open the Epics Panel.
-
HitCreate issue in epic.
On the roadmap
- Hover over an epic and click+ Add a child issue.
- Choose an issue type, then hit enter.
To remove an issue from an epic
Navigate to eitherBacklogorActive sprints:
-
In theBacklog, drag the issue onto theIssues without epicssection at the bottom of theEpicsPanel; or
-
In either theBacklogor theActive sprints, click the relevant issue to display it on the right-hand side of the screen, then click thexin the epic name (e.g. "Apples" inScreenshot 1below).
Step 3: Viewing your epics
You can see information relating to all your epics in the Backlog.
-
Epics Panel:Go to theBacklogand open the Epics Panel to view and manage your epics.
-
List of epics:The Epics Panel displays a list of all epics in your project.
-
View issues in epic:Click an epic's name to view all the issues belonging to that epic, across all sprints.
You can also view an epic issue to see a list of the stories it contains
Step 4: Set up swimlanes for your epics on your board
During a sprint, you might find it useful to divide your board into swimlanes for each epic, to make the board visually clearer.
Here's how you can set this up in Jira Software:
-
Navigate to the Backlog (or active sprint).
-
Selectmore (
)>Board settings. -
Click onSwimlanes.
-
UnderBase swimlanes on, selectEpics.
)>Board settings.When you start a sprint, your board will show issues grouped under their respective epics.
Step 5: Monitor the progress of your epic
You may find it important to keep track of all incomplete issues attached to an epic. For example, if you have an epic that will span multiple sprints, you might find it usefulto track the amount of work remaining over time so you can estimate when the epic will be completed.
In Jira Software, you can use theEpic Reportto easily obtain this information.
Step 6: Complete your epic
To complete an epic navigate to the backlog or roadmap
Backlog
- Navigate to the Backlog.
-
Open the Epics Panel.
-
Click the drop-down for your epic, and selectMark as Done.
Using automation with epics
Automation is a great way to ensure your epics, stories, and sub-tasks always stay in sync. See one of the most common use cases in the Jira automation template library.
Go to template
Roadmap
- Navigate to the Roadmap
- Click on the epic
- Click the status drop-down in the detail view and select Mark as Done.
When should I mark an epic as done?
Mark your epic as done whenever all work for the epic is complete. To make this easier, we recommend coming up with a clear definition of done for your epic. Any stories linked to the epic don't have to be complete to mark an epic as done.
Want to learn more?
For more detailed information on working with sprints in Jira Software, check out our sprints tutorial.
Have questions? Ask the Atlassian Community.
Working with epics in team-managed projects
The Roadmap is a place where you can create, manage, and visualize your team'sepics. Roadmaps are useful for planning large pieces of work several months inadvanceand to bundle together similar stories across different sprints.
Step 1: Create a new epic in Jira Software
There are three ways to create epics in Jira Software, from the Roadmap, Backlog, and using the global navigation menu. When you create an epic, you'll need to enter the following details:
- Epic name- A short identifier for your epic. This will be used as a label on issues that belong to this epic.
- Epic summary- You'll see this whenever Jira displays the epic.
Create epics on the Roadmap
Epics arecreated and managed on the Roadmap. TheRoadmap is useful for visualizing and planning large pieces of workthat may be in progress right now or you may prioritize in the future.
- In the projectmenu, selectRoadmap.
- Hit the+in the first column to create an epic. If your roadmap is empty, you can just start typing to create your first epic.
Create an epic from a new issue
You can create epics and any other issue types from any screen using the global navigation menu. if you create an epic from your board view that epic will only display on your roadmap or backlog.
- Clickthe create button located in the global navigation bar at the top of the screen.
- SelectEpicfor the issue type.
Create an epic from the Epics Panel in the backlog
To use a backlog for kanban toggle on your backlog feature in the board settings. SeeEnabling the Kanban backlogfor more information.
- Navigate to the Backlog.
- Click on the Epics Panel.
- HitCreate Epic.
Step 2: Modify start and due dates
From the Roadmap, drag the edges of the epic bar to modify the start and due dates. You can also edit these dates by clicking an epic in the Roadmap or Backlog. While setting start and due dates isn’t required, we recommend you do to help with long-term planning.
Step 3: Add child issues
You can add new child issues to an epic directly from the Roadmap, Backlog, or Board within the issue details.
What's the difference between epics and other issue types?
Stories, bugs, and tasks describe a single piece of work, while epics are used to describe a group ofissuesthat all relate to the same, larger body of work.Epics are typically completed over several sprints, or a longer time frame if you don't use sprints. Check outour guide on delivery vehiclesto learn how agile teams gracefully manage scope and structure work. You can also reference the guide to working with issues in Jira Software.
On the Roadmap
- Hover over an epic and click+ Add a child issue.
- Click the arrow to select the issue type. Hit enter to create the child issue.
Board and backlog
- Navigate to your Board or Backlog to add issues to epics
- Hover over an issue, and selectmore(•••).
On the Board
On the Backlog
In issue detail view from board or backlog
Pro tip:You can select multiple issues withCommand + Clickon Mac orCtrl + Clickon Windows, and add them all to an epic at the same time.
Step 4: View an epic's details
You can view an epic's details, like start date, due date, and child issues by selecting the epic in the roadmap or backlog.
Step 5: Set up swimlanes for your epics
During a sprint, you might find it useful to divide your board into swimlanes for each epic, toeasily visualize your progress.To set this up in your team-managedproject:
- Navigate to yourboard.
- In the top-right corner, select theGroup bymenu.
- SelectEpic.
Pro tip:You can create issues under an epic swimlane to quickly add a new issue to an epic. This also works if you've selected an epic in your filter.
Step 6: Complete your epic
Once all the work for an epic is completed, you should mark it as complete on the roadmap.
To complete an epic:
- Navigate to the Roadmap.
- Select the epic you'd like to mark as complete.
- UnderStatus, selectDone.
When should I mark an epic as done?
Mark your epic as Done whenever all work for the epic is complete. To make this easier, we recommend coming up with a clear definition of donefor your epic when you create it.Child-issues don't have to be complete to mark an epic as done.
Learn more
- To learn more about the Roadmap, check out theRoadmap documentation.
- To learn more about configuring your issue types, including epics, check out ourteam-managed projects documentation.
Share this article
Kelly Drozd
Kelly is a Product Marketer on the Jira team. She is passionate about continuous improvement and helping teams work better together. Before Atlassian, Kelly led agile adoption and transformation efforts across Marketing teams, which included scaling Jira and Confluence across 10+ business units and hundreds of users. When she is not busy telling the world about the power of Atlassian tools for teams, you can find her practicing yoga or walking her dogs around the hills of San Francisco.