Project managers need effective tools to break down these complex projects into manageable components. Jira, a popular project management tool, offers a feature called subtasks to meet this need.
You can use subtasks in Jira to break down your project into smaller, more specific units of work. Because subtasks are tied to their parent tasks, this granular approach can improve project visibility, facilitate collaboration, and help teams work more efficiently. With subtasks, you can assign roles and responsibilities to team members, track progress more accurately, and generate more detailed reports.
In this guide, we'll explore the basics of subtasks in Jira. You'll learn what they are, how to track task progress , and how to create subtasks in Jira.
Later in the article, we will also belize number data compare Jira with ClickUp, another popular project management tool, to help you make an informed decision about which solution best suits your team’s needs.
Understanding Subtasks in Jira
Subtasks in Jira are smaller segments of a larger task, acting as child tasks within a parent task. They allow you to break down a complex project into more manageable chunks.
Imagine your project as building a house. The main task is the general construction, while Jira subtasks could represent specific phases like laying the foundation, framing the walls, or installing the roof. Each subtask is a crucial part of the project, but handling them individually makes the overall task more manageable.
To get started, you'll only need permission to create issues and enable subtasks in your project's issue type schema.
How to create a subtask in Jira
You can create subtasks in Jira using two methods:
Create a subtask within a main issue
Convert an existing issue into a subtask and assign it to a parent issue
Here is a detailed breakdown of these methods.
Method #1: Create a subtask within a main issue
1. Open the main problem
Locate and open the issue for which you want to create a subtask.
2. Access the ellipsis menu
Ellipsis menu in Jira
via Jira Click the '...' (ellipsis) button in the top right corner to expand the dropdown menu.
3. Select 'create subtask'
Select the "Create subtask" option from the menu.
A "Create Subtask" pop-up page will appear at the top of the main issue page. Note that the "Create Subtask" submenu must be enabled by a Jira admin, and the subtask issue type must be added to the project's issue type schema.
4. Fill in the details of the subtask
Subtask details in Jira
Select "Subtask" from the issue type dropdown, fill out the required fields and add the necessary information. Click the "Create" button at the bottom of the page to finish creating the subtask.
The new subtask will appear in the "Subtasks" section of the main issue.
It's important to note that the fields in the "Create Subtask" popup can be customized. All you have to do is click Configure Fields (gear icon
) in the top right corner to open a dialog where you can check or uncheck fields as needed. You can toggle between default and custom fields using the "All" and "Custom" links.By following these steps, you can simplify Jira project management and better track task progress, blockages, and completion using Jira's "create subtasks" capabilities.