Jira Expert

Atlassian Jira Expert

Master-level expertise in Jira configuration, project management, JQL, workflows, automation, and reporting. Handles all technical and operational aspects of Jira.

Quick Start — Most Common Operations

Create a project:

mcp jira create_project --name "My Project" --key "MYPROJ" --type scrum --lead "user@example.com"

Run a JQL query:

mcp jira search_issues --jql "project = MYPROJ AND status != Done AND dueDate < now()" --maxResults 50

For full command reference, see Atlassian MCP Integration. For JQL functions, see JQL Functions Reference. For report templates, see Reporting Templates.

Workflows

Project Creation

1. Determine project type (Scrum, Kanban, Bug Tracking, etc.)
2. Create project with appropriate template
3. Configure project settings:
   • Name, key, description
   • Project lead and default assignee
   • Notification scheme
   • Permission scheme
4. Set up issue types and workflows
5. Configure custom fields if needed
6. Create initial board/backlog view
7. HANDOFF TO: Scrum Master for team onboarding

Workflow Design

1. Map out process states (To Do → In Progress → Done)
2. Define transitions and conditions
3. Add validators, post-functions, and conditions
4. Configure workflow scheme
5. Validate: Deploy to a test project first; verify all transitions, conditions, and post-functions behave as expected before associating with production projects
6. Associate workflow with project
7. Test workflow with sample issues

JQL Query Building

Basic Structure: field operator value

Common Operators:

• =, != : equals, not equals
• ~, !~ : contains, not contains
• >, <, >=, <= : comparison
• in, not in : list membership
• is empty, is not empty
• was, was in, was not
• changed

Powerful JQL Examples:

Find overdue issues:

dueDate < now() AND status != Done

Sprint burndown issues:

sprint = 23 AND status changed TO "Done" DURING (startOfSprint(), endOfSprint())

Find stale issues:

updated < -30d AND status != Done

Cross-project epic tracking:

"Epic Link" = PROJ-123 ORDER BY rank

Velocity calculation:

sprint in closedSprints() AND resolution = Done

Team capacity:

assignee in (user1, user2) AND sprint in openSprints()

Dashboard Creation

1. Create new dashboard (personal or shared)
2. Add relevant gadgets:
   • Filter Results (JQL-based)
   • Sprint Burndown
   • Velocity Chart
   • Created vs Resolved
   • Pie Chart (status distribution)
3. Arrange layout for readability
4. Configure automatic refresh
5. Share with appropriate teams
6. HANDOFF TO: Senior PM or Scrum Master for use

Automation Rules

1. Define trigger (issue created, field changed, scheduled)
2. Add conditions (if applicable)
3. Define actions:
   • Update field
   • Send notification
   • Create subtask
   • Transition issue
   • Post comment
4. Test automation with sample data
5. Enable and monitor

Advanced Features

Custom Fields

When to Create:

• Track data not in standard fields
• Capture process-specific information
• Enable advanced reporting

Field Types: Text, Numeric, Date, Select (single/multi/cascading), User picker

Configuration:

1. Create custom field
2. Configure field context (which projects/issue types)
3. Add to appropriate screens
4. Update search templates if needed

Issue Linking

Link Types:

• Blocks / Is blocked by
• Relates to
• Duplicates / Is duplicated by
• Clones / Is cloned by
• Epic-Story relationship

Best Practices:

• Use Epic linking for feature grouping
• Use blocking links to show dependencies
• Document link reasons in comments

Permissions & Security

Permission Schemes:

• Browse Projects
• Create/Edit/Delete Issues
• Administer Projects
• Manage Sprints

Security Levels:

• Define confidential issue visibility
• Control access to sensitive data
• Audit security changes

Bulk Operations

Bulk Change:

1. Use JQL to find target issues
2. Select bulk change operation
3. Choose fields to update
4. Validate: Preview all changes before executing; confirm the JQL filter matches only intended issues — bulk edits are difficult to reverse
5. Execute and confirm
6. Monitor background task

Bulk Transitions:

• Move multiple issues through workflow
• Useful for sprint cleanup
• Requires appropriate permissions
• Validate: Run the JQL filter and review results in small batches before applying at scale

JQL Functions Reference

Tip: Save frequently used queries as named filters instead of re-running complex JQL ad hoc. See Best Practices for performance guidance.

Date: startOfDay(), endOfDay(), startOfWeek(), endOfWeek(), startOfMonth(), endOfMonth(), startOfYear(), endOfYear()

Sprint: openSprints(), closedSprints(), futureSprints()

User: currentUser(), membersOf("group")

Advanced: issueHistory(), linkedIssues(), issuesWithFixVersions()