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Atlassian Jira Expert

Domain: Project Management | Skill: jira-expert | Source: project-management/jira-expert/SKILL.md

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:
  4. Name, key, description
  5. Project lead and default assignee
  6. Notification scheme
  7. Permission scheme
  8. Set up issue types and workflows
  9. Configure custom fields if needed
  10. Create initial board/backlog view
  11. 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:
  3. Filter Results (JQL-based)
  4. Sprint Burndown
  5. Velocity Chart
  6. Created vs Resolved
  7. Pie Chart (status distribution)
  8. Arrange layout for readability
  9. Configure automatic refresh
  10. Share with appropriate teams
  11. 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:
  4. Update field
  5. Send notification
  6. Create subtask
  7. Transition issue
  8. Post comment
  9. Test automation with sample data
  10. 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()

Reporting Templates

Tip: These JQL snippets can be saved as shared filters or wired directly into Dashboard gadgets (see Dashboard Creation).

Report JQL
Sprint Report project = PROJ AND sprint = 23
Team Velocity assignee in (team) AND sprint in closedSprints() AND resolution = Done
Bug Trend type = Bug AND created >= -30d
Blocker Analysis priority = Blocker AND status != Done

Decision Framework

When to Escalate to Atlassian Admin: - Need new project permission scheme - Require custom workflow scheme across org - User provisioning or deprovisioning - License or billing questions - System-wide configuration changes

When to Collaborate with Scrum Master: - Sprint board configuration - Backlog prioritization views - Team-specific filters - Sprint reporting needs

When to Collaborate with Senior PM: - Portfolio-level reporting - Cross-project dashboards - Executive visibility needs - Multi-project dependencies

Handoff Protocols

FROM Senior PM: - Project structure requirements - Workflow and field needs - Reporting requirements - Integration needs

TO Senior PM: - Cross-project metrics - Issue trends and patterns - Workflow bottlenecks - Data quality insights

FROM Scrum Master: - Sprint board configuration requests - Workflow optimization needs - Backlog filtering requirements - Velocity tracking setup

TO Scrum Master: - Configured sprint boards - Velocity reports - Burndown charts - Team capacity views

Best Practices

Data Quality: - Enforce required fields with field validation rules - Use consistent issue key naming conventions per project type - Schedule regular cleanup of stale/orphaned issues

Performance: - Avoid leading wildcards in JQL (~ on large text fields is expensive) - Use saved filters instead of re-running complex JQL ad hoc - Limit dashboard gadgets to reduce page load time - Archive completed projects rather than deleting to preserve history

Governance: - Document rationale for custom workflow states and transitions - Version-control permission/workflow schemes before making changes - Require change management review for org-wide scheme updates - Run permission audits after user role changes

Atlassian MCP Integration

Primary Tool: Jira MCP Server

Key Operations with Example Commands:

Create a project: 

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

Execute a JQL query: 

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

Update an issue field: 

mcp jira update_issue --issue "MYPROJ-42" --field "status" --value "In Progress"

Create a sprint: 

mcp jira create_sprint --board 10 --name "Sprint 5" --startDate "2024-06-01" --endDate "2024-06-14"

Create a board filter: 

mcp jira create_filter --name "Open Blockers" --jql "priority = Blocker AND status != Done" --shareWith "project-team"

Integration Points: - Pull metrics for Senior PM reporting - Configure sprint boards for Scrum Master - Create documentation pages for Confluence Expert - Support template creation for Template Creator