What is Jira

What is Jira and How to Use It?

Jaya
April 6th, 2026
15844
15:00 Minutes

Organizations focused on the successful completion of projects and adjusting well to the changing needs employ Jira. This tool entails powerful features, enabling organizations to implement agile practices. This comprehensive guide is for those who aim to get started here, beginning with what is Jira software.

Behind every successful implementation of a project is a clear roadmap of the tools, governance and resources. Every why and how is laid out and studied by experts to figure out further steps. Picking the right tool is an imperative step in this process, wherein Atlassian's Jira stands out strongly. This guide, 'what is Jira' will help you understand the use and role of it.

What Is Jira?

Jira is a project management and issue-tracking tool created by Atlassian. It helps teams plan, track, and manage tasks, bugs, and projects. This tool, widely used in software development, comes equipped with advanced features like Agile boards, customizable workflows, and reporting. It also improves overall collaboration, ensuring teams stay organized and aligned on project goals.

Enrol in igmGuru's Jira Course Online program to start your career in project management.

What is Jira software?

This software by Atlassian is a software development tool used primarily for project management as well as issue tracking. It helps software development teams in planning, releasing and tracking software projects. It can integrate seamlessly with other tools for software development, . Its customizable workflows and features give it the flexibility to adapt to all needs and circumstances.

Its centralized platform is brilliant for managing all issues, bugs and tasks. It also has good dashboarding and reporting features, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions.

Key Concepts of Jira

Let's get to know some key concepts to obtain a better understanding of all the advantages it has to offer.

  • Boards

In this tool, Boards visually represent the workflow to teams so that they can keep a check of issues. While in Agile, issues are presented in columns counter to every workflow stage. Teams get to keep a track of activities and haul the issues from one column to the other.

  • Issues

This tool is built upon Issues; it could be anything from tasks, user stories or any other work elements. These issues are customizable with attachments, fields and comments to deliver a detailed record of work.

  • Sprints

Sprints are a part of Scrum methodology, which are fixed or time-boxed length periods of work. Teams use sprints to assist them to perform tasks and deliver services within a selected timeframe.

  • Epics

Epics are gigantic work bodies or large scale projects splitted into tiny and doable tasks called issues. It ensures that tasks are executed, finished and ready to meet the project goals with its tracking progress.

  • Dashboards

Dashboards are useful to obtain insights from a project as it provides one with valuable project data. This data includes the progress, status and other metrics of a project. This enables an individual to present their project to teams and stakeholders in a comprehensive way.

  • Projects

Projects in Jira are beneficial for teams to keep related issues together. This makes it easier to handle work around certain tasks and goals. Each project can be set up with its own workflow, permissions and issue types. Organizing issues enables the team to remain focused on their work.

  • Versions

Versions are put in work to handle and trace project releases with its effective features and fixes.

Related Article- DevOps Interview Questions

What is Jira Used for?

This software is quite in demand in the IT sector. But what is Jira used for? Here are some common use cases of this software.

1. Project Management

Top use case globally of this software is project management due to its exceptional configuration abilities. Managers can either use the available templates or even create customized ones to fit their requirements. There are different steps on using this tool for project management and these are the ones to know about -

  • Configuration- Picking an existing Jira project template is essential to configure the projects according to the organization's operations.
  • Planning- It has almost all the features needed to plan a project. Establish project tasks and then break each of those into smaller steps.
  • Team Building- Project execution can be started with this software. project managers decide ownership of admin access, progress tracking and completing tasks.
  • Tracking- Once the team is set up and assigning of the tasks is done, it all comes down to tracking the progress. This tool's dashboarding and reporting abilities are used here.
  • Completion- Once completed, the project can either be removed from active usage, which is moved to the archive. Second is to disable the project's permissions, making it a read-only project.

2. Software Development

Software developers utilize Jira capabilities for managing budgets, stakeholders, and feature requirements from the very beginning. Integration of various CD/CI tools leads to high transparency throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC). It also deploys new features rapidly by integrating feature-flagging tools.

3. DevOps

Open DevOps is Atlassian's open and integrated toolchain, wherein this software plays an imperative role. It supports seamless integration of internal tools with third-party ones like GitLab, Opsgenie, GitHub, Confluence and others. Consequently, teams get to focus on better practices like automation, continuous delivery, testing, etc.

4. Agile Teams

Agile software teams use this tool for Scrum and Kanban boards to consistently practice their agile methodologies. These boards work as task management hubs for these teams to organize tasks into customizable workflows effortlessly. Thus creating transparency in timelines and task status. Teams also benefit with its real-time performance reports and time-tracking feature.

5. Bug Tracking

This tool is exceptional when it comes to tracking bugs, which is an important aspect in every project. Upon capturing a bug, this tool prioritizes it automatically, which leads to the project manager tracking its progress until completion.

Who Can Benefit From Jira?

Jira is attracting a large number of companies from all around the world. Approaches of Agile are getting adopted across a number of teams. This made Atlassin to step up and deliver its services across distinct teams within a company. This section covers how Jira can benefit multiple departments within a company.

1. IT Service Teams

Jira Service Management is suitable for a number of support professionals to get done with tasks like issue ticketing, change and incident management. It provides a path for customers to seek help from agents, along with assisting them to deliver the service to their customers.

2. Business Teams

This platform has its own basic tool for project management called Jira Work Management. It's curated for teams that aren't necessarily a part of IT and software development. It is suitable for departments like finance and human resources to perform general task management, alter requests and workflow approvals.

3. Portfolio Management and Delivery Management Teams

Jira Align is an impressive agile planning solution for professionals to manage large scale projects. It offers portfolio strategy, technical execution.

4. Software Development Teams

This software provides software development teams with the features and functions they need. This tool can manage projects, bug tracking, perform and manage fundamental software development tasks.

You may also read: What is a Pipeline in DevOps

Key Features of Jira

Let's explore some key features of Jira that contribute to the growth and popularity of this robust platform.

  • Mobile Access

It is highly accessible and can be used on any device, from a computer to a mobile phone. Users can add comments, view and create issues while sitting at home or from the office. It also gives notifications regarding issue updates to keep the user equipped with the latest information.

  • Time Tracking

In this tool, Users can have a thorough understanding of their project's timeline by keeping a check on how much time is spent on issues. It gives coverage to many parameters like working hours per week or day, etc. It enables the project's timeline to be more manageable and cost-effective for users through tracking the information.

  • Security

It prioritizes the data by providing a number of security features like strong password policies, permissions and two factor authentication.

  • Project Roadmap

Users can obtain a complete outline to track their project's progress. This ensures that the team is updated with the project status, which could further help in early detection of threats. Give a structured approach to the product development process by making a timeline and list of goals. It connects the teams to communicate and collaborate throughout the project lifecycle.

  • Dashboards

Users get a complete sketch of the present state of their project through Jira's dashboards. It tells users what issues are being worked upon, the future measures to be taken while being shareable.

Related Article- Top 20 JIRA Interview Questions and Answers

Jira Licensing: Steps to Get a Jira License

Knowing the extensive features, you may want to use Jira software for your company. It requires you to purchase the Jira license. But how. It is an easy but multistep process. You can purchase it by navigating to the official website, selecting the plan and doing the payment. The complete process is explained below:

Step 1. Understand your requirements

The first step is to understand your requirements for which you want its license. It has two types of editions, including Jira software and Jira Service Management.

Step 2. Choose a Jira edition

Select the Jira edition that fits best for all your requirements.

Step 3. Create or log in to an Atlassian account

It is essential to have an Atlassian account to pursue its plan.

Step 4. Generate a trial license

It provides a unique feature known as a trial license, which is a subscription period. Use it to understand what features you need to use.

  • Navigate to the Atlassian Documentation or Marketplace.
  • Find and select the product you want to use in trial.
  • Choose your platform from Cloud, Server, or Data Center.
  • Click on the Try it free or Start free trial button.
  • Fill in your company domain or cloud URL and agree to the terms.
  • Click on the Generate License option.

Step 5. Purchase a license

  • Again navigate to Atlassian website and find the Jira pricing page.
  • Select an appropriate plan (e.g. Free, Standard, Premium, or Enterprise).
  • Select the number of users according to your requirement.
  • Checkout and complete the purchase.

Step 6. Activate the license

Copy the license key from the generated page for the trial license. Us the given instruction to activate a plan:

  • Go to Administration > Applications > Versions & licenses.
  • Find the relevant Jira application.
  • Paste the license key and update it.

How To Use Jira?

It all comes down to how to use Jira. Getting started with this software requires a few steps to be fulfilled. Here are the ones to follow.

Step 1. Create a Project

Go to the Jira site. Click on the 'Projects' dropdown menu in the top navigation. Select 'Create Project'.

Step 2. Select a Template

There are plenty of Jira templates available that are crafted to be used for different requirements. Three most often used templates for software teams are Scrum, bug tracking, and Kanban.

Step 3. Set Up the Columns

The board in Jira displays a category of issues in columns. Each of these columns reflect a point in the team's workflow to take work through completion. While the board enables configuring a lot of things, setting up the columns is enough for the time being.

Step 4. Create an Issue

Issues work as the building blocks in every Jira project. There are many things an issue can represent like a bug, a task, a story, epic or a feature to be built.

Create an Issue in jira

Step 5- Connect the Tools

With this software, teams can save significantly more time in terms of managing work by utilizing the Jira apps, which are over 3000. These can be customized to adapt to the use cases and project needs. Cog > Apps > Find new apps. The app can either be chosen from the categories provided or searched by name. The options available are 'Install, 'Free trial' and 'Buy now'.

Step 6- Invite the Team

Once the board reflects enough work, it's time to start inviting team members.

Step 7- Begin Work

Once the team joins in, collaboration and tracking can happen seamlessly. A sprint must be created to commence work tracking in a scrum project. Work can be tracked on the board in a kanban project. Move work between columns as the task progresses.

Wrapping Up

There are numerous possibilities and opportunities attached to optimally understanding 'what is Jira software'. This guide is only a point in the direction. Anyone can enjoy a bright career in project management and other fields by learning a tool like Jira.

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FAQs for What Is Jira

Q1. Is Jira easy to learn?

It is pretty easy to understand and begin using the workflow with Jira tools. With some practice, one can also gain proficiency.

Q2. Is Jira a CRM tool?

Since Jira is primarily crafted to be used for issue tracking and project management, using it as a CRM tool can be quite tricky. It might become simpler after gaining efficiency.

Q3. What is the Jira tool used for?

The tool is used mainly for project management as it supports most agile methodologies like Kanban, Scrum, etc.

Q4. What are the main types of Jira?

The main types of Jira are Jira Software for development teams and Jira Service Management for IT and support teams.

Q5. How does Jira work as a ticketing system?

Jira is used to create and manage tickets for tasks, bugs and service requests. It helps teams track progress and collaborate efficiently.

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About the Author
Jaya | igmGuru
About the Author

Jaya is a versatile technology writer specializing in DevOps, Quality Management, Project Management, Big Data, IT Service, Architecture, and Digital Marketing. She simplifies complex concepts into practical insights, bridging theory and real-world application, and helps both beginners and professionals build skills and stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape.

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