Configuring Fields for Child Issues in Jira Queues

Friday, March 28, 2025
by Palak Chauhan

Configuring Fields for Child Issues in Jira Queues

Introduction

Jira queues are essential for managing tasks efficiently, especially in Jira Service Management (JSM). However, when dealing with child issues—such as subtasks or stories within an epic—teams often struggle with visibility and organization.

Atlassian recently made it easier to configure fields for child issues, allowing teams to customize how they appear in queues. This update enhances workflows by ensuring that the most relevant information is displayed where it's needed. In this post, we’ll explore why customizing child issue fields is important, how to configure them, and some practical use cases.

Why Customizing Child Issue Fields Matters in Queues

1. Better Visibility in Queues

By default, child issues may not show all the key details that teams need to track work effectively. Customizing fields ensures that information like assignee, priority, status, or due date is visible directly in queues without extra clicks.

2. Improved Filtering and Sorting

Teams often prioritize issues based on urgency, team member workload, or dependencies. With custom fields in place, it becomes easier to filter and sort child issues in queues according to project needs.

3. Consistent Data Across Parent and Child Issues

By ensuring that important fields are mirrored in child issues, teams can maintain consistency across tasks and prevent information gaps.

How to Configure Fields for Child Issues in Jira Queues

With the recent update, configuring child issue fields has become more intuitive. Follow these steps to ensure the right fields appear in your queues:

Step 1: Access the Queue Configuration

  1. Navigate to your Jira Service Management project.

  2. Click on Queues in the left-hand menu.

  3. Find the queue where you want to customize child issue fields.

  4. Click on the three-dot menu (•••) and select Edit queue.

Step 2: Add Custom Fields for Child Issues

  1. In the Queue editor, locate the section for Issue fields.

  2. Click Add field and search for relevant fields such as:

    • Assignee

    • Status

    • Priority

    • Due date

    • Custom fields (if applicable)

  3. Ensure that child issues inherit relevant fields by checking the issue hierarchy settings.

Step 3: Adjust Filters for Better Organization

  1. Use JQL (Jira Query Language) to refine how child issues appear in queues.

  2. Example: If you want to display only high-priority child issues, use:

    issuetype in (Sub-task) AND priority = "High"

  3. Save changes and test the queue to ensure the correct issues are displayed.

Use Cases for Customizing Child Issue Fields in Queues

1. Tracking Escalations and Approvals

For service desks handling escalations, child issues often track approvals or additional actions. By customizing fields, teams can:

  • Display approval status directly in queues.

  • Filter child issues based on escalation level.

2. Managing Workload Across Teams

Different teams may handle different child issues. Custom fields help distribute work effectively by:

  • Showing assignees for subtasks.

  • Sorting by workload to prevent bottlenecks.

3. Enhancing Incident Management

For incident response teams, child issues can represent different investigation tasks. Displaying fields like root cause analysis status or estimated resolution time can improve tracking.

Final Thoughts

Customizing fields for child issues in Jira queues is a game-changer for improving visibility, efficiency, and organization. With the recent update, it’s easier than ever to ensure your team has access to the right information at a glance.

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