Best Practices for Jira Epics

Maximize Agile Planning with Jira Epics

The popularity of Atlassian Jira has surged in recent years, largely due to its flexibility and alignment with agile development practices. Whether you're evaluating Jira or already using it, the key to long-term success lies in how well you leverage its core features—especially Epics.

One of the most overlooked Jira capabilities is the Epic. Teams often dive into sprint planning or user story creation without first aligning around the broader goals that Epics represent. This article breaks down what Jira Epics are, how they differ from other issue types, and how to use them effectively to drive better outcomes in agile projects.

What Is an Epic in Jira?

In Jira, an Epic is a high-level body of work that can be broken down into smaller tasks, stories, or issues. Think of it as a large goal or feature set that spans multiple sprints. Epics help teams group related issues, visualize progress across larger efforts, and maintain alignment with product roadmaps.

Each Epic in Jira is a special issue type, with its own workflow, assignees, and custom fields such as start and due dates. While teams may define Epics differently—based on features, goals, or milestones—they all serve the same purpose: organizing complexity in agile delivery.

Jira Epics vs. Stories vs. Tasks

To use Jira effectively, it’s important to understand the difference between common issue types:

• Epics: Broad goals or initiatives that contain multiple user stories or tasks. They typically span several sprints.

• Stories: Smaller units of work that represent user functionality or requirements. Stories often live within an Epic.

• Tasks: Standalone pieces of work that may or may not be tied to an Epic or Story.

Key distinctions:

• Epics often represent parent-level work in a hierarchy.

• Stories and tasks are usually scoped for individual sprints.

• Epics may have dependencies across teams or systems.

Jira also supports custom issue hierarchies with advanced planning features within Plans, allowing you to tailor levels like Initiatives or Themes above the Epic level.

Looking to get started with Jira and don't know where to begin? Get the tl;dr on how to learn Jira fast.

Epic vs. Feature in Jira

While some teams use the terms Epic and Feature interchangeably, Jira treats them differently—especially when Jira Align or Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) are involved.

• Epics are often at the top of the issue hierarchy in standard Jira Software projects.

• Features, depending on your configuration or apps like Jira Align, may sit below an Epic or serve as a mid-tier level between Initiatives and Stories.

The takeaway? Use Epics for tracking major objectives and Features for managing functional deliverables within those objectives.

Why Epics Matter for Agile Teams Using Jira

Implementing Epics in your Jira project management approach offers several benefits:

Organized Workstreams

Epics group work in a way that’s easier for non-technical stakeholders to understand. Instead of sifting through dozens of user stories, stakeholders can review Epic-level progress and outcomes.

Goal-Oriented Planning

Epics help teams define, prioritize, and measure strategic objectives across multiple sprints, improving visibility and alignment.

Streamlined Execution

By planning at the Epic level first, teams create space for better design, more informed decisions, and clearer dependencies.

Increased Innovation

When development teams structure their work through Epics, they can think more holistically, improving product design and delivery quality.

How to Create and Use Epics in Jira

Jira makes it simple to incorporate Epics into your workflow:

1. Create a new issue in your project.

2. Set the issue type to "Epic."

3. Add an Epic Name, summary, and other details.

4. Link existing issues to the Epic or create new ones from within the Epic view.

Epics integrate with tools like backlogs, Kanban boards, and roadmaps, giving you full visibility into progress and scope.

Bonus Tip:

Use Epic swimlanes or Epic links on your boards to visualize work distribution and team focus areas.

Best Practices for Managing Jira Epics

• Define a clear scope before creating an Epic. Avoid open-ended Epics unless they serve as thematic containers.

• Close Epics when complete to avoid clutter and maintain reporting accuracy.

• Use automation rules in Jira Cloud to streamline Epic workflows, such as auto-closing an Epic when all child issues are done.

Unlock the Full Power of Jira with Expert Support

Jira is a powerful tool—but only if used intentionally. From automation to workflow customization, there’s a lot to configure, and it can be overwhelming without expert guidance.

At Praecipio, we help teams get more from their Jira instance—maximizing the value of features like Epics, advanced roadmapping, and agile boards. Whether you’re scaling agile or just getting started, our experts can guide you through best practices that drive real business results.

Let’s connect. Jira works best when it works for you.