To create a subtask in Jira, open the parent work item, select Add or create related work under its summary, choose Create subtask in a company-managed space or Add a child work item in a team-managed one, type a summary and select Create. Each subtask can then be assigned and tracked on its own.
What surprises people is how much a subtask copies from its parent. It inherits the parent's space, work security level and, in software spaces, its sprint. In a team-managed space it also inherits the parent's access restrictions, and you can't change them on the subtask itself: you have to change them on the parent.
Before you can add subtasks
Company-managed and team-managed spaces handle subtasks differently, and even the name changes. Company-managed spaces call them subtasks. Team-managed spaces call them child work items.
| Company-managed space | Team-managed space | |
|---|---|---|
| Switched on by | An administrator, who enables subtasks and adds the subtask work type to the work type scheme | On by default |
| Button to use | Create subtask | Add a child work item |
| Can sit directly under an epic | Yes, using the Add parent link | No, only under standard work items like stories, bugs or tasks |
| Turning one into a normal work item | More actions, then Convert to work item | More actions, then Move |
If a team-managed space is missing the subtask work type, add it: next to the space name in the sidebar select More actions (•••), then Space settings, then Work types, then Add work type.
How to create a Jira subtask
- Open the work item you want as the parent.
- Select Add or create related work under the work item's summary.
- In a team-managed space select Add a child work item. In a company-managed space select Create subtask.
- Add a summary, then select Create.
Short on time? Select Suggest work items while creating a child work item or subtask, and Jira's AI drafts a list based on the parent's details. You accept, edit or decline each one, and every accepted suggestion becomes a linked child work item.
Team-managed space admins can also add subtasks from the board. Next to Group by, select Subtask, then use Create work item (+) under the work item you want. Grouping by subtasks puts the parent work items in the swimlane headers, with the subtask cards underneath.
Moving a subtask to a different parent
- Open the child work item or subtask.
- Select the work type icon in the top-left corner, next to the parent's key.
- Choose the new parent work item.
In the timeline and list views you can also drag a work item underneath its new parent. If you prefer the keyboard, command + K on a Mac or Ctrl + K on Windows opens Jira's command palette.
Converting between subtasks and work items
Sometimes a subtask grows into its own piece of work. In a company-managed space:
- Open the subtask and select More actions (•••), then Convert to work item.
- Pick a new work type and select Next.
- If the current status isn't allowed for the new work type, choose a new status at Step 2 and select Next.
- Complete any extra fields at Step 3 and select Next.
- Review the changes and select Finish.
In a team-managed space, select More actions, then Move, change the work type in the table, fill in any required fields, decide whether to tick Send mail for this update, then select Confirm and Acknowledge.
Going the other way, open the work item, select its work type icon, choose Subtask, pick the parent and select Finish. There's one rule: a work item with subtasks of its own can't become a subtask. Convert its subtasks to standalone work items first.
Subtask or split work item?
If a work item is simply too big, splitting it can suit better than subtasks. Select the work item in the Backlog of a Scrum or Kanban space and choose Split work item. You can't split from active sprints or the Kanban board, and splitting isn't available in business spaces.
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| Subtask | Split work item | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A smaller piece that stays under its parent | A new standalone work item of the same work type |
| What carries over | Space, work security level and sprint | Priority, component, label and custom fields, but not the work log, comments, history or links |
| Link to the original | Shown under the parent | The original is linked to the new work item |
A split item's status also goes back to the first step of the workflow, and its resolution is cleared. If the original had an estimate, you can add one to the new item and adjust the original.
Restricting who sees a subtask
In company-managed spaces, a lock icon at the top-right of a work item lets you set a security level, but only if the space has a security scheme. In team-managed spaces you restrict a work item to specific roles when you create it from + Create, and a subtask then follows its parent. Work-level security can't be configured on any Free plan. Two things to watch: bulk moving work items from a company-managed space to a team-managed one removes their restrictions, and deleting a custom role makes items restricted only to that role inaccessible.
My verdict on Jira subtasks
I'd use subtasks when one piece of work needs several people, because each part gets its own assignee and status without cluttering the backlog. Keep them small, and if a subtask starts needing its own subtasks, convert it into a work item. If you're unsure where subtasks sit in the hierarchy, here's how Jira issue types fit together, and each subtask still moves through the statuses in your Jira workflow.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a Jira subtask inherit from its parent?
A subtask inherits the space, work security level and sprint value (in software spaces) from its parent.
Why can't I create subtasks in my company-managed space?
An administrator has to enable subtasks and add the subtask work type to the space's work type scheme first.
Can a Jira subtask sit under an epic?
In company-managed software spaces, yes, using the Add parent link. In team-managed spaces, subtasks can't be nested directly beneath epic-level work items.
Can I turn a work item with subtasks into a subtask?
No. Convert its subtasks to standalone work items first, then convert the work item.
What is a subtask called in a team-managed space?
A child work item.
