- Five built-in routes, from lightest to heaviest
- Jira lists: what they need and how they behave
- Creating a Jira work item from a Trello card
- Jira lists aren't live, and attachments stay behind
- A typical marketing-to-dev setup
- A gradual move to another tracker
- My verdict for mixed teams
- Frequently asked questions
Yes. Trello has built-in Jira features: attach a Jira work item to a card, paste a link for a Smart Link preview, make a link card, show a Jira list driven by a JQL query, create Jira work items from a card, and connect Automations to your Jira instance. Jira lists need a Premium Workspace.
Five built-in routes, from lightest to heaviest
Trello offers several built-in ways to bring Jira content onto a board: card attachments, Smart Links, link cards, Jira lists and Automations. Atlassian now calls Jira issues work items (issue), so that's the term used here. Which route you want depends on how much the two teams need to share.
| Route | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Link | A Jira link in a card description or comment becomes a rich preview with title, description and assignee | Mentioning a dev ticket in passing |
| Card attachment | Shows the work item's details in the card's Attachments section, with status changeable from Trello | One card that depends on one work item |
| Link card | A card named with a Jira link becomes an interactive preview that stays visible when closed | Pinning a key work item on a board |
| Jira list | A list filled by the results of a JQL query | Showing a live-ish slice of Jira to a non-dev team |
| Automations | Create Jira work items or add comments to existing ones | Hand-offs from Trello to developers |
With Smart Links and attachments, you can change the Jira status in place, without leaving Trello. Link cards are previews only, though: they don't have checklists, comments, due dates or attachments.
Jira lists: what they need and how they behave
A Jira list is the most powerful option and the one with the most rules. To add one, you need membership of a site with Jira app access, and the Trello board must be in a Premium Workspace.
- It's driven by a customisable Jira Query Language (JQL) query, so you control exactly which work items appear.
- It syncs when the board is loaded or the page is refreshed, not in real time. There's a sync button to refresh it.
- Dragging a card out of a Jira list copies it rather than moving it, and you can't move cards from other lists into it.
- A Hide copied cards filter keeps the board tidy once you've copied a few.
Creating a Jira work item from a Trello card
On a regular card, choose Create Jira work item. The work type is pre-filled as Task and the status as To Do. The card's name, description, links and due date map to the Jira summary, description, web links and due date.
This only works in the Trello web app, on regular cards. It doesn't work on Link cards, Mirror cards, the Trello Desktop apps, or in Firefox and Safari. If the option's missing, check your browser first.
Jira lists aren't live, and attachments stay behind
Atlassian Support's Trello documentation is clear on the limits that catch teams out. Jira lists only update when the board loads or refreshes, so a list on a wall screen can be out of date until someone reloads it. They copy rather than move cards, and they need a Premium Workspace. And when you create a Jira work item from a card, the card's attachments aren't copied, so screenshots and files have to be added to Jira separately.
A typical marketing-to-dev setup
Say your marketing team plans in Trello and your developers work in Jira. Add a Jira list on the marketing board with a JQL query for work items labelled for marketing, so the team can see what's in progress. When marketing needs something built, they use Create Jira work item on the card, then attach screenshots in Jira by hand. Smart Links in comments keep both sides pointing at the same work item.
For more on running campaigns in Trello, see my Trello marketing guide.
A gradual move to another tracker
Linear's Jira integration connects Jira spaces to Linear teams, creating Linear issues and projects when Jira issues and epics are created, to support a pilot or a gradual move. If you're reconsidering the whole stack, my roundups of Jira alternatives and project management software cover the options.
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My verdict for mixed teams
Yes, the two work together well without extra tools. Start with Smart Links and attachments, which need nothing special. Add a Jira list if your board is in a Premium Workspace and the team wants a view of dev work, and remember it only updates on refresh. Use Create Jira work item for hand-offs, and add the attachments in Jira yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I see Jira work items on a Trello board?
Yes, through attachments, Smart Links, link cards or a Jira list driven by a JQL query.
Can I create Jira work items from a Trello card?
Yes, using Create Jira work item on a regular card in the Trello web app.
Do Jira lists update live?
No. They sync when the board loads or the page is refreshed.
Which Trello plan is needed for Jira lists?
The board must be in a Premium Workspace.
Can Trello Automations talk to Jira?
Yes. They can create Jira work items or add comments to existing ones.
