Key Differences between Epic, Task, and Story in Jira

When working on projects in Jira, you’ll notice that the backlog is broken into epics, stories, and tasks. Which begs the question: what is the difference between them? Understanding the differences between them will help you organize work items and manage your projects efficiently in Jira.

In this post, we’ll dive into the key differences between Epics, Stories, and Tasks in Jira. We’ll cover what they are and illustrate when to use them to organize work in your projects.

But before we get to that, let’s briefly understand how work can be organized in Jira.

How work is organized in Jira

Projects are the highest-level container for work in Jira. Under projects, you’ll find issues – these are units of work that hold information on what needs to be done to complete the project. There are different issue types in Jira based on the nature of work. Here’s where epics, stories, and tasks come from. With that out of the way, we can now go over the key differences between these issue types.

What is a Story in Jira?

A Story in Jira represents a small, deliverable piece of work, usually part of a larger project. Stories are intended to be concise yet descriptive enough to convey the value of the work to the stakeholders. In other words, they’re descriptive but not too technical so that stakeholders don’t understand them.

They are often user-centric, focusing on a specific requirement or feature from the user’s perspective. As such, they follow this format:

‘As a <<User>> I want to <<Goal>> so that <<Benefit>>’

You can have a story with the title: Add Google log-in. Then describe it this way: ‘As a user, I want to log into the platform using Google so that I don’t have to create an account to do this’.

Key Differences Between Task and Story in Jira

Scope and Detail: While stories encapsulate a feature or functionality from a user’s perspective, tasks are more granular, often representing the steps needed to complete a story.

Duration: Typically, a story spans across multiple tasks, meaning it usually has a longer duration for completion compared to a task.

Stakeholder Involvement: Stories are often discussed with stakeholders as they directly impact the end product, whereas tasks are more internally focused.

What is a Jira Task?

A Jira Task is a work item that represents a single piece of work or a small step within a larger project. It is more technical and internally focused, usually assigned to an individual or a team to work on a specific aspect of a project.

Key Differences Between Task and Epic in Jira

Complexity and Size: Tasks are smaller and less complex compared to epics, which are large bodies of work often broken down into multiple tasks and stories.

Duration and Tracking: Tasks usually have shorter timelines and are easier to track, while epics span over a longer period, requiring more extensive tracking and management.

What is an Epic in Jira?

An Epic in Jira is a large body of work that can be broken down into smaller stories and tasks. It’s a high-level work item that often encompasses multiple features or aspects of a project. Epics are used to organize work and track progress on a larger scale.

Key Differences Between Epic and Story in Jira

Scope and Duration: Epics have a broader scope and a longer timeline compared to stories, which are more narrowly focused and shorter in duration.

Breakdown of Work: An epic is usually broken down into multiple stories, which are then further divided into tasks.

If we’re differentiating epics, tasks, and stories by hierarchy, here’s how they relate to each other:

• An epic sits right at the top.
• Epics are typically composed of numerous stories and tasks.
• A task can be made up of other smaller subtasks.

It is important to note that there are work items that sit higher than epics in a project. They include:

• Goals – For example, to improve the user onboarding experience.
• Initiatives – For instance, to modernize identity and access management.

For these goals and initiatives, an epic can be something like ‘Enable multiple sign-in options’.

Here’s what this looks like:

Goals are available in Atlassian Home, while you can find initiatives in Jira’s Advanced Roadmaps. These two aren’t directly available inside a project due to their scope.

How to Create Templates from Your Jira Epics, Sub-tasks, and Issues?

Creating templates from your Jira epics, sub-tasks, and issues can streamline your project management process. The Easy Templates for Jira Issues app simplifies this process.

Benefits of Using Easy Templates for Jira Issues App

Efficiency: Quickly replicate standard tasks, stories, and epics, saving time and ensuring consistency.

Customization: Tailor templates to fit the specific needs of your project, enhancing adaptability and relevance.

Scalability: Manage large projects more effectively by standardizing processes across different teams and departments.

Summary

Understanding the differences between Epics, Tasks, and Stories in Jira is fundamental for effective project management. This knowledge helps in organizing and prioritizing work, ensuring efficient progress towards project goals. 
Utilizing tools like Easy Templates for Jira Issues further enhances this efficiency, streamlining the project management process.