The short answer
Select Create (+) in the top navigation bar, check the space and the work type in the header, write a summary and a description, fill in any required fields, and select Create. That is all Jira needs. What makes the ticket useful is what you write in the summary and description, and whether the ticket already exists.
Atlassian notes you need the Create work items permission in the space. If you cannot create work in a space, ask its admin for that permission.
Step 1: Search before you create
Before creating anything, search for it. Type a few words from the problem into the search box, such as "statement" or "upload". If a ticket already exists, add your information to it as a comment instead. Two tickets for one problem split the discussion and waste someone's time.
Step 2: Open the Create dialog
Atlassian's steps for Jira Cloud:
- Select the Create (+) button in the top navigation bar. A compact Quick Create dialog opens.
- Check the header for the space and work type. They default to the space you are viewing and the work type you last used there, so change them if needed.
- Enter a title (the summary) and, optionally, a description.
- Fill in the required fields and any relevant optional ones.
- To create another item in the same space and type straight after, tick Create another.
- Select Create.
You can also create work straight on a board: select + Create in a column, type a name, and press Enter. That is quick for your own notes, but it skips the description, so use the full dialog for anything someone else has to act on.
Step 3: Pick the right type
The type tells the team what kind of work it is. Atlassian's default types are story (something new users need), task (work that has to be done), bug (a problem that stops the product working as it should) and epic (a big piece of work that groups others). The quick test: is something broken? Bug. Is it something new users need? Story. Otherwise, task. The story vs task vs bug guide has examples.
Step 4: Write a summary that works on its own
The summary is what shows on the board card and in search results, so it has to make sense without opening the ticket. Make it specific:
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| Statement issue | Statement download times out for large accounts |
| Fix upload | ID photo upload fails on Android |
| Compliance thing | Show merchant country code on card payments |
Step 5: Write the description for someone who was not there
The description is where the facts go. The person who picks this up may not have seen the email or the meeting. Include:
- What is needed and why. One or two sentences.
- Deadlines that cannot move, with the date. The team plans from the ticket, not from your inbox.
- For a bug: what happened, how to make it happen again, and what should have happened instead.
- Links to the email thread, document or related tickets.
The guide to writing a good ticket goes deeper.
Step 6: The fields to think about
- Priority. Be honest. A legal deadline that cannot move is high; a nice-to-have is not.
- Assignee. When you log work for another team, leave it unassigned unless someone agreed to take it. The team picks it up when it plans.
- Epic or parent. If the work belongs to a bigger goal, set its parent epic so it is grouped with related work.
- Everything else, such as labels or components: follow your team's habits. If you do not know what a field is for, leave it empty and ask.
Step 7: After you click Create
Jira gives the ticket a key, such as PAY-163. Reply to whoever asked with that key, so they can follow it. If you want to keep an eye on it, watch the ticket. And if you made a mistake, edit it right away; a ticket created by mistake can be deleted or archived, as covered in how to delete a ticket.
To create a subtask, do not use the board column; open the parent ticket instead (see subtasks explained).
Practise creating tickets
Agile Board Practice has a lesson where you create a story and a bug on a practice board, and a workplace task where a colleague's email asks for something new and you log it with the right type, priority and deadline before you reply with its key, all with feedback on each step.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a ticket in Jira?
Select Create (+) in the top navigation bar, check the space and work type, write a summary and description, fill in required fields and select Create.
Why can't I create a ticket in Jira?
You need the Create work items permission in that space. If you do not have it, ask the space admin.
Should I assign a ticket when I create it?
Only if someone agreed to do the work. When you log work for another team, leave it unassigned so the team can pick it up when it plans.
What should I put in a Jira ticket description?
What is needed and why, any fixed deadline with its date, links to related material, and for a bug the steps to make it happen again and what should have happened.
Can I create a ticket straight on the board?
Yes. Select + Create in a column, type a name and press Enter. It skips the description, so use the full Create dialog for work someone else has to act on.