Easy Tech TutsHow to Create an Epic in a Jira Kanban Board
By Impran M N
Epics let you group related tasks and stories under a larger body of work, which is especially useful for tracking bigger initiatives on a Kanban board. This guide covers creating an epic and connecting issues to it.
01Open the epics panel
On your Kanban board, find the epics panel, usually accessible from the board's side navigation.
02Create a new epic
Add a new epic, giving it a name and summary that describes the larger initiative it represents.
03Set epic details
Fill in additional details like a color to help distinguish it visually or a description outlining the scope of the epic.
04Link issues to the epic
Assign existing tasks or stories to the epic, or create new ones directly under it, so related work is grouped together.
05Track the epic's progress
Use the epic panel or a dedicated view to see how much of the linked work has been completed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use epics on a Kanban board the same way as a Scrum board?
Yes, epics work similarly across both board types, serving as a way to group related issues under a larger initiative.
How do I add existing issues to an epic?
You can edit an issue's epic link field, or drag and drop it onto the epic from certain views, depending on your Jira setup.
Can an epic span multiple projects?
This depends on your Jira configuration, but typically epics are scoped to a single project unless you're using a company-managed setup that supports cross-project epics.
How do I know when an epic is complete?
An epic is generally considered complete once all of its linked issues have reached a done status, which most epic views will summarize for you.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
