Linking related tickets together in Jira can help keep your tasks organized and improve visibility into how issues might be connected. Manually linking tickets one by one can be tedious, especially if you need to link a large number of tickets. Fortunately, Jira provides a way to easily link multiple tickets together in bulk.
Why Link Tickets in Jira?
Here are some key reasons why linking tickets can be beneficial in Jira:
- Shows relationships between issues – Linking tickets makes it easy to see how multiple issues or tasks might be connected.
- Improves traceability – You can trace the relationship between linked issues for better insight into progress.
- Encourages collaboration – Teams can better coordinate when working on related issues.
- Increases visibility – Seeing linked issues together gives broader visibility into interconnected work.
- Simplifies reporting – Generate reports on groups of linked issues to better understand status.
Manual vs Bulk Linking in Jira
You have two options for linking Jira tickets:
- Manual linking – Link issues one by one by editing each ticket and adding the issue links. This can be tedious and time consuming.
- Bulk linking – Select multiple issues and link them together in one step. This automates the process for efficiency.
Bulk linking is usually the better approach when you need to link a large number of related tickets. Manual linking makes more sense for small numbers of tickets or for linking as you work on issues.
Ways to Link Tickets in Bulk
Jira provides several methods to quickly link many tickets at once:
Link Issues via Issue Panel
You can bulk link issues together right from the issue panel in Jira:
- Select the issues you want to link (hold Ctrl or Shift to select multiple).
- Click the Link button at the top of the issue panel.
- In the pop-up, choose to link the issues as Related, Duplicate, or a custom link type.
- Click Link Issues to confirm.
This will automatically link all the selected tickets in a single batch.
Link Issues via Issue Navigator
Another fast way to bulk link tickets is through Jira’s Issue Navigator:
- Run a JQL search for the issues you want to link.
- Select all the issues (or the ones you want linked).
- Click Tools > Link Issues.
- Choose link type and confirm.
Again, this allows linking many issues easily based on a JQL query.
Install Bulk Link Issues App
The Bulk Link Issues app for Jira Server and Jira Cloud lets you link multiple issues across projects and issue types.
With this app, you can:
- Link issues across multiple projects
- Save bulk link configs for reuse
- Link issues automatically via email
- Schedule recurring issue linking
The app provides additional flexibility for bulk linking compared to native Jira options.
Linking Issues via Jira Automation
For advanced bulk linking scenarios, you can use Jira automation:
- Link issues automatically using Jira workflow triggers.
- Build Jira Service Desk request links using rules.
- Leverage the Jira REST API in scripts to bulk link issues.
Automated linking can save time and help enforce business processes as issues move through workflows.
Best Practices for Bulk Linking
Here are some tips for smoothly bulk linking Jira issues:
- Carefully plan which issues should be linked before doing bulk operations.
- Use appropriate link types like Relates, Blocks, or Clones to define relationships.
- Add comments explaining why you are linking tickets.
- Monitor linked issues for changes using agile boards.
- Remove links that are no longer valid to keep issue relationships clear.
Potential Limitations of Bulk Linking
While bulk linking can save time, be aware of a few limitations:
- Can’t easily undo in bulk if mistakes are made.
- No built-in analysis of whether links make sense.
- Links may not be fully utilized by teams in all cases.
- Excessive linking can clutter Jira rather than clarify.
Use bulk linking carefully to maximize benefits and minimize any downsides.
Conclusion
Bulk linking issues in Jira is an easy way to improve task organization and cross-project visibility. You can quickly link many tickets through the issue panel, issue navigator, apps, or automation. Just be sure to plan links carefully and leverage them to gain meaningful insight into interconnected work.
With smart bulk linking, you can spend less time manually managing issue relationships and more time shipping great products.