How to Build a JIRA Dashboard Your Org Will Actually Use (and Love)
If your JIRA dashboard doesn’t answer real questions, it’s just noise. Let’s fix that.
Let’s be honest:
Most JIRA dashboards end up abandoned wastelands after a few weeks.
They start off strong—lots of colorful charts, filters, and graphs—but quickly turn into confusing, stale reports no one checks unless they're forced to.
If you want your JIRA dashboard to actually work for your team and leadership, you need to curate it intentionally:
Only use gadgets that directly answer real questions.
Design it for daily use, not just for end-of-quarter reporting.
Keep it simple enough for everyone to understand at a glance.
Here’s how (and when) to use the most common JIRA gadgets — and a few pro tips on when to skip them altogether.
1. Filter Results Gadget
Use it when: You want a live list of issues that match very specific criteria (like "All Critical Bugs Opened This Week").
Pro Tip:
👉 Perfect for daily standup dashboards or leadership dashboards that show "problem child" tickets in real time.
Don't:
Overload it with too many columns. Show only the most critical fields (Status, Assignee, Due Date).
2. Pie Chart Gadget
Use it when: You need a fast visual breakdown (e.g., "Bugs by Priority" or "Tickets by Team").
Pro Tip:
👉 Great for monthly review dashboards or executive summaries.
Don't:
Use pie charts if you have more than 6 categories. It turns into colorful chaos fast.
3. Two-Dimensional Filter Statistics Gadget
Use it when: You want to see how two factors interact (like "Issue Type vs Status" or "Assignee vs Priority").
Pro Tip:
👉 Perfect for spotting workload imbalances across teams or uncovering stuck stories by sprint.
Don't:
Make it too complex. Choose two important fields and keep it clean.
4. Created vs Resolved Chart
Use it when: You want to track if your team is keeping pace with incoming work.
Pro Tip:
👉 Ideal for scrum masters, team leads, or anyone responsible for backlog health.
Don't:
Ignore the trend lines. If creation consistently outpaces resolution, it’s a red flag—bring it up early.
5. Average Age Gadget
Use it when: You want visibility into aging tickets that are rotting in the backlog.
Pro Tip:
👉 Great for hygiene dashboards. Use a filter that only includes active or important tickets—not the entire history.
Don't:
Scare your team with an average age chart filled with ancient, irrelevant tickets. Keep your filter tight!
6. Sprint Burndown Gadget
Use it when: You’re actively running sprints and want to show burn-down or burn-up progress.
Pro Tip:
👉 Place it front and center for sprint dashboards. Set expectations by reviewing it mid-sprint, not just at the end.
Don't:
Blame the team immediately if the burn looks messy—use it as a conversation starter to uncover blockers.
7. Assigned to Me Gadget
Use it when: You want individuals to see what’s directly on their plate, without needing to run a search.
Pro Tip:
👉 Perfect for personal dashboards or “team member” views, not leadership dashboards.
Don't:
Use it for team-wide dashboards. It personalizes based on who’s viewing.
Building a Dashboard That People Will Actually Use
✅ Start with a question.
Every gadget you add should answer a real, active question your team has.
(e.g., "What’s getting stuck?" "Who’s overloaded?" "Are we closing out new tickets fast enough?")
✅ Design for daily glances.
Dashboards should be functional at a glance—not 30 minutes into analysis.
✅ Curate ruthlessly.
If a gadget isn’t helping someone make a decision or take action, it doesn’t belong on your dashboard.
✅ Update filters regularly.
Stale filters = stale data = dashboard graveyard. Keep your filters clean and relevant.
Closing Thoughts
A good JIRA dashboard isn’t about showing everything.
It’s about showing the right things, at the right time, to the right people.
If you curate it with care, it’ll become a living tool your team actually wants to check — not just another dusty report.
Have a favorite gadget setup that’s worked well for you?
Drop it in the comments — I’m always looking for new ideas to steal (with credit, of course). 😉