Time in Status in Jira: What is it and how to track?
Jira Time in Status feature makes it easy to create reports detailing how much time each issue has been assigned to various assignees, teams, or projects. And how long it has been spent in each workflow status. Time is one of the first factors we consider while creating a workflow. We establish delivery deadlines after estimating the time needed to accomplish a task based on its complexity and resource availability.
We can use time-related status data to determine actual Jira time spent and contrast it with scheduled time. Furthermore, if we know how much time is spent on the process, we may adapt our efforts.
Queries that status changes can help include:
- How long did it take the team to complete a specific task?
- How long does an issue stay unresolved or under review?
- How is time divided among several assignees?
- What are the hold-ups and the cause of the delays?
- How can you get a lead time or cycle for your issues?
Why Jira time in status is crucial for efficient project management
Tracking Jira time in status might seem like another metric, but it's a game-changer for teams struggling with inefficiencies. Here’s why it matters:
- Spot bottlenecks fast: Ever wonder why your projects are delayed? With time in status, you can easily pinpoint where tasks are stuck — whether it's in "Blocked," "In Progress," or "Code Review." This means no more guessing why things aren’t moving forward.
- No more assumptions: Making decisions based on gut feelings can lead to missteps. This metric gives you real, actionable data to know exactly where things are slowing down.
- Maximize team efficiency: Struggling with resource allocation? By identifying where tasks are spending too much time, you can reassign work or adjust priorities to keep things moving smoothly.
- Save time, boost results: The clearer your insights, the faster you can improve workflows. You’re not just tracking time — you’re optimizing it, cutting out delays, and making your team more productive.
How to display time in status in your Jira?
You can activate the Days in column option to get the time spent in status. The quantity of dots on the card indicates how many days a particular issue has been in a specific status. The function is accessible for traditional boards. To enable it, you should have project-administrator or Jira-administrator access.
Cons: It merely depicts the days, regardless of the precise hour. There is no ability to exclude non-working days or weekends. Also, you should pay attention to what number stays behind the dots. For example., 1 red dot → 5 days, 2 red dots → 8 days.
Here are other ways to monitor Jira time in status:
- Custom field and automation rules.
- Control Chart. Choose the necessary status → identify the issue you want to get the time for → you’ll get the Jira time spent on each status for this issue.
- Average time in status gadget for those who like visuals.
How to calculate time in status in Jira?
The Time in Status add-on is handy for receiving sophisticated reports with computed data. It is beneficial to automatically gather the time spent and analyze it in a convenient way.
Which reports can you get with the add-on? Here is a list:
- Assignee Time,
- Average Time,
- Status Entrance Date,
- Time in Status per Date,
- Status Count,
- Transition Count,
- Cycle and Lead time.
Also, you can generate customized reports using the Pivot table function.
The Pivot Table View is a powerful tool for creating customized reports and conducting in-depth data analysis. With this feature, you can easily aggregate your issues, perform complex calculations, and identify patterns and trends that might go unnoticed. Whether you need to analyze large datasets or want to gain a deeper understanding of your data, the Pivot Table View is an invaluable resource. By allowing you to group and summarize your data in a highly customizable way, this tool can help you uncover insights specific to your needs and goals.
The Time in Status report is the most frequently used by Jira users. It establishes how long the issues have spent in a particular status.
Using trendline on column charts to optimize Jira time spent in status
Adding a trendline to a column chart in Jira is a game-changer for visualizing data trends. While a regular column chart shows past performance, the trendline helps you predict future patterns, allowing your team to stay proactive rather than reactive.
With the trendline, you can:
- Spot inefficiencies early before they escalate into bigger problems.
- Improve forecasting to predict future performance better.
- Make data-driven decisions based on solid trends, not guesswork.
- Optimize resource allocation and prevent overload.
Incorporating the trendline option on your Jira charts gives you powerful insights into time spent in status, enabling you to streamline workflows and ensure smoother project execution.
How to get Jira custom field time in status data directly on the card layout?
The Time in Status add-on allows you to track the time that tasks spend in each status on your board. Using the Custom Fields functionality, you can create a custom field and easily view this information directly on the board.
Let’s learn which steps you should perform. Just a few simple steps - and you monitor time in status data on the Jira card layout.
How to view custom fields on your Jira board?
These steps assume that you have already set up the custom field in Jira and associated it with the board screen.
- Access board settings: In the top right corner of your board, click the three dots and select "Board settings".
- Go to the card layout tab: In the board settings, navigate to the "Card layout" tab.
- Select the custom field: From the "Field name" drop-down list, choose the custom field you want to view on your board.
- Add the custom field: Click "Add" to display the custom field on your board.
That’s all! Now you can monitor your time in status data directly on the issue card layout and don’t waste time entering the add-on. Great, isn’t it? You can read more details on the documentation page.
Jira's length of time in status
Let's review how to get the time spent reports for assignees or groups, and cycle or lead time.
How long has each assignee been assigned to the issue?
Based on this data, you may plan your future actions to increase team efficiency by monitoring team productivity.
You can also determine the Assignee time for a group of people, such as a group of developers or an L1 support team. Add a new column to the Jira time report to present the compiled information for this User group.
Add new User group:
Get the results:
How long has an issue been spent in particular statuses (Cycle, Lead time)?
You can get the total summarized time for several columns by grouping statuses. For example, if you need to get time an issue was in testing by developers or QAs, choose the statuses you want to group and type the name of this column.
The result:
Depending on your workflow, you can choose any statuses you want to include in a cycle or lead time.
Users can analyze all these reports in detail by exporting data to Excel, Google Sheets (XLSX or CSV format), and Power BI.
Another option is to place those reports on your Jira dashboard with Time in Status Gadget.
Charts can also display Status Groups for visuals. Quickly analyze for lightning-fast insights!
Quick access to time in status Jira dashboard reports
It's no secret that more and more Jira users are choosing gadgets to quickly access analytical data on their workflows. All seven reports mentioned above can be displayed as gadgets on the Jira Dashboard.
Additional feature highlight: sprint report Jira overview
The sprint report Jira feature offers more than just a list of completed tasks — it delivers a full visual breakdown of your sprint’s performance. With intuitive charts and segmented data, teams can easily track progress, spot bottlenecks, and understand how scope, velocity, and workload evolved throughout the sprint.
An additional feature that stands out is the ability to analyze metrics like completion rate, team workload, and scope changes in one place. Whether you measure by story points, original estimates, or issue count, this report helps transform raw data into actionable insights — all without manual calculations.
Real-world use cases for the Time in Status app
The Time in Status app isn't just for tracking how long issues sit in a column — it’s a powerful tool that can unlock visibility and efficiency across departments:
- HR & People Ops: Monitor how long tasks stay with each assignee, track productivity trends, and identify delays in onboarding or internal requests.
- Support & ITSM: Analyze support ticket lifecycles, measure time in each resolution stage, and improve SLA compliance.
- PMO & Product: Gain clarity on cycle time, manage blockers, and track how long it takes to move ideas through delivery.
- Engineering: Pinpoint bottlenecks in your development workflow, reduce lead time, and keep projects on schedule.
- Business Ops & Data: Feed time-based metrics into BI tools like Power BI or Qlik to forecast KPIs and visualize performance funnels.
- Strategy & OKRs: Align team goals with actual delivery time, estimate more accurately using historical data, and generate reports that fuel strategic decisions.
No matter the team, Time in Status helps turn invisible delays into clear, fixable insights.
Takeaway
Jira Time in status reports will give you more transparency into how your team is solving issues and spending their time. By comparing numbers and time for different assignees, you can get a critical analysis for identifying bottlenecks in the working process and who are responsible for the delays this way.
Try time in status reports to identify and scale up positive, productive changes in your Jira workflow process. Don’t hesitate to improve your teamwork and track it effectively.
Would you like to try setting up Status Time reports without installing the add-on? Try the demo version of the add-on here
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