Top 5 Gadgets for Jira Cloud to Improve Visibility, Tracking, and Team Performance

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Jira Cloud dashboards are as powerful as the gadgets you add to them. The appropriate tools can transform raw work item data into visible results, assist teams in monitoring progress, and provide managers with real-time visibility into project status.

In this article, we will discuss the top 5 gadgets in Jira Cloud that teams use the most frequently.

1. Filter Results Gadget

One of the most popular Jira Cloud gadgets is the Filter Results gadget.

Why teams use it:

• Lists work items according to a previously created and saved JQL filter.
• Displays key fields: status, assignee, priority, and due date.
• Updates when work items are changed.

Best use cases:

• Sprint task lists.
• Bugs waiting for triage.
• Work items that are high priority across multiple projects.

Limitations: It only displays the present status of work items. No history, no vision of how and why things changed.

To configure the Filter Results gadget, do the following: 

• Create a JQL filter. Go to Filters → All work items → JQL, create your query using JQL, and save the filter.

• Add the gadget to your dashboard. Click Add gadget on your Jira dashboard, and select Filter Results.

• Select the saved filter. Choose a filter you created from the dropdown list.

• Configure display options. Select the columns to display (e.g., Status, Assignee, Priority)

• Save the gadget. Real-time work items that match your filter will appear on the dashboard.

2. Sprint Health Gadget 

If your team is working in Scrum, then Sprint Health gadget is a must-have.

What it shows:

• Remain work to be done in the active sprint.
• Completed vs. incomplete work items.
• Overall sprint progress.

Limitation: It focuses only on the current sprint and doesn't explain why progress changed over time.

To configure the Sprint Health gadget, do the following:

• Add the gadget to your dashboard. Click Add gadget on your Jira dashboard, and select Sprint Health.
• Choose the Scrum board with the active sprint you want to track.
• Click Save to see sprint progress on your dashboard.

3. Pie Chart Gadget

The Pie Chart gadget is excellent for visualizing the distribution of work item by status, assignee, priority, etc.

Limitation: Like many built-in gadgets, it doesn’t have historical tracking and audit details.

To configure the Pie Chart gadget, do the following:

• Prepare a saved JQL filter. 
• Go to your dashboard, click on Add gadget, and select Pie Chart.
• Select the saved filter.
• Choose a statistic type. Select how work items are grouped (e.g., Status, Assignee, Priority)
• Click Save and you will view the distribution of the work items in the form of a pie chart.

4.  Activities Gadget by Issue History for Jira 

Activities gadget by Issue History for Jira app (SaaSJet) displays a chronological activity log of what happened to work items over time, not just their current state.

What the Activities gadget displays:

• Work item updates (comment, status, assignee, priority, and other fields changes).
• Who made each change.
• When each update was made.

Activities gadget by Issue History for Jira app provides a real-time audit trail directly on dashboards. It is Ideal for managers, auditors, and compliance teams. 

To configure Activities gadget, do the following:

• Go to your dashboard, click on Add gadget, and choose Activities (by Issue History).
• Select work items by Filter, Space, or JQL. 
• Select the user(s) who made the updates if it is necessary.
• You can also use the Filed filter to choose which activities you want to see. For example, it can be Status, Due date, and Priority.
• The received report can be exported as a PDF, CSV, or Excel file.

5. Dynamic Status Chart Gadget by Issue History for Jira 

Dynamic Status Chart gadget by Issue History for Jira app is designed for teams that need to know how work evolves over time, not only to where it ends up.

What it does:

• Tracks how many work items were in each status on each day.
• Visualizes workflow changes across a selected date range.
• Updates dynamically based on data changes.

It enables trend analysis, identifies workflow bottlenecks, and helps understand work delays and workload shifts. It is perfect for reports and stakeholder presentations.

To configure Dynamic Status Chart gadget, do the following:

• Go to your dashboard, click on Add gadget, and choose Dynamic Status Chart (by Issue History).
• Selecting work items by Filter, Space, or JQL. 
• Set the needed date range.
• Export the chart as a PNG, JPEG, SVG, or PDF file.

This chart report provides an overview of your team's progress. The columns in the chart show work items with statuses according to your workflows.

🔎 Need full visibility into Jira work item changes?

Use Issue History for Jira app from SaaSJet to track activities, visualize status changes over time, and build audit-ready dashboards.

Try it on the Atlassian Marketplace →

Summing Up

Jira Cloud gadgets are a great help for teams to monitor work, but a combination of built-in gadgets and history-based reporting provides real insight. While native gadgets display the current state, gadgets provided by Issue History for Jira app add visibility into what changed, when, and why, and make dashboards more transparent, audit-ready, and decision-focused.