Starting Out with Atlassian Analytics: Key Points for Beginners

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Hello Atlassian Community!!

Last week, I had a discussion with Atlassian about Atlassian Analytics, and I thought it would be helpful to jot down a few points for those just starting out. If you’re moving from Jira/Confluence Data Center to Cloud, this might be especially useful since Analytics is something new you’ll get access to.

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What is Atlassian Analytics?

Atlassian Analytics is a reporting and visualization tool available in Cloud Enterprise plans. It brings together data from your Jira Software, Jira Service Management, and Confluence into a single place, powered by the Atlassian Data Lake.

With it, you can:

• Build dashboards with charts, tables, and visuals.

• Use prebuilt templates for ITSM, Agile, and Confluence reporting.

• Explore data with drag-and-drop tools or even write SQL queries if you’re advanced.

• Blend Atlassian data with external sources (like Google Sheets or MS SQL).

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Is it Real-Time?

Not quite. Reports in Analytics are near real-time, but not instant.

• Jira issue updates usually show up within minutes.

• Some other data (like Confluence page activity or configuration changes) can take longer-up to a couple of hours.

So, Analytics is best for trends and insights, not for second-by-second monitoring. If you want live updates, stick with Jira dashboards; if you want big-picture insights, use Analytics.

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Why Should Beginners Care?

If you’re just getting started, think of Analytics as:

• Dashboards without boundaries -> You’re not limited to a single project or Jira gadget anymore.

• Cross-product reporting -> See Jira progress alongside Confluence content activity.

• Easier insights -> Atlassian Intelligence can even help you generate queries or explain charts.

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A Simple First Step

Start by opening one of the prebuilt templates (for example, “Jira - Multiple sprints overview” or “Cross-team effectiveness scorecard”).

• Tweak a chart or filter.

• Share the dashboard with your team.

• Ask: “Does this answer a real question we have?”

That’s it-you’ve begun your Analytics journey.

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Your turn

For those already using Analytics:

• What was the first dashboard you built?

• Any quick wins or surprises you discovered?

For those starting now:

• What’s the first question you’d like Analytics to answer for your team?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 😊