I want you to research on whether linked issues can be rolled into JA. What is the difference betwee

[Poluru Sai Shilpa]

we have given a task to integrate the newly created project and board in jira with jira align but in jira we are using heirarchy of parent child relation ships between epic and feature but in jira in newly created board they dont have such type of heirarchy instead they are using linked issues. Is there any possibility for the integration if any please tell me step by step process on this?

[Steve Sauser]

@Poluru Sai Shilpa Thank you for your question.  

I will start with the "linked issues" - the only integration that exists that can leverage a linked issue type is in the dependency space where you can configure to injest the Depends on or Depends types to create the shell of a dependency in Jira Align.  

• Simple answer for your use case is "you cannot".  

Once integrated to Jira Align the only work items that will sync (Jira to JA and/or JA to Jira) are going to be the Feature (Jira Epic) and below (Story, Task, Bug, Sub-task).  

• Any work item above the Jira Epic (JA Feature) will not sync.  
• We have a few customers who have had Partners create a custom connector to sync the higher level work items. 
  • These custom integrations require some level of maintenance beyond the initial creation.  

I would challenge you to think about why the Epic (above the feature) should be existing in Jira?  

• If you enable the Jira Align Why, then at the feature level they are able to visualize the full hierarchy of the work (above the Feature) with a blob of data that populates in the Feature in Jira. 
  • This allows the Programs and Teams to understand how the work ladders upward and why they are working on these items.  
• The benefits of working these higher level work items in Jira Align are broad. 
  • Example:  Epic in Jira Align can span across many Portfolios (as necessary) to reduce re-work of creating multiple Epics that need work from many portions of the organization. 

Broadly when moving to an actual At Scale Agile Implementation there are necessary changes in behaviors (ways of working) because you are collectively working toward many of the same goals and need visibility of all the work. 

• Jira is a Team type tool, where Jira Align is a broad enterprise tool. 

Hopefully this is helpful.   

[Charles Johnson]

Yes, linked issues in Jira can be referenced in Jira Align, but they cannot be configured to roll up or sync as hierarchical work items in the same way as parent-child relationships. Jira Align is designed to sync and roll up only through structured hierarchies, not flat issue links.

Below is a clean, original explanation of how this works and how to approach it without infringing on copyrighted material:

✅ Can Linked Issues Roll Up in Jira Align?
No, linked issues (such as those using Jira's “blocks”, “relates to”, or custom link types) cannot be configured to roll up in Jira Align the same way as parent-child relationships do.

Jira Align relies on a strict hierarchy to aggregate work, track progress, and manage dependencies. Links are informational and do not affect roll-up logic.

🔄 What Syncs and Rolls Up Instead?
Jira Align Sync Behavior:
Parent-child issue types (e.g., Story under Epic, Epic under Capability) are what drive synchronization and roll-up.

These are configured through Jira Align’s integration settings, where you map issue types and define their relationships.

Roll-up Logic:
Stories roll up into Features (mapped from Epics in Jira).

Features roll into Capabilities or Epics in Align.

Progress, estimation, and status roll up only through these relationships.

🛠️ How to Achieve Roll-Up Behavior
To enable true roll-up in Jira Align, follow these steps:

1. Use Proper Hierarchy in Jira
Set up Jira with issue types that mirror the levels expected in Jira Align:

Story → Feature → Capability → Epic

Make sure child issues use the native “parent” field, not just issue links.

2. Map Issue Types in Jira Align
In Jira Align:

Go to Administration > Jira Settings > Manage Projects.

Map each Jira project’s issue types to Jira Align’s corresponding work items.

Define the hierarchy (e.g., Story → Feature).

3. Avoid Using Links for Hierarchy
Issue links can still be used for traceability or dependency visualization, but not for:

Progress tracking

Estimation roll-up

Roadmap alignment

4. Use Dependency Features Instead
If your goal with linked issues is to show relationships across teams or programs:

Use Jira Align’s Dependency object.

This allows you to represent work that is dependent between features, capabilities, or stories across programs and teams.

🚫 Limitations of Linked Issues
Functionality Linked Issues Parent-Child Hierarchy
Syncs to Jira Align ✅ (as reference only) ✅
Drives Roll-Up ❌ ✅
Affects Status/Progress ❌ ✅
Supports Dependency Mapping ✅ (if configured manually) N/A
Supports Custom Reporting Limited Full

✅ Summary
Linked issues cannot be used for roll-up in Jira Align.

To achieve roll-up, use parent-child issue relationships, mapped in the connector.

Dependencies or traceability between linked work can still be represented, but this is not hierarchical and must be configured separately.