How to create an Issue Log to have a repository of all the issues/problems faced in the project?

[Utsav Kothari]

We want to have an issue log in Jira (currently maintained in Excel). The purpose is to have a repository of any and every issue faced in the project so that in future anyone can refer to the issue log and see if the issue they're facing is a known issue, and the solution/workaround for it.

Should we have a Kanban board and just raise stories/tasks there with all the details? Or is there a specific option available for creating an issue log?

[Ivan Manolov - JXL · Accepted solution]

Hi @Utsav Kothari,

There's no dedicated "issue log" feature in Jira, but Jira works well for this once you set a couple of things up. The pattern most teams converge on is:

1. Pick a work type to represent log entries. A Bug or a Task is the usual choice. If you want the log entries clearly distinct from regular project work, create a custom work type called something like Known Issue (Settings > Issues > Work types > Add work type, or in a team-managed space via Project settings > Issue types).
2. Add the fields you'd otherwise have as columns in Excel. Common ones for a known-issues log: Symptom (short text), Root Cause (paragraph), Workaround (paragraph), Resolution (paragraph), Affected Versions/Components, Severity, and Date Discovered. Add them via Settings > Issues > Custom fields and put them on the work type's screen.
3. Use a separate space (project) for the log - don't mix it with active sprint work. That keeps boards, automations, and reports clean. A simple Business or Kanban project works.
4. Make it findable.
   • Save a JQL filter like project = LOG ORDER BY created DESC and pin it.
   • For lookup by symptom, the global Jira search will index the Summary, Description, Symptom, and Workaround fields, so most "have we seen this before?" questions resolve via search.
   • For category-based browsing, set up Components or Labels (e.g., db, auth, api) and configure Quick Filters on the board to slice by them.
5. Optional: use the List/Board views as your "spreadsheet". The List view (Project > List) lets you sort, filter, and inline-edit fields in a table, which is the closest native equivalent of your Excel sheet. The Kanban board is useful if you also want to track entries through a workflow (e.g., New → Investigating → Documented → Resolved).

A Kanban board is fine for the tracking lifecycle, but for a reference repository that people scan and search, the List view is usually the more useful day-to-day surface.

Hope this helps,

Ivan

[Ivan Manolov - JXL]

@Utsav Kothari Following up on my earlier answer, since the spreadsheet feel is what you're coming from, here's another option that keeps that experience inside Jira.

If you're open to solutions from the Atlassian Marketplace, JXL is a spreadsheet-style view for Jira where you can view, edit, sort, group, and filter your issue log exactly like in Excel - including pasting in any historical entries you already have. You can save multiple sheets per project (e.g., one grouped by Component, one by Severity, one filtered to currently-open known issues) and apply conditional formatting to highlight critical or stale entries. Search is full-text and works across all your fields, so the "have we seen this before?" lookup stays fast as the log grows.

Disclosure: I work for the team that builds JXL.

Cheers,

Ivan