How to create an Issuetype (Work Item) hierarchy above Epics in Jira Cloud

[Rathna]

Hi,

I would like to know how to create an issuetype ( work item ) above epic level 1.

maybe level 2 ? if Sub-task is Level -1 and story is Level 0.

Thanks for you assistance.

[Faizan Sayyed]

Hello @Rathna 

Thanks for reaching out to the community.

To create an issue type (work item) above the Epic level (e.g., Level 2, sometimes called "Initiative" or "Portfolio Epic") in Jira, you need to use the custom hierarchy feature available in Jira Premium or enterprise plans.

You can refer to the below article for the same.

• Configure the Work type hierarchy

I hope this helps!!!

[Olga Cheban _TitanApps_]

hi @Rathna !

Indeed, it's possible to create another issue type (work item) above Epic - in fact, it can even be level 3,4,5, etc. These issue types are often called Initiatives, Programs, or OKRs. 

I wrote a detailed Custom Hierarchy Configuration Guide 2025 that explains how you can set up work items above Epic. If you’re using Jira Premium or Enterprise, you will have access to this functionality.

I also recommend you consider using Smart Templates to better manage your custom hierarchies. The app allows you to save any hierarchical structure in Jira as a template and reuse it later - in particular, this can include Epics with the Tasks and Subtasks, and all your work items above Epic as well.

That's much more convenient than recreating complex custom hierarchies manually. This tool is developed by Titan Apps (the team I'm a part of). Let me know if you have any other questions!

[John Funk]

Hi Rathna,

Go to Settings > Work Items > Work Item Hierarchy

There you can add a level 2. You must be a Jira Administrator to be able to access the folder to change it.