How do you link a Jira plan to a specific epic?

Grant Willison_6mund5

Portfolio Plan view is confusing and could really use a revamp - I am looking for how to create a portfolio plan view by a specific epic. I understand you click configure => issue sources => filter/project/board but the epics and tickets are not coming up under the 'filter' option. 
I simply want to create a plan from an epic - how do you do that / why is it that so difficult?

Michelle Le - DevSamurai

Hello Grant Willison

You can check out these steps, hope it will help you. 

To link a Jira plan to a specific epic and create a portfolio plan view focused on that epic, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a Filter for Your Epic

• Go to Jira's Issues tab and select Search for Issues.
• Use JQL (Jira Query Language) to filter by your specific epic. 
• Save this filter by clicking on Save as and give it a name like "Epic XYZ Plan Filter."

2. Use the Filter in Your Portfolio Plan

• Open your Portfolio Plan.
• Go to Configure (you can find this in the top-right corner).
• Under Issue Sources, click Add Issue Sources.
• Select Filter and search for the filter you saved earlier (e.g., "Epic XYZ Plan Filter").
• Once added, the plan will only include issues linked to that specific epic.

3. Verify and Adjust Your Plan

• After adding the filter, check your plan to ensure that the epic and its related tasks are appearing correctly.
• You might need to adjust your view settings to focus on the details that are most relevant to your epic.

Why It's Not Straightforward

• Jira's Portfolio (now called Advanced Roadmaps) can be confusing because it’s designed to handle large, complex data sets. The tool isn’t inherently geared toward single epics but rather entire projects or teams. However, using filters allows you to narrow down the focus to a specific epic.
• The interface might seem convoluted because it’s built to support various use cases, which can make simple tasks feel more complicated than they need to be.

Additional Tip

• If the issues are not showing up, double-check that the filter is correctly pulling the epic and related issues. Sometimes, permissions or the scope of the plan may affect visibility, so ensure that the scope is correctly set in the configuration settings.

If this still doesn't resolve your issue, reviewing permissions or reaching out to Jira support might help.