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Display Sub-Tasks on Scrum Board

David Smith_8lapyl

If been using Jira for like 15 years happily seeing Sub-Tasks as cards on the board.

Just started a new project, on a fresh atlassian Cloud install (basic version), and sub-tasks don't show except for "Group by Sub-Task" which is not a usable view. Just a little "hierarchy" icon telling you there are sub-tasks.

Is this true - atlassian have decided sub-tasks should not be on the board?

Or a i missing a new config somewhere. (new install, this is the only project, I am admin, sub-tasks are in the Issue type Scheme [a change I made], no board filter etc etc I have checked these things)

(* been on a data centre older version for last year or so)

thanks

Dave!

Accepted answers

David Smith_8lapyl

going to answer my own question as I have found the answer!

your first project defaults to team-managed project, which for some reason has removed this long standing functionality. Moving to company-managed project you can get back to having sub-tasks on your board.

see Dave Mathijs comments in this answer https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Showing-sub-tasks-on-JIRA-board/qaq-p/2202230

All comments

Manoj Kumar Gangwar

Hi @David Smith ,

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Sub-tasks are of little use in a backlog, they're not rank-able outside their parent issue, and are not sprint items themselves, so there's not a lot of point in seeing them.

You can get a view of them in a backlog by adding the "sub tasks" field to the backlog view of an issue, but of course, that's just going to tell you "this sprint item has some sub-tasks", there's nothing you can do with them in the backlog.

David Smith_8lapyl

Thanks for your thoughts.

sub-tasks are just another level in the backlog hierarchy. Often a workaround for many many years before atlassian had more levels / sorted out using Parent. They ARE part of the tasks to deliver the sprint, and the functionality we have had for many years of seeing the subtasks nicely grouped under a story/task on the board is one of the most used features across jira's user base in my experiance and across my global organisation.

E.g. say a certain User Story has a one off specific need for a document to be created before it is "Done", doing a sub-task tracks that showing it nicely in the board view. Yes you could do a linked Task but then you are losing the visual and have to go searching for the related item. The board is meant to be visual it stems from doing it physcially which is how we would do it if we want back to using post-it notes!

I think it is a massive backwards step if atlassian are tyring to remove them from the board.

David Smith_8lapyl

going to answer my own question as I have found the answer!

see Dave Mathijs comments in this answer https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Showing-sub-tasks-on-JIRA-board/qaq-p/2202230

berecom

Hi all,

This might be a bit off-topic, but we encountered a similar situation. In response, we developed a small app specifically for managing sub-tasks, similar to how they’re handled on physical Scrum boards. It works in company managed projects and also in team managed ones.
We recently decided to publish this app for free, as it benefits us—and it may also be useful to you.

Regards, Bernie

Sub Task Board - Free

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1234723/sub-task-board-free

Subtaskoard-2026-06-28 15-22-27.png

Christof Luick

I fully agree with David and furthermore, a Story is not always completed in one Sprint. If it isn't (by which reason whatsoever), then a new subtask, which can be inserted into the following sprint, helps a lot in maintaining an overview.

TOMAS BAJARUNAS

Manoj Gangwar Couldn't disagree more with you. Your views do not align with what is happening in the real world, and as it stands now, not showing subtasks provides a major friction when we use jira scrum board.

Keith Thomas_7236lk

Sadly the link is broken.

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