The difference between a link between epic and milestone and setting the epic link in the milestone.

Zigi Fibert

I am trying to work out how best to represent the work of my team.

At the moment I use implemented by links (milestone implement and epic).  Sometimes I also set up an epic link in the milestone.

I don't understand what the epic link does, whether I can use it in Structures and how it is different from setting a link directly.

Mikel Garcia Bartolome

Hey @Zigi FibertIn Jira, Epic Links and issue Links serve different purposes when organizing and tracking work. Here's a breakdown of the differences and how they might be useful in your context:

Epic Link

• Purpose: The Epic Link is used to associate standard issues (like tasks or stories) with an Epic. It defines a parent-child relationship where an Epic represents a large body of work, and the linked issues represent smaller, actionable pieces.
• Usage in Structures: The Epic Link can be used in Jira's Structure add-on or hierarchy views, which automatically organize the relationship between Epics and their child issues. When you build a structure in Jira, you can configure it to include Epics and their related issues, and Jira will automatically pull in the issues tied to the Epic via the *Epic Link*.
• Visual Representation: In boards and backlogs, issues with an Epic Link are often visually grouped under their Epic, making it easier to track progress.

Issue Links

• Purpose: Issue links (like "blocks," "is implemented by," "relates to," etc.) are more flexible and allow you to define a variety of relationships between issues. They don't necessarily define a parent-child relationship; rather, they show how issues are connected.
• Usage in Structures: You can manually include issue links in Jira Structures, but these won’t automatically create hierarchies like Epic Links do. You’ll need to set up custom rules in Structure to represent these links visually.
• Visual Representation: Issue links don’t appear as a hierarchical structure in boards or backlogs unless specifically configured. Instead, they’re more like cross-references.

Key Differences

• Hierarchy vs. Relationships: Epic Links establish a hierarchical relationship (Epic > Story/Task), while issue links are used to define various types of relationships without a strict hierarchy.
• Automation: Jira can automatically group issues by Epic Link in boards, backlogs, and structures, but issue links don’t have that built-in automation unless configured manually.

Using Both in Your Scenario

You can continue using Epic Links to group work under Epics, especially for reporting and progress tracking. If you need to show relationships between milestones or other tasks (like "implemented by"), issue links can provide additional context without affecting the hierarchy.