Subtasks are the native way to split a Jira work item into smaller parts. Adding a couple of them by hand takes seconds. But for recurring tasks that need the same subtasks every time, it gets tiresome.
In this article, we cover six native ways to create multiple subtasks, from the inline field to the REST API. We also explain how to manage subtasks once they exist. But first, let's settle a more important question: are multiple subtasks the right tool for your work?
Key Takeaways on Creating Multiple Subtasks in Jira
- Subtasks aren’t always the answer. They suit distinct parts of work with their own owner, estimate, or discussion. Small steps or criteria to check usually fit better in a checklist. Checklists can also handle steps that repeat: an Atlassian Marketplace app, such as Smart Checklist for Jira, can add them automatically from a template.
- One by one for a handful. The inline subtask field stays open after each entry, so you can type several summaries in a row.
- Cloning for an occasional repeat. Clone an earlier work item along with its subtasks, then edit the details.
- Jira Automation for every new work item of one type. A flow adds the same subtasks as soon as the work item is created.
- Rovo for unfamiliar work. Rovo drafts subtasks from the parent's summary and description.
- CSV import or the REST API for large batches. Use CSV when the list already lives in a spreadsheet, and the API when you manage Jira with scripts.
Do You Really Need Multiple Subtasks?
Subtasks are the default way to break down work in Jira, so teams often use them for everything. However, multiple subtasks might not be the best solution. To see why, let's start with what a subtask is.
A subtask is a separate work item (issue) that sits under a story, task, bug, or another work type (issue type) on the same level. It has its own key, assignee, status, and fields. Jira doesn't let you add a subtask to an epic or to another subtask. To see how subtasks fit next to epics, stories, and tasks, check out this breakdown of Jira work types.
What When Subtasks Are the Right Choice
Subtasks pay off when a work item breaks into a few parts with distinct results. Several people or teams can work on the task in parallel, discuss each part, and move it through the workflow independently.
Where Multiple Subtasks Fall Short
The same features become a burden when you use subtasks for small, routine steps. Every subtask is a full work item, and that has a cost:
- Board and backlog clutter. Subtasks can show up as separate cards and rows. A few stories with five or more subtasks each can make a board hard to scan.
- Upkeep for every item. You update each subtask's status, assignee, and dates separately. Ten steps mean ten work items to maintain.
- Scattered context. To see the full picture, you open subtasks one by one. You can't scan all the steps and their details in one place.
- Noise in searches. Every subtask is another result in JQL searches, filters, and the dashboards built on them.
- No built-in reuse. Jira has no native subtask templates. You recreate subtasks by hand, clone them, or maintain an automation flow.
- A poor fit for instructions. A subtask is a unit of work, not a step in a process. Step-by-step instructions and quality criteria don't fit that shape well.
When a Checklist for Jira Works Better than Subtasks
A checklist is a list of steps or criteria inside a single work item. It doesn't create new work items, so all the steps stay in one place, on the parent.
Jira has a basic native option. Type [] in a rich text field, such as the description, and it turns into a checkbox. These action items work for a short to-do list, but their functionality is limited. For a side-by-side look at native and app-based options, see how to add a checklist to a Jira work item.
A checklist usually fits better when:
- The list runs from several steps to dozens, all related to one work item.
- The steps are parts of one process, not separate pieces of work.
- You need a list of criteria to check, such as a Definition of Done, acceptance criteria, or a code review checklist.
Checklists have limits too. A checklist item isn't a work item, so you can't comment on it separately or log time against it. If a step needs its own discussion or estimate, it probably deserves to be a subtask.
Here is a side-by-side view of both options:
For richer checklists, you need a Marketplace app. Let’s take Smart Checklist for Jira as an example. It adds a checklist to each work item. Every checklist item can have its own status, assignee, and due date. Board cards show checklist progress, so you can see where each work item stands without opening it.
You can save a list as a checklist template and have it added automatically by work type, field value, or transition. For steps that don't need their own estimates, comments, or attachments, it can do the job of a subtask template. You can also make items mandatory, so the work item can't move forward until they are done. If a step grows into real work later, you can convert it into a subtask.
Learn more about Smart Checklist for Jira
Still convinced that subtasks are the right tool for you? Read on.
How to Create Multiple Subtasks in Jira
Below are six native ways to create multiple subtasks. Here is how they compare:
Method | Best for | Who sets it up | Watch out for |
|---|
One by one | A few subtasks on one work item | Anyone with the Create work items permission | The inline field only takes a summary |
Cloning | An occasional repeat of an existing work item | Anyone with the Create work items permission | Copies everything from the source, and cloned subtasks keep the CLONE - prefix |
Jira Automation | The same subtasks on every new work item of one type | Space admins, unless a Jira admin turns this off | Changing the subtasks means editing the flow, and every run counts toward your automation usage |
Rovo suggestions | A first draft for new or unfamiliar work | Anyone on a Standard, Premium, or Enterprise plan, if an admin hasn't turned Rovo off | Suggestions vary between runs and need review |
CSV import | A list that already exists in a spreadsheet or another tool | Anyone with Create work items and Make bulk changes; a site or organization admin for the External system import | Without admin permissions, you can import 250 work items per file |
REST API | Teams that already manage Jira with scripts | Jira admins and developers | Up to 50 work items per request, plus script upkeep |
Check That Subtasks Are Turned On
Subtasks are on by default in Jira Cloud. Is the Create subtask option missing from the + menu? Then the subtask work type is off or missing from the space (Jira project). The fix depends on the space type.
In company-managed spaces, a Jira administrator turns subtasks on for the whole site:
- Go to Settings (the gear icon) > Work items.
- Open Sub-tasks, listed under Work types.
- Select Enable if the status line shows subtasks as off.
The site setting alone may not be enough. Sub-task also needs to be in the space's work type scheme. To check, go to Space settings > Work items > Types. If Sub-task is missing, add it through Actions > Edit work types.
In team-managed spaces, a space admin adds the work type instead. Go to Space settings > Work types > Add work type and pick Subtask.
Note that you also need the Create work items permission to add subtasks in a space.
Option 1: Add Subtasks One by One
To add subtasks manually:
- Open the parent work item (parent issue).
- Under the title, select the + icon, then Create subtask. The shortcut is Shift+C.
- In the Name this sub-task field, type in a summary and press Enter.
The field doesn't close after Enter. Type another summary, press Enter again, and continue until the list is complete. Then select Cancel to close the field. For a handful of subtasks, this is the fastest native option.
Each subtask only gets a summary at this stage. It goes into the same space and sprint as the parent. The subtask starts unassigned, unless your space lead is set as the default assignee. To set an assignee or a due date, open each subtask and fill in the fields. The parent's Subtasks table then lists every subtask with its assignee, priority, and status.
Option 2: Clone an Earlier Work Item and Its Subtasks
If an earlier work item already has the subtasks you need, you don't have to start over. Clone it, and Jira copies it within the same space, subtasks included:
- On the work item, go to More actions (•••) > Clone.
- Edit the summary for the new work item. Jira prefixes it with CLONE - by default.
- Under Include, select Subtasks. It's off by default.
- Select Clone.
Cloning copies everything, including details that belong to the original work item. If those details appear in subtask summaries or descriptions, you need to edit each one. The CLONE - prefix also stays on every cloned subtask, even if you remove it from the parent. Each copy gets a link to its original as well. For these reasons, cloning suits occasional repeats better than work that comes up every week.
Option 3: Add Subtasks Automatically With Jira Automation
If every work item of a certain type needs the same subtasks, Jira Automation can add them for you. It's the closest native alternative to a subtask template. You build the flow once, and it runs on every matching work item:
- Go to Space settings > Automation. You can reach Space settings through More actions (•••) next to the space name.
- Select Create flow > Create from scratch.
- Pick Work item created as the trigger.
- Add a Work item fields condition. Set Issue Type equals the work type you need, such as Story, and select Next.
- Add an action and pick Create sub-tasks.
- Enter the first subtask summary. Use Add another sub-task for the rest.
- Give the flow a name, then select Save and enable.
The Create sub-tasks action fills in the summary only. Say you want a subtask assigned to someone right away. Select Add fields next to that subtask. Jira then switches it to a Create work item action that uses the Sub-task type. There, you can set the assignee, due date, and other fields.
Note that the Automation Templates tab includes a ready-made flow to add subtasks when a work item changes status.
Option 4: Let Rovo Suggest Subtasks
Rovo helps when you aren't sure how to break the work down. Say the work is new to your team, and you have no list to copy. Rovo suggests child work items (child issues) based on the summary and description of the parent work item (parent issue). A detailed description gives better results. Note that Rovo is available on Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans, not on Free.
To get suggestions:
- Open the work item you want to break down.
- Under the title, select the + icon, then Create subtask, or press Shift+C.
- Select Suggest in the Create suggested work items row.
- Once the list loads, select View suggestions.
- Hover over each suggestion to create, edit, or remove it.
- Select Create all to turn the rest into subtasks.
A few things to pay attention to:
- The suggestions change between runs. Running Suggest again on the same work item returned a new list with different wording. Treat the output as a draft.
- Narrow instructions can replace the whole list. You can refine suggestions in the What should I do next? box. However, when I asked Rovo to add one specific item, it returned only that item. Describe the full set you want, including the new item, instead.
Options 5 and 6: Create Subtasks in Bulk With CSV Import or the REST API
These two methods are mostly for Jira admins or tech-savvy users. They make sense when the list already lives in a spreadsheet, or when you manage Jira with scripts.
- CSV import. The bulk create importer adds subtasks to work items that already exist. Put the parent's key in a Parent column, such as APP-42. Users without Jira admin permissions can import up to 250 work items per file. To create parents and their subtasks in one file, use the External system import. It requires a site or organization admin and links rows through numeric IDs.
- REST API. A script can create subtasks through the bulk create endpoint, up to 50 work items per request. Each subtask needs a subtask work type and the parent's key or ID in its parent field. To authenticate, use an API token for your Atlassian account.
Which Method Should You Pick? Three Questions
- How often does the work repeat? For a one-off, add subtasks by hand or ask Rovo. For an occasional repeat, clone an earlier work item. For work that repeats regularly, use Jira Automation.
- Does the list change from one run to the next? Smart values in an Automation flow can pull details from the parent work item.
- Who will maintain it? Cloning and Rovo work with regular space permissions. Automation needs a space admin who is comfortable building flows. The External system import and the REST API usually need a site admin or a developer.
Managing Subtasks After You Create Them
Creating subtasks is half the job. Jira handles bulk edits and status changes well. Moving subtasks to a new parent, however, still works one at a time.
Edit or close several subtasks at once. Go to Filters > Search work items and run parent = APP-42. Select the subtasks with the checkboxes, holding Shift to select a range. In the toolbar at the bottom, select Edit fields to change them in bulk. For each field, you can keep, replace, or add to the current value. When the work is finished, select the remaining subtasks and choose Change status, then Done.
Move a subtask to another parent. Say a subtask landed under the wrong parent. Open it and select the parent's work type icon in the breadcrumbs. Then pick the right parent, or use View all parents to search.
In team-managed spaces, More actions (•••) > Change parent also works. You can't change the parent in bulk, since bulk edit doesn't allow it for the Parent field. Atlassian tracks this as an open suggestion. Moving a parent to another space, on the other hand, takes its subtasks along.
Turn a subtask into a standalone work item. Sometimes a subtask outgrows its parent task. It may even need subtasks of its own. In a company-managed space, open the subtask and select More actions (•••) > Convert to work item. Choose the new work type, such as Task, and follow the wizard. It asks for a new status if the current one isn't in the new workflow, and for any required fields.
To go the other way, select the work type icon, choose Sub-task, and pick a parent from the same space.
Team-managed spaces have no Convert to work item option. Instead, select More actions (•••) > Move and change the work type to Task. To turn it back into a subtask, use Move again and select a parent. Note that a work item with its own subtasks can't be converted into a subtask.
Delete subtasks you don't need. Open a subtask, select More actions (•••) > Delete, and type Delete to confirm. For several subtasks, pick them from your search results and use More actions (•••) > Delete in the toolbar. Deletion is permanent, and Atlassian support can't recover deleted work items. To hide finished work instead, archive the parent. A subtask can't be archived on its own, so the Archive option only appears on the parent. Note that archiving is available on Premium and Enterprise plans.
Conclusion: Choosing How to Create Multiple Subtasks in Jira
Jira offers six native ways to create multiple subtasks. Adding them one by one works if you need a task breakdown once in a while, and cloning covers an occasional repeat. Jira Automation suits subtasks that every new work item of one type needs. Rovo helps when you don't know the steps yet. CSV import and the REST API handle large batches.
Before you create them, though, ask whether the work needs subtasks at all. Small steps and lists of criteria often fit better in a checklist. It keeps them inside the work item instead of adding cards to the board. If those steps repeat, you can save the checklist as a template.
How does your team break down work in Jira: subtasks, checklists, or both? Share your setup in the comments.
