How to View Past Sprints in Jira: A Quick Guide

[#1]

Ever find yourself wondering, "Where did that sprint go?" or "How did we perform last sprint?" You’re not alone! Whether you're reflecting on team performance, catching up on completed tasks, or simply wanting to revisit past work, knowing how to view past sprints in Jira is essential. 

Why Look at Past Sprints?

Before we jump into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” Reviewing past sprints can help you:

1. Measure progress. Get insights on what’s working and what’s not, so you can improve in future sprints.

2. Track completion. See which tasks were completed, carried over, or perhaps even forgotten.

3. Spot patterns. Spot trends in task completion rates, identify recurring blockers, and improve planning accuracy.

4. Celebrate wins. It’s not all about the issues! Reviewing past sprints is a great time to acknowledge your team’s accomplishments. 🎉

How to View Past Sprints in Jira

Now, let's get into the nuts and bolts of viewing past sprints. Here are a few ways to access this information:

1. Through the Issues Tab

This is one of the easiest and most direct ways to view issues from past sprints. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Issues Tab.

2. Configure columns to add a Sprint column.

3. Select the sprint you want to review, and Jira will display all the issues that were part of that sprint, including their statuses (Done, In Progress, etc.).

This view is handy because it gives you an immediate visual of all issues within that sprint in one place. 👍

2. Use the Reports Section

The Reports section in Jira is like a treasure chest for insights. Here’s how to get to past sprint data:

1. In your project’s sidebar, find and select Reports.

2. Choose Sprint Report from the list.

3. Use the sprint selector at the top to navigate through your past sprints.

The Sprint Report will give you detailed information, including:

• Issues that were completed versus those that weren’t,

• The team’s velocity, and

• Any scope changes that happened during the sprint.

This is perfect if you want to dig into the details and get a fuller picture of what went down during the sprint.

3. Advanced Search (JQL)

For those of you who love a little customization, JQL (Jira Query Language) can come in handy! You can use JQL to build a query that displays issues from past sprints. Here’s an example:

sprint in closedSprints() AND project = "YOUR_PROJECT_KEY"

This query will list all issues from closed sprints in your project. You can customize it further by adding additional filters (like issue type or assignee) to really zero in on what you need.

Tips for Getting the Most from Your Past Sprint Data

Now that you know how to access past sprints, here are a few tips to make that data work for you:

• Analyze Velocity Trends. Regularly check your team’s velocity in the Sprint Reports to see if you’re delivering consistently. 📊

• Identify Blockers. Look for issues that were consistently rolled over from one sprint to the next. This might reveal recurring blockers or bottlenecks.

• Check Story Points Accuracy. Were stories correctly estimated? Compare the initial estimates with the actual completion to improve future estimates.

• Learn from Sprint Goals. Did you meet your sprint goal? Use past sprints as a reference to better align your future goals with achievable outcomes.

How Planyway for Jira Can Help You Track Past (and Future!) Sprints 📅

If you’re looking to streamline how you manage and review past sprints, Planyway for Jira might just become your new favorite tool. Planyway is a visual resource and timeline tool that adds a layer of visibility to your Jira projects, especially useful for sprint planning and retrospective analysis. Here’s how it can help:

1. Visual Sprint Overview
   With Planyway timeline views, you can easily see the history of completed tasks, how they’re spread across your team, and even what was scheduled for each sprint. By dragging and dropping issues, you can quickly check what went according to plan and identify any gaps.

2. Resource Allocation Analysis
   By looking back at past sprints in Planyway, you can see who worked on what, making it easy to assess workload distribution. Were some team members consistently overloaded? Planyway gives you a visual history that can help balance future workloads.

3. Forecasting & Planning for Future Sprints
   Beyond reviewing past sprints, Planyway is ideal for planning future sprints. With clear visibility into past performance, you can more accurately predict timelines, distribute tasks, and set achievable goals. Planyway lets you bring historical insights right into the planning phase so you can learn from the past to optimize the future.

Wrapping Up

And there you have it—a quick guide to viewing and analyzing past sprints in Jira! Remember, sprints are not just about getting work done; they’re also learning experiences. By regularly reviewing past sprints, you’re setting your team up for continuous improvement and growth. 🌱

Got any more tips or questions? Share them below in the comments! And as always, happy sprinting! 🚀

[LIRA]

Hmm, it's interesting how to implement in the current Jira flow

[Fadoua]

Helpful tips thank you! However the biggest challenge for me is to have an App approved.

[Eric Hill]

On the Sprint Reports page, on the drop-down list of sprints, it appears the sprints are listed in random order.  No rhyme or reason.  Why are they not listed in descending chronological order?

Also, I see no list of completed sprints on the Backlog page.

[Joyce Matthias]

Can you please add a picture for using the Scrum Board. I cannot find the drop down menu with a list of completed sprints.

[Eric Hill]

@Joyce Matthias I don't think there is a drop-down list of completed sprints on the "scrum" board (which I would call a "sprint" board). Mary is trying to sell Planyway.  I don't know what she's talking about.

The only place I see a drop-down list of sprints is on the Sprint Report page:

As I commented above, the order of the sprints in that list is completely nonsensical, so that list is going to help you not at all, unless you have embedded sprint start date into the name of the sprint (which I am going to start doing).

HTH,

Eric

[Mary from Planyway]

Hi @Joyce Matthias 
I'm sorry for the confusion. The article is updated now for the cloud version where this option is not available, I'm afraid. 

[Mary from Planyway]

@Eric Hill 

Let me address your concerns:

1. Why are sprints listed in random order on the Sprint Reports page?
   Unfortunately, Jira does not currently offer an option to reorder this list within the UI. However,  you could consider naming sprints with a prefix (e.g., a date or sprint number) to create a clearer chronological context or creating a custom report via JQL queries to sort and filter sprints according to your preference.

2. Why can’t I see a list of completed sprints on the Backlog page?
   Sorry for the confusion. I've updated the article for the cloud version. This option is not available here.