Differences between subtasks and issues

[Kimi Nakashima]

We have a request type call Onboard New Employee. It is linked to the Service Request issue type. The actual work associated with the request is typically split up and done by several employees. It seems like what I need to do in Jira to make it reflect this is split the issue into subtasks.

But I'm confused about subtasks and issues. What are the differences, since subtasks can become issues and issues can become subtasks? Should I bother with subtasks or just create linked issues? 

I was planning on using automation to create the subtasks on issue creation. Does this make a difference on whether or not I should use issues or subtasks?

[Amanda Culver]

Differences

I'd add to @Jon Hoffmann Seidenfaden's statement

• You can not include subtasks in a sprint ([JSWCLOUD-7992])
• Can't include Subtasks as a child to an Epic
  If the Epic Size relates to the sum of the story points of its children, sub-task story points won't be included
• The Advanced Roadmap doesn't show sub-tasks as dependencies, so there's ZERO reporting on an Epic with child Stories then subtasks

[Jon Hoffmann Seidenfaden]

You can not include subtasks in a sprint

[Ashkan Malekly]

Hii @Kimi Nakashima 

Subtasks are one of types of issues. When you want to create issue, you must define the type of issue and the difference is subtasks have parent issue. I mean when you for example create subtask you must before have an issue like task, story, bug or ... . For your case you want to use automation to create subtask it doesn't have any problem, just in post function you want to create issue/s if you choose the type of issue subtask, then you must define it's parent.

Best regards

[Kimi Nakashima]

Hi @Ashkan Malekly

So if I want to have a parent-child relationship, I would need to use subtasks? When would you want to convert a subtask into an issue and what does converting do to the parent-child relationship?

Also, do you happen to know if an issue in one project can be the parent of a subtask in another project?

Best Regards

[Ashkan Malekly]

@Kimi Nakashima 

Yes if you want parent - child relationship you need subtasks or you can link issues (not absolutely subtasks) parent and child (when you want to link issues to each other in dropdown field (type of link) you can choose parent and child. For the second question i must say that if you want to convert a subtask to a parent issue in more button you convert it and then ask you to convert to which type of issue. For the last question also i must say that you could not to have parent issue in one project and it's subtask in another project. If you want to have parent child relationship between issues in 2 or more projects, you can link them to each other.

Best regards