Guide to Customizable Jira Dashboards and Analytics

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In Jira, a dashboard is a customizable interactive page visually representing relevant information from your projects. Dashboards help users track, analyze, and share information about their projects and team progress. They can be customized to meet the specific needs of different users and roles in the organization.

For those who have already met them, it's no secret that dashboards are a way to respond quickly and track various processes in the here and now. 

There are a lot of gadgets out there. One or the other is useful for different teams. The Time in Status app offers virtually all of its reports in grid and chart views:

• Time in Status,
• Assignee Time,
• Average Time,
• Status Entrance Date,
• Status Count,
• Transition Count,
• Time in Status per Date

Let's create a Jira dashboard using only the gadgets of the Time in Status app.

Creating a Jira Dashboard

First, you must create a Jira dashboard. Go to the Dashboard tab in the top menu.

Next, click the Create Dashboard button and set the permissions for your new dashboard.  You can choose who can view this dashboard, who can edit it, or you can make it completely private.

And that's it; now you have a ready-made dashboard.

Let's start filling it in.

Time in Status Dashboard Gadgets 

First, you need to install the app from Atlassian Marketplace, then find Time in Status in the list of gadgets in the right column and click the Add button.

The gadget will appear in the first section, and you can configure it.

Next, in the settings, you have access to advanced gadget customization functionality:

• one of 7 reports and a choice of table or chart view;
• a wide range of filters;
• date ranges, selection of the working calendar, and the required format for display;
• and, of course, you can choose from three types of charts.

Note that you can also set the parameters for updating information on gadgets. At a minimum, auto-refresh occurs every 15 minutes.

Here's what the dashboard looks like with some reports from the Time in Status app added.

So, which reports did we choose for our dashboard?

Time in Status Report

Previously, the Cycle and Lead time calculation group statuses were set up. You can customize the grid view using the Column Manager to ensure you have only the necessary fields at your fingertips.

Time in Status per Date Report

The Time in Status per Date report sums up the time the task has been staying in each status at a particular date.

Average Time Chart

One of the most popular reports and charts. The Average time report shows the average time issues have been staying in statuses during a specific period. 

Time in Status Chart

If a grid view is necessary for a specific list of tasks and their indicators, then the Time in Status chart is necessary for visualizing these indicators.

It's no secret that graphical views are designed for analytics and give you a bird's eye view of the situation.

Dashboard Recipes You Can Copy (and Tweak in 10 Minutes)

A blank dashboard is intimidating. These quick recipes use only Time in Status gadgets and focus on average times so you can spot trouble without squinting.

1) Scrum Team: “Are we flowing this sprint?”

Goal: See where time slips while work is in motion.

Add:

• Average Time (chart) – X-axis = statuses in your delivery path; time range = current sprint.
  Read it: the highest average bar is your first conversation in stand-up.
• Time in Status (grid) – Filter = “Sprint,” Columns = key fields + status times.
  Use it for: quick triage—sort by the slowest status column to unblock.
• Transition Count (grid) – Same filter; focus on “forward” vs “back” transitions.
  Red flag: frequent “Testing → In Progress” loops.

Weekly ritual: Pick the single highest average status and agree on one small change (definition of ready/done, checklist, pairing). Re-check next sprint.

2) Kanban/Support: “What’s aging right now?”

Goal: Surface items idling in invisible queues.

Add:

• Time in Status per Date (grid) – Filter = “type: bug/incident” (or your queue), date = last 14–30 days.
  Read it: today’s row shows where time is accumulating.
• Average Time (chart) – Date range = rolling 30 days.
  Read it: if average in “Waiting” > “In Progress”, you’ve got external blockers or unclear ownership.
• Assignee Time (grid) – Same filter.
  Use it for: balancing—sort by highest time to redistribute work.

Daily ritual: Anything > N working days in a single status gets a comment, an owner, and a next step.

3) Engineering Manager / Leads: “Is our system healthy?”

Goal: Trend view for leadership without drowning in rows.

Add:

• Average Time (chart) – Group by month/last 60–90 days for a smoother trend.
  Read it: rising average in review/testing often means handoff friction.
• Status Count (chart) – Focus on “Done” and “Released”.
  Read it: throughput trend vs. your planned capacity.
• Time in Status (chart) – Same time range; keep only the 3–4 most critical statuses.
  Read it: shows where the system actually spends time, not where we wish it did.

Monthly ritual: Keep one slide with these three charts; annotate wins/regressions and the single policy change you’ll trial next month.

Make It Actionable (Tiny Tweaks That Matter)

• Name your filters like a human: “🟢 Sprint work only” beats “project = X AND fixVersion IN …”. Future you will thank you.
• Trim the noise: Hide low-value columns in grids; keep just key fields and the 2–3 status time columns you talk about.
• Tell a story with layout: Top row = “Are we okay?” (high-level charts). Middle = “Where’s the drag?” Bottom = “What do we do?” (grids for triage).
• Consistency over perfection: Always compare the same average views week over week; trends beat snapshots.

Quick Troubleshooting

• Empty/odd numbers? Double-check the gadget’s filter matches the board/sprint you actually use.
• Charts feel jumpy? Widen the date range or switch to monthly grouping for steadier averages.
• One monster status? Rename/split it, or add a short exit rule (“attach test notes before Testing”). Recheck the average in two weeks.

Pick one recipe, keep your focus on average time in the handful of statuses that matter, and iterate lightly. Your dashboard should feel like a conversation starter, not a cockpit simulator.

Takeaway

You can set up a lot of gadgets to be displayed on the dashboard. The Time in Status add-on gives you this opportunity. Customize your reports and charts. Create powerful dashboards and always keep your finger on the pulse of your team's performance—a 30-day trial period for you to test other app features.

See you in the SaaSJet team! 🙂

• Try Time in Status 
• Prefer a guided setup? Book a quick demo—we’ll wire it to your queues together.

[Michael Stephens]

thank you for the invite love the dashboards.

[Asyraf Arshad]

thank you!