Mastering Jira Kanban Board Management: Hiding Epics and Utilizing the Backlog View

Jira Kanban boards are powerful tools for managing workflows and tasks efficiently. However, sometimes you may need to customize your board to better suit your project needs. Two common tasks include hiding epics from the board and utilizing the backlog view effectively. In this article, we will guide you through the process of achieving these customizations.

Hiding Epics from the Kanban Board in Jira

To hide epics from the Kanban board in Jira, you can adjust the board settings. Follow these steps:

Open Your Kanban Board: Navigate to the Kanban board where you want to hide epics. Access Board Settings: Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the board. Select Board settings from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the General Tab: In the board settings menu, go to the General tab. Edit Epics Display: Look for the section that mentions Epics or Card Colors. Depending on your Jira version, you may see options related to epic visibility. You might find a checkbox or a toggle to show or hide epics. Adjust Swimlanes if applicable: If your board uses swimlanes, you can configure them to not display epics. Go to the Swimlanes tab in board settings and adjust the settings accordingly. Save Changes: After making your adjustments, ensure you save any changes if prompted. Refresh the Board: Return to your board to see if the epics have been successfully hidden.

Additional Notes:

Hiding epics may affect how team members track their work. Communicate any changes to your team. If you donrsquo;t see the option to hide epics, permissions or board configurations may restrict your access. In such cases, you may need to contact your Jira administrator.

By following these steps, you should be able to hide epics from your Kanban board effectively.

Utilizing the Backlog View in Jira Kanban Boards

Modern versions of Jirarsquo;s Kanban Boards also offer the feature of a “Backlog” view, which places the first column in a view of its own. To enable this feature, follow these steps:

Go into the Kanban Board in question. Select Board Settings Columns and enable the “Backlog” view by placing a status in it. Ensure “Epics Pane” is enabled. Itrsquo;s a toggle switch.

Once enabled, the epics will now be displayed in the Epics panel in the Backlog View of the Kanban Board. This feature allows for a more granular management of your project backlog, making it easier to prioritize tasks and manage epics effectively.

Conclusion

Jira Kanban boards offer flexibility and customization options to suit your project needs. Whether you want to hide epics or utilize the backlog view, understanding these features can significantly enhance your workflow management. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can optimize your Jira Kanban boards to better manage your projects and teams.