ChartCraft for Jira

ChartCraft for Jira is a powerful dashboard gadget that transforms your Jira data into insightful, interactive charts. Built with the Atlassian Forge framework, it provides real-time visualization of your project metrics, helping teams make data-driven decisions and track progress effectively.

Key Features

  • Multiple Chart Types: Bar, Line, Pie, Donut, Area, and Horizontal Bar charts

  • Flexible Data Grouping: Group issues by status, priority, assignee, issue type, and custom fields

  • Advanced Metrics: Count issues or sum numeric fields like story points and time tracking

  • Interactive Visualizations: Click on chart elements to drill down into specific issues

  • Real-time Updates: Automatic refresh capabilities to keep data current

  • Export Options: Export charts as images or data as CSV files

  • Custom Styling: Configurable titles and professional chart appearance

  • Performance Optimized: Built-in caching and pagination for handling large datasets

ChartCraft_logo_160.png

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Jira Cloud instance (Jira Data Center or Server not supported)

  • Administrator permissions to install Forge apps

  • At least one Jira filter created to visualize data

Installation

ChartCraft for Jira must be installed by a Jira administrator. If you're not an administrator, please contact your Jira admin to install the app.

Installation Steps

  1. Access Atlassian Marketplace

    • Navigate to your Jira instance

    • Click on Apps → Find new apps

    • Search for "ChartCraft for Jira"

  2. Install the App

    • Click on the ChartCraft for Jira listing

    • Select Get it now

    • Review permissions and click Install

    • Wait for installation to complete

  3. Verify Installation

    • Go to Apps → Manage apps

    • Confirm ChartCraft for Jira appears in the list

Adding ChartCraft to Your Dashboard

  1. Navigate to Your Dashboard

    • From Jira's main navigation, select Dashboards

    • Choose an existing dashboard or create a new one

  2. Add the Gadget

    • Click Edit on your dashboard

    • Select Add gadget

    • Search for "ChartCraft"

    • Click Add next to ChartCraft for Jira

  3. Position the Gadget

    • Drag and drop the gadget to your desired location

    • Resize as needed for optimal viewing

Configuration

Basic Configuration

When you first add ChartCraft to your dashboard, you'll need to configure it:

  1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) on the gadget

  2. Configure the following settings:

Chart Title (Optional)

  • Enter a custom title for your chart

  • Leave empty to use auto-generated titles based on your configuration

Chart Type

Select from the following visualization options:

  • Bar Chart: Vertical bars, ideal for comparing categories

  • Horizontal Bar: Horizontal bars, better for long category names

  • Line Chart: Shows trends over time or sequential data

  • Area Chart: Similar to line chart but with filled area

  • Pie Chart: Shows proportions of a whole

  • Donut Chart: Pie chart with a hollow center

Jira Filter

  • Select the filter that defines which issues to include

  • Only filters you have access to will appear

  • Create filters in Jira by saving JQL searches

Group By (Dimension)

Choose how to group your issues:

Standard Fields:

  • Status: Current workflow status

  • Priority: Issue priority levels

  • Issue Type: Bug, Story, Task, etc.

  • Assignee: Person assigned to the issue

  • Created This Week: Binary grouping (This Week/Older)

  • Created This Month: Binary grouping (This Month/Older)

Time Series:

  • Created (Daily/Weekly/Monthly): Trend of issue creation

  • Resolved (Daily/Weekly/Monthly): Trend of issue resolution

Custom Fields:

  • Any select list custom fields in your instance

Dimensions and Metrics

Metric Selection

Choose what to measure:

  1. Count Issues (Default)

    • Simply counts the number of issues in each group

    • Best for understanding distribution and volume

  2. Sum Values

    • Adds up numeric field values

    • Available fields:

      • Story Points: Total story points per group

      • Original Estimate: Sum of time estimates

      • Remaining Estimate: Sum of remaining work

      • Time Spent: Total logged work

      • Custom numeric fields: Any numeric custom fields

Advanced Features

Stacked Charts

Available for bar and horizontal bar charts:

  1. Enable "Enable stacked chart" checkbox

  2. Select a second dimension for stacking

  3. Creates multi-dimensional visualizations

Example: Status (primary) stacked by Priority (secondary)

Configuration Presets

Quick-start templates for common use cases:

  • Sprint Progress: Status distribution

  • Team Workload: Issues by assignee

  • Priority Overview: Priority distribution

  • Issue Type Breakdown: Issue type analysis

  • Story Points by Status: Progress tracking

  • Weekly Trend: Creation trends

Import/Export Configuration

  • Export: Copy your configuration as JSON

  • Import: Paste a JSON configuration to apply settings

  • Share configurations with team members

Using ChartCraft

Viewing Charts

Once configured, ChartCraft displays your data visualization with:

  • Chart Title: Custom or auto-generated based on configuration

  • Interactive Legend: Click to show/hide data series

  • Tooltips: Hover over elements for detailed information

  • Automatic Refresh: Updates every 60 seconds (when configured)

Interacting with Charts

Click-through to Issues

  • Click any chart element (bar, pie slice, etc.)

  • Opens Jira search with filtered results

  • Allows detailed investigation of specific data points

View Source Issues

  1. Click the View Issues button

  2. See all issues in a detailed table with:

    • Issue key (clickable to open issue)

    • Summary

    • Status with color coding

    • Priority with visual indicators

    • Assignee

    • Created date

  3. Features within the table:

    • Search: Filter issues by keyword

    • Sort: Click column headers to sort

    • Pagination: Navigate through large datasets

    • Back to Chart: Return to visualization

Exporting Data

Access export options via the Export menu:

Export as Image

  • Saves chart as high-resolution PNG

  • Includes title and legend

  • Perfect for presentations and reports

Export as CSV

  • Downloads raw data in spreadsheet format

  • Includes all dimensions and metrics

  • Columns vary based on chart configuration

Print Chart

  • Optimized print layout

  • Automatically hides UI controls

  • Landscape orientation recommended

Copy Configuration

  • Copies current settings as JSON

  • Share with team members

  • Use with Import feature

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Sprint Progress Dashboard

Use Case: Track current sprint progress by status

Configuration:

  • Chart Type: Bar Chart

  • Filter: Current Sprint filter

  • Group By: Status

  • Metric: Count Issues

  • Title: "Sprint 23 Progress"

Result: Visual representation of issues in each status

Example 2: Team Workload Analysis

Use Case: Understand work distribution across team

Configuration:

  • Chart Type: Horizontal Bar

  • Filter: Team's active issues

  • Group By: Assignee

  • Metric: Sum Values → Story Points

  • Title: "Team Story Point Distribution"

Result: Story points per team member

Example 3: Bug Trend Analysis

Use Case: Monitor bug creation over time

Configuration:

  • Chart Type: Line Chart

  • Filter: Type = Bug

  • Group By: Created (Weekly Trend)

  • Metric: Count Issues

  • Title: "Weekly Bug Creation Trend"

Result: Line graph showing bug creation patterns

Example 4: Priority vs Status Matrix

Use Case: Understand priority distribution across statuses

Configuration:

  • Chart Type: Bar Chart

  • Filter: Project = XYZ

  • Group By: Status

  • Enable Stacked Chart: Yes

  • Stack By: Priority

  • Metric: Count Issues

Result: Stacked bars showing priority breakdown per status

Best Practices

Filter Design

  1. Keep filters focused: Narrow scope for meaningful insights

  2. Use project/component filters: Avoid mixing unrelated data

  3. Consider time ranges: Recent data often more relevant

  4. Save descriptive filter names: Makes selection easier

Chart Selection

  1. Bar/Column charts: Best for comparing discrete categories

  2. Line/Area charts: Ideal for time-based trends

  3. Pie/Donut charts: Show proportions (limit to 5-7 segments)

  4. Horizontal bars: Use when category names are long

Performance Optimization

  1. Limit result sets: Filters returning <1000 issues perform best. The gadget will fetch a maximum of 1000 issues for performance reasons.

  2. Use specific JQL: More precise queries execute faster

  3. Leverage caching: Data cached for 5 minutes

  4. Consider refresh frequency: Balance freshness with performance

Dashboard Design

  1. Group related metrics: Place similar charts together

  2. Use consistent dimensions: Easier cross-chart analysis

  3. Provide context: Use descriptive titles

  4. Size appropriately: Ensure readability

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

"No filter selected" Message

Problem: Demo data displays
Solution:

  1. Click Edit (pencil icon)

  2. Select a Jira filter

  3. Save configuration

Chart Not Updating

Problem: Data appears stale
Solution:

  1. Click Refresh button

  2. Check filter permissions

  3. Verify filter returns results in Jira

Export Not Working

Problem: Export buttons don't respond
Solution:

  1. Check browser popup blockers

  2. Try different browser

  3. Ensure stable internet connection

Performance Issues

Problem: Slow loading or timeouts
Solution:

  1. Refine filter to return fewer issues

  2. Use more specific JQL

  3. Reduce chart complexity

Missing Custom Fields

Problem: Custom fields don't appear in options
Solution:

  1. Verify field permissions

  2. Ensure field contains data

  3. Check field type compatibility

FAQ

General Questions

Q: How often does the data refresh?
A: By default, every 60 seconds when the dashboard is active. Manual refresh available anytime.

Q: What's the maximum number of issues supported?
A: ChartCraft handles up to 1,000 issues efficiently. Large datasets are automatically paginated.

Q: Can I share my chart configuration?
A: Yes, use the Copy Configuration feature to export and Import Config to apply shared settings.

Q: Are custom fields supported?
A: Yes, select-list custom fields appear in dimensions, numeric custom fields in metrics.

Technical Questions

Q: Which Jira versions are supported?
A: ChartCraft works with Jira Cloud only. Data Center/Server not currently supported.

Q: Can I embed charts outside Jira?
A: Charts must be viewed within Jira dashboards. Use Export as Image for external use.

Q: How is data cached?
A: Filter results cached for 5 minutes, field metadata for 30 minutes to improve performance.

Q: What browsers are supported?
A: Modern versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Internet Explorer not supported.

Security & Permissions

Q: Who can view my charts?
A: Anyone with dashboard access who also has permission to view the underlying filter.

Q: Are there data access restrictions?
A: Yes, ChartCraft respects all Jira permissions. Users only see issues they have access to.

Q: Is data stored outside Jira?
A: No, all data remains in your Jira instance. Only configuration is stored by the app.

Support

For additional help or to report issues:

  1. Check this user guide

  2. Contact your Jira administrator

  3. Visit the Atlassian Marketplace listing

  4. Submit support requests through the vendor's support channel

ChartCraft for Jira is built with Atlassian Forge