Atlassian's project management tool built for agile software development teams with sprint planning, boards, and roadmaps.
Full ReviewThe GitHub and Jira integration connects your code repository with your project management tool, enabling automatic linking between Jira issues and GitHub pull requests, branches, and commits. This is a native, first-party integration built by Atlassian, available through the GitHub Marketplace as the official Jira Software + GitHub app.
Once connected, developers can reference Jira issue keys in their branch names, commit messages, and pull request titles to automatically link the code change to the corresponding Jira issue. Jira issues display the linked GitHub branches, commits, and pull request status directly on the issue card. Workflow automation can also move Jira issues through stages based on GitHub events — for example, automatically transitioning an issue to "In Review" when a pull request is opened.
The result is full traceability between project management and source code. Product managers can see development progress on Jira issues without asking developers for updates. Developers can update issue status by simply writing code. And the entire team has a clear audit trail from requirement to deployed code.
In Jira, go to Board > your project board, then click Apps in the top navigation or go to Jira Settings > Apps > Find new apps. Search for "GitHub" and find the official GitHub for Jira app. Click Get it now and confirm the installation. Alternatively, go directly to the Atlassian Marketplace and search for "GitHub for Jira."
After installation, you will be prompted to connect to GitHub. Click Get started in the GitHub for Jira configuration page. Click Connect GitHub organization (or personal account). You will be redirected to GitHub to authorize the Jira integration. Select the GitHub organization or account you want to connect, and choose which repositories to grant access to: All repositories or Only select repositories.
After authorization, the integration begins scanning your selected GitHub repositories for existing references to Jira issue keys. This backfill process can take some time for large repositories. You can check the sync status on the GitHub for Jira configuration page in Jira. Add or remove repositories at any time by going to Jira Settings > Apps > GitHub > Manage.
The integration works by detecting Jira issue keys (like PROJ-123) in GitHub branch names, commit messages, and pull request titles. When you create a branch, name it with the issue key: PROJ-123-add-user-login. When you commit, include the issue key in the message: PROJ-123 fix login validation. When you open a pull request, include the issue key in the title: PROJ-123: Add user login feature.
Open any Jira issue that has been referenced in GitHub. In the issue detail view, look for the Development panel (usually on the right sidebar or below the description). This panel shows: the number of linked branches, commits, and pull requests, along with their status (open, merged, declined). Click any item to view the details or jump directly to the GitHub page.
In Jira, go to Project Settings > Automation. Create rules that trigger on GitHub events. For example: when a branch is created with an issue key, transition the issue to "In Progress"; when a pull request is opened, transition to "In Review"; when a pull request is merged, transition to "Done." Click Create rule, select a Development trigger (like "Pull request merged"), and add the transition action.
Create a test Jira issue and note its issue key. In GitHub, create a branch named with that issue key, make a commit referencing the key, and open a pull request. Check the Jira issue's Development panel to verify the branch, commit, and pull request appear. Test your automation rules by merging the pull request and verifying the issue transitions to the expected status.
The integration supports connecting multiple GitHub organizations to a single Jira site. You can control repository access at the GitHub level (which repos the Jira app can see) and manage connections from the Jira side. Backfill depth is configurable — the integration can scan up to 6 months of historical commits and pull requests for Jira issue key references. Smart commit commands allow developers to log time and add comments to Jira issues directly from commit messages.
| Data | Direction | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Branch creation and naming | GitHub to Jira | Real-time |
| Commit messages with issue keys | GitHub to Jira | Real-time |
| Pull request status | GitHub to Jira | Real-time |
| Build and deployment status | GitHub to Jira | Real-time |
| Issue transitions (via automation) | GitHub events to Jira | Real-time |
PROJ-123 #time 2h fixed login bug in a commit message to log 2 hours on the issueThe issue key must be in the exact format: project key followed by a hyphen and number (e.g., PROJ-123). Ensure there are no typos and that the project key matches an actual Jira project. The issue key is case-sensitive — use the exact casing from Jira.
The Development panel must be enabled on the issue view. Go to Project Settings > Features and ensure Development is toggled on. If the panel still does not appear, check the issue view layout — it may need to be added via the issue layout editor by a Jira admin.
For large repositories, the initial backfill can take several hours. Check the status on the GitHub for Jira configuration page. If it stalls, try disconnecting and reconnecting the repository. Note that backfill only scans up to 6 months of history by default.
For CI/CD visibility, connect your GitHub Actions workflows to Jira using the Jira Software Cloud GitHub Action. This sends build and deployment status to Jira, enabling the deployment tracking feature which shows where each issue's code is deployed (staging, production). Add the GitHub Action to your workflow YAML files to automatically report deployment events to Jira. This creates a complete DevOps pipeline view in Jira, from issue creation through code review to production deployment.