How do Jira permissions work?

This page describes the different types of permissions and access rights that can be set up in Jira applications.

You can't edit project permissions or roles on the Free plan for Jira Software or Jira Work Management, and you can't configure work-level security on any Free plan (including Jira Service Management). Find out more about how project permissions work in Free plans. To take advantage of Jira's powerful project permission management features, upgrade your plan.

What are permissions?

Permissions are settings within Jira applications that control what users within those applications can see and do. All Jira applications allow a variety of permissions: from whether users can create new projects to whether a user can see a specific type of comment on a work item. These permissions can differ between applications.

Types of permissions

There are three types of permissions in Jira applications, and they range from the high-level to granular: 

• Global permissions - These apply to applications as a whole, not individual projects (for example, whether users can see the other users in the application).
• Project permissions - Organized into permission schemes, these apply to projects (e.g. who can see the project's work items, create, edit and assign them). While project admins can assign users to a project, they can't customize the permission schemes for a project. There are lots of project-level permissions you can set to control what users can do within a project.
• work item security permissions - Organized into security schemes, these allow the visibility of individual work items to be adjusted (within the bounds of the project's permissions). For example, work item security permissions can let you set up types of work items that can only be seen by project admins or users in specific groups.

How do permissions get assigned?

Permissions can be assigned to groups or to project and work roles.

A User can be identified as:

• part of a Group

• associated with a Project Role

• a relevant field value (Assignee, Reporter or custom fields)

Global (site-level) or Project permission can be granted to a User:

• through an email notification

• if a group itself is granted permission

• once assigned to the project role

Project permission can also be granted by selecting a field, then assigned the permission.

Schemes

Permission schemes contain a set of permission keys associated with permission grants.

Work security schemes contain a set of security levels associated with security level grants.

Both schemes are associated with projects.

Who can set permissions?

Board permissions can be divided into two parts — board administration permissions and board usage permissions.

• Board administration permissions cover functionality for changing the configuration of a board. For example, changing columns, customizing cards, etc. Board administration can be assigned to groups or users. Learn more: Configuring a board 
• Board usage permissions cover functionality for the usage of a board. For example, creating sprints, ranking work items, etc. Board usage permissions are derived from project permissions. This is described in more detail below.

Jira Software functions by permission

In the Jira Software documentation, most configuration options are described as being restricted to either Jira administrators, project administrators, or board administrators.  

• A Jira administrator is a user with the Administer Jira global permission.  
• A project administrator is a user with the Administer projects project permission for a particular project. 
  By default, the 'Administer projects' permission is assigned to the 'administrators' group (via the Administrators role) for projects.
  Additionally, to perform sprint-related actions, users need the 'Manage sprints' permission for all projects in the origin board — the origin board being the board in which the sprint was originally created.
• A board administrator is a user that has been added to the Administrators for a particular board. 
  By default, the administrator of a board includes the person who created it.

Board administration

Function / Functional area	Jira admin	Project admin	Board admin	Notes
Create board				If you create a board via Boards (in header) > Manage Board, you will not be able to share it, unless you have the 'Create Shared Objects' global permission. If you create the board via the methods below, you do not need the 'Create Shared Objects' global permission to share the board: Creating a project (where a board is created for the project by default) Setting up Jira Software for the first time (where you're prompted to create a project, which also creates a board for the project) Copying a board (the copied board will be shared with the same users as the original board)
Simplify workflow				The board must meet other criteria as well (see Simplified Workflow)
Add status				Project must be currently using the Simplified Workflow. You need to be a Jira admin or board admin (to view the board configuration). In addition, you need to be a project admin for the one project that is on the board.
Remove status				Project must be currently using the Simplified Workflow. You need to be a Jira admin or board admin (to view the board configuration). In addition, you need to be a project admin for the one project that is on the board.
All other board configuration functions

Board usage

Board usage permissions are derived from project permissions. Depending on the complexity of your board's filter query, you may need further consideration when configuring the 'Manage Sprints' permission for users. For more information on the impact of complex filters, and ways to simplify your filter query, see Using Manage Sprints permission for advanced cases.