To log work in Jira Cloud, open the issue, select More actions and then Log work, or select the Time tracking field. Enter the time spent, such as 2h 30m, and save. Jira adds the entry to the issue's work log and updates the time spent and the time remaining.
Key takeaways
- Two ways in: More actions, then Log work, or the Time tracking field.
- Use w, d, h and m. By default a day is 8 hours and a week is 5 days.
- The first log sets the remaining estimate from the original estimate.
- You need the "Work on work items" permission to log time.
How do you log work on a Jira issue?
Open the issue
Find the issue you worked on and open it.
Open the log
Select More actions, then Log work. You can also select the Time tracking field in the details panel.
Enter the time
Fill in the Log time fields. Type the time spent, for example
2h 30m.Save
Select Save. The entry appears in the issue's work log.
Atlassian describes the same steps in its documentation on logging time.
Which time format does Jira accept?
Jira time format
- Units
- Weeks (w), days (d), hours (h) and minutes (m)
- Example
- 3w, or 2d 4h 30m
- Default day
- 1d = 8h
- Default week
- 1w = 5d
- No unit typed
- Jira applies the default unit set by your admin
| You type | Jira reads it as, with default settings |
|---|---|
| 45m | 45 minutes |
| 2h 30m | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| 1d | 8 hours |
| 1d 2h | 10 hours |
| 1w | 5 days, which is 40 hours |
The last row catches people out. A week in Jira is a working week. If your admin has changed the hours per day or days per week, the conversions change with them.
What happens to the estimates when you log work?
Jira keeps three numbers on an issue: the original estimate, the time spent and the time remaining.
Time remaining = original estimate − time spent
Example: an original estimate of 8h and a first log of 3h leaves 5h remaining
After the first log, each new entry is subtracted from the remaining estimate. The full picture is in original estimate, time spent and remaining estimate.
How do you edit or delete a worklog?
Open the work log
On the issue, go to the activity section and choose Work log.
Find the entry
Each entry shows who logged it and how much.
Edit or delete
Select Edit to change it or Delete to remove it.
Check the remaining time
When you delete an entry, Jira asks whether to adjust the remaining estimate. After an edit, correct the remaining time by hand if it is not what you expect.
Editing and deleting need their own permissions.
| Action | Permission needed |
|---|---|
| Log work | Work on work items |
| Edit your own entry | Edit own work logs |
| Edit anyone's entry | Edit all work logs |
| Delete your own entry | Delete own work logs |
| Delete anyone's entry | Delete all work logs |
Why can you not log work?
Four things to check
- You do not have the "Work on work items" permission in the project
- The Time tracking field is hidden for this issue type or project
- Your team has replaced Jira's time tracking with an app from the Marketplace
- The issue is in a status your workflow has locked for editing
Time tracking is always enabled in Jira Cloud. Whether you see it depends on the field being shown. Admins manage the settings under Settings, then Work items, then Time tracking, as described in Atlassian's guide to configuring time tracking.
What goes wrong with manual logging?
Do
- Log time the same day you did the work
- Log against the issue you actually worked on
- Use hours and minutes, not days, for short work
- Fix a wrong entry instead of adding a negative one
Do not
- Enter the whole week on Friday from memory
- Put everything on one "general" issue
- Type 1d when you mean a 10-hour day
- Leave timers and logs for the end of the sprint
Manual logs are forgotten, rounded and batched. That is why a Jira time report rarely matches the hours people worked. The reasons are covered in Jira worklogs explained.
How can you log work without doing it by hand?
Three options, in order of effort.
Log by hand
The built-in way described above. Free, and it depends on discipline.
Use a timer app
A Marketplace app adds a start and stop button on the issue.
Track automatically
A time tracker records the time against the issue you selected and writes the worklog for you.
How does BirdsEye log work to Jira?
BirdsEye removes the logging step.
- Pick the issue once. Employees choose a real Jira issue as their task in the BirdsEye desktop agent.
- Time is recorded automatically while they work, inside the working hours you set.
- Worklogs follow. BirdsEye creates the worklog on the issue. If the time entry is later edited or deleted, the worklog is updated or removed.
- No duplicates. Each person's day is reconciled against what Jira already holds, so running the sync again never posts a second worklog.
- Two devices, one worklog. Overlapping time on two machines is counted once.
Jira is available on the Team and Business plans. See Jira time tracking.
Frequently asked questions
How do I log time in Jira?
Open the issue, select More actions and then Log work, enter the time spent and select Save. You can also select the Time tracking field on the issue.
What does 1d mean in Jira?
One working day. By default that is 8 hours. A week, 1w, is 5 working days by default.
Can I edit a worklog after saving it?
Yes, if you have the permission. Open the work log in the issue's activity section, find the entry and select Edit.
Why is the Log work option missing?
Usually because you lack the permission to work on issues in that project, or the Time tracking field is hidden for that issue type.