A Jira worklog is a record of time spent on an issue. Each worklog stores who logged the time, how much, when the work started and an optional description. Jira adds the worklogs on an issue together to show time spent, and reduces the remaining estimate as work is logged.
Key takeaways
- One issue can hold many worklogs from many people.
- Time spent on an issue is the sum of its worklogs.
- Editing and deleting worklogs are controlled by separate permissions.
- Integrations that only add worklogs leave Jira wrong when entries change.
What is in a Jira worklog?
| Field | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Author | The person who logged the time |
| Time spent | The duration, such as 1h 30m |
| Date started | When the work began |
| Work description | An optional note on what was done |
| Remaining estimate | How the entry should change the estimate |
How do you add a worklog?
- Open the issue.
- Choose Log work from the more actions menu, or select the Time tracking field.
- Enter the time spent and the date the work started.
- Choose what happens to the remaining estimate.
- Add a description and save.
Atlassian documents the steps in Log time on an issue.
How do you edit or delete a worklog?
Open the issue and go to the Work log tab in the activity section. Each entry has its own menu with edit and delete options.
You need the right permission. Edit own worklogs and delete own worklogs cover your own entries. Edit all worklogs and delete all worklogs cover everyone's. Teams that bill from Jira often restrict the "all" permissions to leads.
How do worklogs change estimates?
When you log time, Jira asks what to do with the remaining estimate.
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Adjust automatically | Remaining estimate falls by the time logged |
| Leave as is | Remaining estimate does not change |
| Set to | You type a new remaining estimate |
| Reduce by | You choose how much to subtract |
Example: an issue has an original estimate of 8h. You log 3h and let Jira adjust. Time spent becomes 3h and the remaining estimate becomes 5h.
Why are worklogs missing or wrong?
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| The Log work option is absent | Time tracking is off, or you lack the Work on issues permission |
| Entries are missing from the Work log tab | Visibility restrictions on those worklogs. Atlassian covers this in a knowledge base article |
| 1d was recorded as 8 hours | That is how Jira converts days by default |
| The parent total does not match | Sub-task time is counted separately unless you include it |
| The same time appears twice | An integration synced again without checking what was already there |
| A worklog remains after the time entry was deleted | The integration only pushes one way |
The last two are integration problems, and they are common.
What are good worklog habits?
- Log daily. Entries made on Friday are guesses.
- Describe the work. A note turns a number into a record someone can bill from.
- Log to the right issue. Time on a parent hides where the effort went.
- Have one source of truth. If a tracker feeds Jira, change entries in the tracker.
- Automate where you can.
How do you find worklogs across issues?
Jira's search language has fields for this. For example, this query finds issues where a person logged work this week:
worklogAuthor = currentUser() AND worklogDate >= startOfWeek()
It returns issues, not individual entries, which is one reason teams that need timesheets add a reporting tool.
How does BirdsEye keep Jira worklogs accurate?
Most integrations post a worklog and move on. BirdsEye reconciles. It compares each person's tracked day with what Jira holds and corrects the difference.
Created
Time tracked against a Jira issue becomes a worklog on that issue.
Updated
If the time entry is edited in BirdsEye, the worklog changes to match.
Removed
If the time entry is deleted, the worklog is deleted.
Never doubled
Running the sync again posts nothing twice.
Two devices, one worklog
Overlapping time on two machines is counted once before it reaches Jira.
Retries
A failed sync retries on a widening backoff, and administrators can see worklog health.
See how the Jira integration works, or read the Jira time tracking guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a worklog in Jira?
A worklog is an entry of time spent on an issue, with an author, a duration, a start date and an optional description.
How do I edit a worklog in Jira?
Open the issue, go to the Work log tab, open the menu on the entry and choose edit. You need permission to edit your own or all worklogs.
Do worklogs change the remaining estimate?
By default, yes. Jira reduces the remaining estimate by the time logged, unless you choose a different option when logging.
Can I delete a worklog?
Yes, with the delete own worklogs or delete all worklogs permission. Time spent on the issue is recalculated.