An epic is a large body of work. It holds stories (requirements written from the user’s point of view), tasks (any other work) and bugs, which all sit on the same level. Each of those can be split into subtasks, the lowest level. So the order, biggest first, is epic, then story, task or bug, then subtask. Premium and Enterprise sites can add levels above epic, such as Initiative.
Epic, story, task, bug and subtask side by side
Jira calls these work types (formerly issue types), and each one sits on a hierarchy level. A parent must be exactly one level higher than its child. See Atlassian’s guides to work types and the work type hierarchy.
| Work type | Level | What it is for | Can be the parent of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiative (Premium and Enterprise) | Level: Above epic | For: A group of epics working toward one goal | Parent of: Epics |
| Epic | Level: 1 | For: A large body of work, often spanning several sprints | Parent of: Stories, tasks and bugs |
| Story | Level: 0 (standard) | For: A requirement written from the end user’s point of view | Parent of: Subtasks |
| Task | Level: 0 (standard) | For: Any other piece of work, user-facing or not | Parent of: Subtasks |
| Bug | Level: 0 (standard) | For: A problem to fix | Parent of: Subtasks |
| Subtask | Level: -1 | For: A smaller step of one story, task or bug | Parent of: Nothing |
Business spaces (formerly Jira Work Management) start with only Task and Subtask, and Jira Service Management uses its own types such as Incident and Service request. This guide covers software spaces.
Story vs task: same level, different purpose
Stories and tasks behave the same way in Jira: same level, same parent (an epic), same children (subtasks), and both can carry story points if your fields allow it. The difference is what they describe.
- Story: Atlassian describes stories as “short requirements or requests written from the perspective of an end user.” Example: As a shopper, I can save my cart for later.
- Task: Atlassian calls tasks a catch-all for work that doesn’t fit another type. Example: Upgrade the payment library or Update the onboarding docs.
- Bug: a problem that stops something from working as intended.
A story can’t be the parent of a task, because they share a level. If a piece of work is big enough to need its own stories, it is an epic.
Epic vs story: which is bigger?
The epic. Atlassian defines it as “a large body of work that can be broken down into a number of smaller stories.” An epic usually spans several sprints, while a story should fit in one. Example: the epic Checkout redesign holds the stories Save cart for later and Pay with a saved card, plus a task to upgrade the payment library. See Atlassian’s epics, stories and initiatives, and the Jira epics guide for creating and managing them.
Children link to their epic through the Parent field, which replaced the older Epic Link field in company-managed spaces. The Parent field is optional, so stories and tasks can live without an epic.
An epic shows how many of its children are done, but it does not add up their story points on its own; Atlassian’s knowledge base uses an automation rule for that.
Task vs subtask
A subtask is one step of a single story, task or bug, at level -1. Atlassian’s documentation says any work type can be both a parent and a child, except subtasks, which only function as children, so a subtask can’t have subtasks of its own. Use a subtask when the step only makes sense inside its parent; use a task when the work stands on its own. The Jira subtasks guide shows where Jira displays them.
Initiatives and other levels above epic
Atlassian describes initiatives as “collections of epics that drive toward a common goal.” Jira doesn’t include one by default. On Premium and Enterprise, an administrator adds levels in Settings > Work items > Work type hierarchy, then Create level. New levels go above epic only, never between epic and story, and changing the hierarchy can break existing parent links. Free and Standard sites keep the three default levels. See configuring the work type hierarchy and the Jira hierarchy guide.
In team-managed spaces you can add, rename or delete up to 30 work types, but only on the standard level: you can’t create your own epic-level or subtask types. See work types in team-managed spaces.
Changing a story, task or subtask into another type
- Subtask to task or story: open the subtask, select ••• > Convert to work item, then pick the type, status and fields.
- Task or story to subtask: select ••• > Convert to subtask and choose a parent.
- Story to epic, or many at once: use Bulk change > Move work items, keep the same space and pick the new type.
Moving a work item to another level drops its parent and child links, so reconnect them afterwards. You need the Edit work items permission. See creating and converting subtasks and changing the type of several work items.
See epics, stories, tasks and subtasks together
Jira’s own views show one slice of the hierarchy at a time: the timeline stops at stories, and boards group by one level. A tree view shows every level at once, so you can check that each story sits under the right epic.
Cascade is a Chrome extension that opens inside your Jira Cloud tab. Choose a set of epics, or your assigned work, and the tree expands each epic to its stories, tasks and bugs and their subtasks. Open any work item’s details beside the tree. No Jira administrator has to install it, though your employer’s browser policies may restrict extensions.
Pick an epic and see every story, task and subtask under it in one list. The tree is free today.
Epic vs story vs task FAQ
Which is bigger, an epic or a story?
An epic. It sits one level above stories (level 1 versus level 0) and holds the stories, tasks and bugs that deliver it.
What is the difference between a story and a task in Jira?
Both sit on the same level and can hold subtasks. A story describes something from the end user’s point of view; a task is a catch-all for any other piece of work, such as setting up a server or updating documentation.
Can a story be the parent of a task?
Not by default. Stories, tasks and bugs share the standard level, and a parent must be one level higher. Only subtasks sit under a story or task.
Can an epic contain another epic?
No. A parent must sit one level higher than its child. To group epics, Premium and Enterprise sites can add a level above epic, such as Initiative.
Do stories and tasks need an epic?
No. The Parent field is optional, so a story or task can exist without an epic.
Do epics add up their stories’ story points?
An epic shows the progress of its child work items, but it does not sum their story points on its own. Atlassian’s knowledge base uses an automation rule to roll them up.
How do I see an epic with all of its stories and subtasks?
The timeline stops at the story level and boards group one level at a time. A tree view such as Cascade opens an epic down to its stories and their subtasks in one list, and it is free today.