Q9 of 14 · JIRA

How do you use JIRA filters and dashboards to track QA metrics?

JIRAMidjiradashboardsfiltersmetricsreporting

Short answer

Short answer: Filters are saved JQL queries. Dashboards compose gadgets (visual widgets) that display filter results — bug counts, burndown charts, sprint progress. QA engineers use them to track open bugs by priority, test-cycle completion, and bug escape rate.

Detail

Creating and sharing a filter:

  1. Run a JQL query in the JIRA search bar.
  2. Click "Save as" → give it a name.
  3. Set sharing: personal, team, or project-wide.
  4. Others can subscribe to the filter for email notifications.

Useful QA filters to share with the team:

  • Open bugs this sprintproject = X AND issuetype = Bug AND sprint in openSprints() AND resolution = Unresolved
  • Ready for QAproject = X AND status = "Ready for QA" ORDER BY priority DESC
  • Bugs in UATproject = X AND issuetype = Bug AND environment = UAT AND status != Done

Dashboard gadgets useful for QA:

Gadget Purpose
Issue Statistics Count issues by status, priority, or component
Two-Dimensional Filter Statistics Bug count by priority × component (matrix view)
Sprint Health (burndown) How much work remains in the sprint
Filter Results Live list from a saved filter
Pie Chart Open bugs by assignee or severity
Created vs Resolved Bug escape/fix rate over time — if created > resolved consistently, backlog is growing

Key QA metrics to surface:

  • Bug count by priority (are Blockers cleared before release?)
  • Days open by priority (are P1s fixed within SLA?)
  • Test-cycle completion percentage (Xray/Zephyr gadgets)
  • Bugs found in production vs staging (escape rate)

// WHAT INTERVIEWERS LOOK FOR

Saved filters + dashboard gadgets + at least two QA-specific metrics. The created-vs-resolved chart as an escape-rate indicator is a strong detail.