Easy Tech TutsHow to Show Subtasks in a Jira Board
By Impran M N
Subtasks in Jira are sometimes hidden inside their parent issue, which makes it hard to track individual progress on a board. This guide explains how to expose subtasks as visible cards so your team can move them independently.
01Open the board settings
From your board, go into the settings menu where card layout and issue type visibility are controlled.
02Find the subtask display option
Look for a setting that controls whether subtasks appear as separate cards or stay nested inside their parent.
03Enable subtasks as cards
Turn on the option to show subtasks individually, so each one gets its own position on the board.
04Adjust your board filter if needed
If subtasks still aren't visible, check your board's saved filter to make sure subtask issue types aren't being excluded.
05Confirm on the board
Refresh the board and verify subtasks now move through columns independently from their parent story.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my subtasks not showing up on the board?
Most commonly the board's filter or card layout settings are excluding subtasks, so they stay hidden inside the parent issue.
Can subtasks have a different status than their parent?
Yes, once visible as cards, subtasks move through the workflow independently of the parent issue's status.
Does showing subtasks work on both Scrum and Kanban boards?
Both board types support displaying subtasks as cards, though the setting is configured separately for each.
Will this clutter my board with too many cards?
It can on large boards, so many teams only enable subtask cards temporarily or use swimlanes to keep things organized.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
