FAQ

FAQ

Common questions about BetterBoard — how it works, what it stores, and what to do when something isn't behaving as expected.

General

Which Jira products does BetterBoard support?

BetterBoard supports Jira Cloud only. Jira Server and Jira Data Center are not supported. All Jira Cloud space types are supported: Scrum, Kanban, service management (JSM), and product discovery (JPD).

Does BetterBoard store my Jira data?

No. BetterBoard only stores board configuration — column layout, display field preferences, saved filters, and board names — using Atlassian Forge's encrypted key-value storage. Work item data (titles, assignees, status, custom fields) is fetched from Jira on demand and never stored outside your Jira tenant.

What permissions does BetterBoard need?

To install BetterBoard: Jira administrator (global "Administer Jira" permission).

To use BetterBoard on a space: any space access level (Viewer, Member, or above). Read-only users can view boards. Editing work items requires whatever Jira permissions the user has for that space.

Is BetterBoard free?

BetterBoard is free for up to 10 users and includes a free 30-day trial. Check the Atlassian Marketplace listing for current pricing.

Boards & Configuration

How many boards can I create?

There's no hard limit. Create as many boards as your workflows require.

Can I use custom fields?

Yes — all custom field types are available for display on cards and as filter criteria. Most enumerable custom fields (single-select, multi-select) also work as grouping fields for columns.

Why isn't a shared board showing for my colleague?

They need to have access to the Jira space. Check Space Settings → Access to confirm they're a space member. If they've just been added, they may need to refresh BetterBoard.

Troubleshooting

The board is loading slowly

Board load time depends on the number of work items in scope. For spaces with thousands of work items, applying a Sprint or Date filter before loading helps significantly. Multi-space boards with many spaces also load more slowly. Reducing the number of completed work items in view — for example, leaving Done status unassigned so those work items are hidden — often helps as well.

I dragged an work item to a new column but the status didn't change

This usually means a workflow restriction. Jira workflows can block status transitions unless certain conditions are met (e.g. all sub-tasks must be resolved before closing a parent). Open the work item in Jira to see what transition is available.

A field I expect isn't showing in the field list

If a field isn't visible in BetterBoard's field configuration:

  • The field may not be added to the space's field configuration scheme in Jira
  • The field may be a context-only field that Jira doesn't expose via API in that space
  • Check Jira's Space Settings → Fields to confirm the field is configured for the space
If a field exists in some spaces but not others in a multi-space board, it will only be available for filtering on spaces where it's configured.

A field I want to add isn't available

Some fields are added by third-party apps and aren't yet supported in BetterBoard. If a field you need doesn't appear, it's likely provided by another Jira app rather than being a native Jira field. Raise a feature request on the Marketplace listing and we'll explore adding support for it.