The short answer
Ask one question: is something broken? If yes, it is a bug. If not, ask: is it something new that a user needs? If yes, it is a story. Everything else, work the team has to do that is neither, is a task. A big goal made of many of these is an epic, and a small piece inside one ticket is a subtask.
That rule matches Atlassian's own definitions of its default work types, which are below.
Atlassian's definitions
| Type | Atlassian's definition, in short | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Epic | A big user story that needs to be broken down; it groups bugs, stories and tasks | Top |
| Story | The smallest unit of work that needs to be done | Middle |
| Task | Work that needs to be done | Middle |
| Bug | A problem which impairs or prevents the functions of a product | Middle |
| Subtask | A piece of work required to complete a task, story or bug | Bottom |
By default Jira has those three levels: epics at the top, stories, tasks and bugs in the middle, subtasks at the bottom. Jira Premium and Enterprise can add more levels.
When it is a story
A story describes something new from the point of view of the person who will use it. The test: when it is done, can a user do something they could not do before?
- "Customers can download a receipt as a PDF" is a story.
- "Show the merchant logo on receipts" is a story.
Write the summary so it makes sense on its own, and put the details someone needs to build it in the description.
When it is a task
A task is work that has to happen but does not change what users can do, and nothing is broken.
- "Renew the certificate for the API gateway" is a task.
- "Update the card fee table for 2027" is a task.
- "Write release notes for version 3.2" is a task.
If you catch yourself writing a task that changes what users can do, it is probably a story.
When it is a bug
A bug is a problem: something that used to work, or should work, and does not.
- "Card fee shown twice on the receipt" is a bug.
- "Pay button does nothing when the amount has a comma" is a bug.
A good bug report answers three things: what happened, how to make it happen again, and what should have happened instead. Search before you create one: if the bug is already reported, add what you know to that ticket as a comment rather than creating a duplicate.
A missing feature is not a bug. "The monthly export has no country column" is a story if the export was never meant to have one, and a bug if it used to have it and lost it.
Subtasks and epics
A subtask splits one ticket into smaller pieces, for example "design", "build" and "test" under one story. Use subtasks when one person or one day is not enough for the parent ticket.
An epic goes the other way: it groups many stories, tasks and bugs under one goal, such as "Receipts redesign". The epic guide covers how to link work to one.
A quick test you can keep
| Ask | If yes |
|---|---|
| Is something broken? | Bug |
| Can users do something new when it is done? | Story |
| Is it work the team must do anyway? | Task |
| Is it too big for one sprint and made of many tickets? | Epic |
| Is it one piece of a bigger ticket? | Subtask |
Your team's rules come first
Teams can rename and add work types. Atlassian notes, for example, that "epic" is only the default name and can be renamed. If your space has types like "Spike" or "Improvement", ask what the team uses them for. The quick test above still tells you what kind of work it is, which makes the right type easy to spot.
If you want to try this without the risk of filing a ticket in the wrong place, the beginner's guide walks through creating a ticket step by step, and Agile Board Practice has lessons where you create stories and bugs on a practice board and get told straight away whether the type fits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a story and a task in Jira?
A story adds something new that users need. A task is work the team has to do that neither adds something new for users nor fixes something broken, such as renewing a certificate.
Is a bug a story in Jira?
No. A bug is its own work type for a problem that stops the product from working as it should. Both sit at the same level, under an epic.
When should I use a subtask?
When one ticket is too big for one person or one step, for example separate design, build and test pieces under one story.
Can a story have subtasks?
Yes. Atlassian describes subtasks as child work items that can break down bugs, stories or tasks.
Is a missing feature a bug?
Usually not. If the product was never meant to do it, it is a story. If it used to work and stopped, it is a bug.