Watchers and Notifications in Jira (Stay Informed Without the Noise)
Watch the Jira work items you care about and stop watching the rest. Then tune your email settings so Jira tells you what matters, without filling your inbox. Shown step by step on a real Jira site.
Step by step
Why watch
- Watchers and notifications. Watchers decide who gets told when a Jira work item changes. Watch the items you need to follow, stop watching the rest, and tune your email settings so the important updates stand out.
A story to follow
- Create a story. First, create a story to follow. Click Create. Click the work type field, and pick Story, the green bookmark icon. Type the summary: Show the delivery date at checkout. Click Create to save the story.
- Open it. The new story appears at the bottom of the backlog. Click it, and it opens in a panel on the right.
Watch it
- The eye. At the top right of the story is the eye icon. The number next to it shows how many people watch the story. By default, the person who creates a work item watches it, so you are already on the list. Click the eye to open the watchers list and see who is watching.
- Who gets told. Watchers are told when the story changes, for example a new comment or a new status. The exact events depend on the project's notification settings. Use Add watchers, below the list, to add people like the tester or the product owner.
Cut the noise
- Stop watching. Following too much? Click Stop watching. The eye goes empty and you are taken off the watchers list for this story. Changed your mind? Click the eye again, and click Start watching to go back on the list. The W shown next to it is the keyboard shortcut for the same thing.
- Email settings. Now open your email settings. Click your profile picture at the top right, then Personal settings, then the email notification settings. This page controls when Jira emails you. Leave the option for changes you make unticked, so Jira doesn't email you about your own edits.
- Group emails. Keep group notification emails switched on. Several changes made to one story close together then arrive as one email instead of one email each.
Recap
- Watch what matters. To sum up: click the eye to watch a story and add the people who need to know. Stop watching what you no longer need. Then group your emails and skip emails about your own changes.
Common mistakes
- Expecting Stop watching to end every email. Stop watching only takes you off the watchers list. If you are the reporter or assignee, the project's notification settings may still email you about that work item.
- Leaving the option for your own changes ticked. Every edit, comment and status move you make then sends you an email too. Untick it in Personal settings so your inbox only shows other people's changes.
- Adding a watcher who can't see the project. Jira only notifies people who have permission to view the work item, so that person gets nothing. Check they have access to the project first, or ask a Jira admin.
- Forwarding updates instead of adding watchers. Copying comments into emails or chat by hand means people miss later changes. Add them with Add watchers so Jira tells them directly.
When a business analyst uses this
After a requirements workshop, a business analyst creates a story for the delivery date change and adds the tester and product owner as watchers. They then hear about new comments and status changes without the BA forwarding updates. Once the story is signed off, the BA stops watching it so their inbox only shows open work.
Questions people ask
How do I stop getting Jira emails for one work item?
Open the work item, click the eye icon at the top right and click Stop watching, or press W. If you are its reporter or assignee, you may still get some emails, depending on the project's notification settings.
How do I add someone as a watcher in Jira?
Click the eye icon on the work item and use Add watchers to pick the person. You need permission to manage watchers in that project, and the person needs access to the project to get notifications.
Can I stop Jira emailing me about my own changes?
Yes. Click your profile picture, go to Personal settings, and leave the option for changes you make unticked in the email settings.
