How to Create a New Sprint in Jira: 2026 Step-by-Step Guide
Need to create a new sprint in Jira? Follow this 2026 guide to avoid errors, set clear goals, and start smoothly. Read now!
Creating a sprint in Jira sounds simple until the button is missing, the wrong board is open, or the sprint starts with no clear goal. A rushed setup can scatter work across teams, confuse stakeholders, and make sprint reporting unreliable.
The problem gets worse when unfinished work rolls forward without review. Soon, your backlog becomes difficult to prioritize, and your team spends more time fixing sprint administration than delivering work.
But here's the truth: creating a sprint takes only a few minutes when your project uses a Scrum board and your permissions are correct. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to create, configure, start, and manage a new Jira sprint in 2026.
How to Create a New Sprint in Jira
You can create a sprint in Jira by opening a Scrum project’s Backlog, selecting Create sprint, adding work items, setting dates, and choosing Start sprint when your team is ready.
Here’s the complete process:
- Open the Jira project that contains your Scrum board.
- Choose Backlog in the project navigation.
- Click Create sprint above the backlog.
- Drag or assign work items into the new sprint.
- Open the sprint menu and select Edit sprint if you need to add dates or a goal.
- Review the sprint scope, capacity, and dependencies.
- Select Start sprint.
- Confirm the sprint name, dates, and starting work items.
Step 1: Open the Correct Scrum Project
Sign in to Jira and open the project where you want to plan the sprint. Then select the Scrum board connected to that project.
Jira supports different board types, including Scrum and Kanban. Sprint planning belongs to Scrum boards, so you may not see sprint controls on a Kanban board.
If your team manages several boards, check the board name before continuing. A board can display work from specific projects, filters, or teams.
Step 2: Go to the Backlog
Open the project navigation and select Backlog. You should see planned work grouped into sections such as the backlog, current sprint, and future sprints.
The exact menu location can vary between Jira Cloud layouts and Jira Data Center installations. Look for Backlog, Planning, or the board menu if the left navigation is customized.
Here’s why this matters: Jira creates a sprint within the board’s planning view. Starting from an issue search screen may show work items, but it usually will not show the sprint creation control.
Step 3: Select Create Sprint
In the Backlog view, find the Create sprint button. It typically appears above the backlog or near the sprint planning controls.
Click it once. Jira should add a new sprint container to the board, usually with a default name such as Sprint 1 or the next number in the sequence.
If you cannot find the button, check the troubleshooting section below. The most common causes involve board type, permissions, project configuration, or an active sprint arrangement.
Step 4: Add Work Items to the Sprint
Move work items from the backlog into the new sprint by dragging them into the sprint area. You can also use an issue’s action menu to assign it to the sprint.
For example, a product team might add these items:
- Build the password reset screen.
- Add validation for expired reset links.
- Write automated tests for the reset process.
- Update the support instructions.
Keep related work together when possible. A feature that requires development, testing, and approval should not be split across unrelated sprint cycles without a clear reason.
Step 5: Set the Sprint Goal and Dates
Open the sprint menu and choose Edit sprint. Add a sprint goal that describes the outcome your team wants to achieve.
A weak goal says, “Complete several tickets.” A stronger goal says, “Enable customers to reset forgotten passwords without contacting support.”
Set the start date and end date according to your team’s agreed schedule. A two-week sprint might run from Monday morning through the Friday of the following week.
Jira may allow you to start a sprint without entering every detail. Still, a clear goal and accurate dates make planning and reporting more useful.
Step 6: Review Scope Before Starting
Review the planned work before you start the sprint. Confirm that each item has an owner, a priority, acceptance criteria, and enough detail for the team to begin.
Compare the planned effort with recent delivery history. If your team usually completes about 30 story points, adding 60 points creates an avoidable risk.
You might be wondering: should every backlog item be fully estimated? Ideally, every planned item has enough information for a meaningful estimate. Unclear items can remain in the backlog until refinement.
Step 7: Start the Sprint
Click Start sprint. Jira opens a confirmation window where you can review the sprint name, dates, and planned work.
Check the date range one more time. A wrong start date can affect reports, burndown charts, velocity calculations, and stakeholder expectations.
When everything looks correct, confirm the action. Jira moves the team into the active sprint view, where members can update statuses and track progress.
Step 8: Confirm the Active Sprint Board
After starting the sprint, open the active board. Confirm that the planned work appears in the correct columns and that workflow transitions operate as expected.
For example, a typical workflow might include To Do, In Progress, Code Review, Testing, and Done.
If an item is missing, check its project, board filter, sprint field, and status. A board filter may exclude an item even when the item belongs to the active sprint.
What You Need Before Creating a Sprint
Before you create a sprint, confirm that your Jira project uses Scrum, your board is configured correctly, and you have permission to manage sprints.
A Scrum Board
Jira sprints are designed for Scrum boards. If your team uses Kanban, you may manage work through columns and limits instead of fixed sprint cycles.
To check the board type, open the board settings or board details. Look for a Scrum label or sprint-related planning options.
Permission to Manage Sprints
Your Jira administrator controls sprint permissions. You typically need permission to manage sprints or administer the relevant board.
If another person created previous sprints, ask that person or your Jira administrator to confirm your access. An absent creation button often points to a permission issue.
A Prioritized Backlog
A sprint works best when the highest-value work is near the top of the backlog. Prioritize work before sprint planning rather than dragging random items into the new cycle.
For example, resolve a production defect before adding a low-impact interface improvement. This keeps the sprint connected to business value.
Clear Acceptance Criteria
Each planned item should explain what completion means. “Improve checkout” is vague, while “Allow customers to complete checkout with a saved payment method” gives the team a testable direction.
Clear criteria reduce clarification delays and make sprint review conversations more specific.
How to Plan a Sprint That Your Team Can Finish
Creating a sprint is the administrative step. Planning a realistic sprint requires decisions about capacity, priorities, risk, and unfinished work.
Start With a Single Outcome
Choose one main result for the sprint. Additional work can support that result, but it should not compete with it.
For example, a mobile team might set the goal, “Release the first version of in-app delivery tracking.” Design, API, testing, and analytics work can all support that outcome.
Estimate Available Capacity
Consider vacations, holidays, support duties, meetings, and training. A team of five people may have far less delivery capacity during a release week.
If a developer spends two days supporting a production incident, planning the sprint as if all five people are available creates a misleading commitment.
Respect Dependencies
Review whether planned work depends on another team, approval, environment, or technical change. A blocked item can consume the entire sprint without moving forward.
Suppose your team needs a security review before releasing an authentication feature. Schedule the review early enough to avoid discovering the dependency on the final day.
Limit Work in Progress
Too many active items create slow handoffs and unfinished work. Encourage the team to finish high-priority items before starting several new ones.
A team with six active tickets may appear busy, yet a team with two nearly completed tickets may deliver more value by the sprint review.
Use Historical Performance Carefully
Velocity can help with planning, but it should guide conversations rather than become a target. Past delivery can change because of team composition, complexity, or unexpected support work.
If the last three sprints delivered 24, 28, and 26 points, planning around 25 points may be reasonable. Treat that number as an estimate, not a promise.
How to Change or Manage an Existing Sprint
Jira lets you adjust sprint details while the sprint is planned or active. Some actions can affect reporting, so use them deliberately.
Rename a Sprint
Open the sprint menu and choose Edit sprint. Use a name that helps people identify the cycle quickly.
Names such as Checkout Reliability — March 2026 are more useful than generic labels when several teams work across the same Jira site.
Move Work Into an Active Sprint
You can usually add backlog items to an active sprint by dragging them into the sprint. Before doing so, discuss the change with the team.
Adding urgent work may be appropriate for a production incident. Repeatedly adding new work can hide planning problems and make sprint results difficult to interpret.
Move Work Out of a Sprint
Move an item back to the backlog when its priority changes, a dependency blocks it, or the team no longer expects to complete it.
Record the reason during your planning or review conversation. That small habit helps the team identify recurring causes of unfinished work.
Complete or Close a Sprint
At the end of the cycle, choose Complete sprint from the active sprint controls. Jira asks how to handle unfinished work.
You can usually move incomplete items into the next sprint or return them to the backlog. Choose the option that reflects your team’s actual plan.
After completion, review the sprint report, burndown, velocity, and completed work. Use the results to improve planning rather than to assign blame.
Common Problems When Creating a Sprint
The Create Sprint Button Is Missing
Check whether you are viewing a Scrum board. Kanban boards generally do not use the same sprint creation workflow.
Next, confirm your permissions. If the board is shared across teams, your Jira administrator may need to grant sprint management access.
The New Sprint Does Not Show the Right Work
Review the board’s filter and project settings. A board may show only items from a particular project, team, component, or query.
Also check the item’s sprint field and status. An item can exist in the project while remaining hidden from a specific board.
Jira Says There Is Already an Active Sprint
Some Jira configurations restrict teams to one active sprint. Finish, extend, or review the current sprint before creating another one.
If your team needs parallel cycles, ask an administrator to review the board design. Separate boards may provide clearer ownership than overlapping sprints.
The Sprint Dates Look Incorrect
Edit the sprint details before starting it if possible. If the sprint has already started, review whether changing dates will affect reporting and team expectations.
Use a shared calendar or planning routine so the entire team agrees on sprint dates before anyone clicks the start button.
Work Appears in the Wrong Sprint
Inspect the item’s sprint history and current sprint field. Bulk changes, imports, automation, or manual dragging can place work in an unexpected cycle.
Correct the assignment, then check whether any automation rule may repeat the problem.
Jira Sprint Workflow Alternative: ONES.com
ONES.com combines project management and knowledge management in one platform, while ONES Project provides Scrum-style planning as a Jira alternative.
Value Proposition
If your team wants sprint planning with Jira-compatible workflows, built-in reporting, and self-hosted deployment options, ONES Project can centralize planning without relying on a large collection of plugins.
Core Capabilities
- Scattered planning → Sprint management: Create sprints, organize backlog items, and track active work in a unified project workspace.
- Inconsistent workflows → Custom workflows: Configure statuses and transitions around your team’s approval, development, testing, or release process.
- Rigid issue details → Custom fields: Add information such as product area, risk level, release train, customer impact, or compliance status.
- Manual progress reporting → Built-in reporting: Review sprint progress and delivery patterns without assembling separate reporting processes.
- Repetitive administration → Automation: Automate routine actions, notifications, and status updates when defined conditions occur.
- Jira migration concerns → Jira-compatible workflows: Preserve familiar Scrum concepts and working patterns while evaluating a different platform.
- Plugin dependence → Native capability coverage: Handle core planning and tracking needs within the platform instead of extending every function through separate add-ons.
- Cloud-only restrictions → Deployment flexibility: Choose Cloud, On-Premise, Private Cloud, or Air-gapped deployment according to operational requirements.
- Separate knowledge and delivery work → ONES.com integration: Connect ONES Project with ONES Wiki, which supports knowledge management as a Confluence alternative.
ONES Project and ONES Wiki are sold separately. ONES.com offers a free plan for up to 30 seats, and its self-hosted versions maintain feature parity with the cloud version.
Application Scenarios
Regulated product development: A healthcare software team can use an On-Premise or Private Cloud deployment, configure approval stages, and track sprint work with controlled access.
Restricted networks: An engineering organization operating in an air-gapped environment can manage sprint planning without relying on public cloud connectivity.
Growing product teams: A team replacing a plugin-heavy Jira setup can use native workflows, fields, reporting, sprint management, and automation while keeping familiar agile practices.
Common Challenges and Practical Solutions
Challenge: The Sprint Starts Without a Clear Goal
Solution: Write a short outcome statement before adding every possible task. Ask, “What should be meaningfully better when this sprint ends?”
Challenge: The Team Overcommits
Solution: Compare planned work with capacity and recent delivery. Reserve room for support work when the team owns production systems.
Challenge: Unfinished Work Rolls Forward Repeatedly
Solution: Review why items remain incomplete. Common causes include oversized work, unclear acceptance criteria, late dependencies, and too much parallel activity.
Challenge: Stakeholders Add Work Mid-Sprint
Solution: Establish a change rule. For urgent work, remove work of similar effort or obtain explicit agreement that the sprint goal may change.
Challenge: Reports Do Not Match Team Reality
Solution: Check sprint dates, board filters, workflow status mapping, and item history. Reporting quality depends on consistent updates throughout the sprint.
FAQs About Creating Sprints in Jira
Can I create a sprint in a Jira Kanban project?
Usually, sprint creation is associated with Scrum boards rather than Kanban boards. Kanban teams typically manage continuous flow through columns and work-in-progress limits. If your team wants fixed planning cycles, an administrator may need to create or configure a Scrum board that includes the relevant project work.
Why can’t I see the Create sprint button in Jira?
The most likely reasons are that you are viewing a Kanban board, you are not on the Backlog screen, or you lack the required permission. Check the board type, open the correct project backlog, and ask your Jira administrator to review sprint management access. A board filter can also affect what planning controls you see.
Can I create a sprint without adding work?
Jira may allow you to create and start an empty sprint, depending on your configuration. However, an empty sprint rarely provides useful planning value unless your team uses it for a specific operational purpose. Add at least one meaningful item or postpone the sprint until the backlog is ready.
What happens to incomplete items when I complete a sprint?
Jira generally asks you whether unfinished items should move to the next sprint or return to the backlog. Choose the option that matches your team’s plan. Review the reason for unfinished work afterward, especially if the same items roll forward several times.
Can I add work to a sprint after it starts?
In many Jira configurations, you can add backlog items to an active sprint. Use that option carefully because frequent additions make the original commitment less meaningful. For urgent work, discuss the trade-off with the team and consider removing work of comparable effort.
How long should a Jira sprint be?
Many Scrum teams use one- or two-week sprints, while some use three or four weeks. Choose a duration that supports regular feedback and manageable planning. Keep it consistent long enough to compare results, then adjust it if your review cycle, release process, or team capacity changes.
Conclusion
To create a new sprint in Jira, open a Scrum project’s Backlog, choose Create sprint, add prioritized work, define the goal and dates, review capacity, and start the sprint when the team is ready.
But here's the truth: the button is the easy part. A successful sprint depends on a focused outcome, realistic scope, visible dependencies, and consistent updates.
If Jira’s planning model no longer fits your deployment, workflow, or reporting needs, ONES Project offers a Jira alternative with sprint management, custom workflows, automation, and deployment flexibility. Start with the planning process, then choose the platform that helps your team run it clearly.