Time in Status Custom Fields in Jira – FAQ
Time in Status custom fields lets you see how long each issue spends in key parts of your workflow directly on the Jira board card and in JQL. You can track simple “time in current status” or build powerful metrics like Lead Time, Cycle Time, Active Time, and Time to Resolution, all calculated according to your work schedule (business hours) rather than 24/7 time.
This FAQ explains how custom fields work, how to set them up, how they’re calculated, and how to use them in JQL filters and dashboards.
1. What is a Time in Status custom field, and when should I use it?
A Time in Status custom field is a Jira custom field managed by the Time in Status app that shows how much time an issue has spent in a status or group of statuses, directly on:
The issue view
The board cards (company-managed boards only)
JQL filters and dashboards (through field names)
Use it when you want:
A quick at-a-glance view of how long an issue has been stuck.
Live metrics such as Lead Time, Cycle Time, Active Time, Time to Resolution per issue.
To filter and report using JQL based on time spent in status (e.g., “show issues with more than 2 days in Review”).
2. Who can create Time in Status custom fields, and where are they available?
Only Jira administrators can create Time in Status custom fields.
The feature works on company-managed (classic) boards only.
The time in the rightmost column of the board is not calculated, because that final status is typically not relevant for ongoing tracking (especially on Kanban boards).
Each custom field is board-specific:
It only works for the board it was created on.
It shows data only for tasks updated within the last 30 days.
If you don’t see the Custom Fields functionality in Time in Status, ask your Jira admin to update the app to the latest version.
3. How do I create a Time in Status custom field on my board?
Go to the company-managed board for your project.
In the top-right corner, open the board dropdown and select Time in Status Agile Board.
In the modal window:
Enter the name of your new custom field (e.g. “Cycle Time”, “Time in Current Status”).
Select the work schedule (calendar) to use for calculations (24/7 is the default; you can pick a custom working calendar).
Choose what you want to measure:
Current status – time in the issue’s current status.
Group statuses – time in a chosen set of statuses (for a metric like Lead Time).
Save the custom field.
Once created:
You cannot switch to a different work schedule for that field later (but you can edit the linked calendar itself).
If a status included in your grouped metric is removed from the workflow, time spent in that status will no longer be counted. Review your groups after workflow changes.
4. What is the difference between “Current status” and “Group statuses” and which metrics can I build?
When creating a custom field you have two main options:
Option 1 – Time in the current status
Tracks how long an issue has been in its current status.
Ideal for spotting stuck items on the board (e.g., cards that have been “In Review” for too long).
Option 2 – Group statuses (for metrics)
You select multiple statuses to form a metric:
Lead Time – group all statuses from creation until completion, excluding the final Done/Closed status if you wish.
Cycle Time – group only the “delivery” part of your workflow (e.g. from In Progress through Ready for Release).
Active Time – group only active work statuses (e.g. In Progress, In Review, Testing) to exclude waiting states.
Time to Resolution – group statuses from first active status up to Resolved/Done.
The field value is shown in dd:hh (days:hours) format, calculated by your selected calendar.
5. How and how often are Time in Status custom fields updated?
Custom field values are kept up to date using several mechanisms:
Automatic refresh every hour – background job recalculates values.
Near real-time updates on status change – when an issue changes status, the custom field is updated within seconds (if it’s on the layout).
Refresh when opening a work item – if the custom field is on the issue view, opening the issue also triggers an update.
When a task leaves the board, the custom field refreshes accordingly.
Key notes:
The custom field only shows data for tasks updated within the last 30 days.
If your workflow contains Unmapped statuses (not mapped to board columns), the equal-hour automatic updates won’t work for those; only manual/triggered updates will show time correctly. Check your board settings for unmapped statuses.
6. How do I connect the custom field to Jira screens and show it on board cards?
To make the custom field visible in issue view and on board cards:
Step 1 – Associate the custom field with a screen
Go to Jira settings → Work items → Custom fields.
Find your Time in Status custom field by name.
Click the three dots → Associate to screen.
Select the board screen(s) where you want the field to appear and click Update.
Step 2 – Show the custom field on the board card layout
On your board, click the three dots → Board settings.
Go to the Card layout tab.
From Field name dropdown, select your custom field.
Click Add to display it on cards.
Note: due to potential board refresh delays, the card value can sometimes lag slightly. For the most accurate value, open the issue and check the field directly inside the work item.
7. How do work schedules (calendars) affect custom field calculations?
When you create a custom field, you must pick a work schedule (calendar):
The calendar defines:
Working days per week
Working hours per day
Breaks and holidays
Timezone
Time in Status then calculates time based on this schedule, not just raw 24/7 time. That means:
Nights, weekends, and holidays can be excluded from “business time”.
The custom field still displays as dd:hh, but those days/hours are based on your defined working hours.
Important:
You cannot change the calendar link on a custom field later, but you can edit the calendar itself if your schedule changes.
A label in the calendar catalog shows which calendar is used by which custom fields; such calendars can’t be deleted while they’re in use.
8. What limitations or caveats should I know about Time in Status custom fields?
Key limitations and behaviors:
Admins only can create Time in Status custom fields.
Company-managed/classic projects only – not available for team-managed boards.
Board-specific – fields only work on the board where they were created.
Last 30 days scope – only tasks updated in the past 30 days are included.
Rightmost column not calculated – time in the final column of the board is intentionally not tracked.
Auto-delete on disable – if the toggle for a custom field is switched off, the field is deleted automatically.
Unmapped statuses can affect auto-refresh; only manual-trigger updates will reflect them correctly.
Always review your workflows and board mappings when relying on custom fields for critical metrics.
9. How can I use Time in Status custom fields in JQL after the Forge update?
With the Forge-based version of Time in Status, JQL support for custom fields has been improved:
New custom fields created after the update must be referenced by their current names in JQL.
Old field names will no longer return results.
Update your saved filters, dashboards, and automation rules to use the new field names.
JQL now supports comparison operators with duration values:
Supported operators:
<,>,<=,>=.Supported units:
d– daysh– hours
Example syntax:
"TIS [DEV Proj]" > 1d
This returns issues where the value in the custom field TIS [DEV Proj] is greater than 1 day.
You can also combine Time in Status fields with other criteria:
status = "In Progress" AND "TIS [Review]" >= 2h
This finds issues currently in In Progress that have spent at least 2 hours in the Review-related metric.
Remember:
Always put the custom field name in quotes if it contains spaces or special characters.
JQL works only with custom fields created with the updated Forge-based version and correctly associated with screens and boards.
If you need help or want to ask questions, please contact SaaSJet Support or email us at support@saasjet.atlassian.net
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