Grouping visually stacks related cards at the same board position, creating collapsible clusters that you can expand or collapse to manage visual complexity.
About grouping
Unlike swimlanes, which divide the board into separate regions, grouping organises cards at the same location. Cards that share a common field value are stacked together under a group header.
Use grouping when you want to:
- Cluster related work items together (for example, by epic or component)
- Reduce visual clutter by collapsing groups you’re not currently focused on
- See aggregated link connections at the group level
Add a grouping dimension
- In the sidebar, expand Board Structure
- Expand Grouping
- Select Add dimension
- Choose a Jira field (for example, Epic Link, Component, or Assignee)
Cards with matching values are immediately grouped together on the board.
Expand and collapse groups
Groups can be in one of two states:
| State | Display | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded | All cards in the group are visible | Individual card connections shown |
| Collapsed | Single group node with work item count badge | Links are merged to the group node |
Collapse or expand by dimension
To change the state of all groups for a dimension at once:
- In the Grouping section, locate your dimension
- Select the dimension menu (⋮)
- Choose Collapse all groups or Expand all groups
All groups for that dimension update simultaneously.
Collapse or expand individual groups
To change the state of a single group:
- On the board, locate the group header
- Select the group header to toggle between expanded and collapsed
This allows you to keep some groups expanded while collapsing others, regardless of the dimension-level default.
Link behaviour in collapsed groups
When you collapse a group, Board Studio automatically merges the links:
- Inbound links — Links pointing to cards inside the collapsed group are redirected to the group node
- Outbound links — Links from cards inside the collapsed group originate from the group node
- Link count — The group node displays the total number of connections
This provides a high-level view of dependencies without expanding every group. When you expand the group, the original individual card connections are restored.
Configuration options
Each grouping dimension supports the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Sort direction | Order groups alphabetically (A→Z) or reverse (Z→A), or by the field’s natural order |
| Default expand state | Whether groups start expanded or collapsed when the board loads |
Multi-level grouping
You can add multiple grouping dimensions to create nested groups:
- Add a first dimension (for example, Epic Link)
- Add a second dimension (for example, Assignee)
Cards are grouped first by the first dimension, then subdivided by the second dimension within each parent group.
Grouping compared to swimlanes
| Feature | Swimlanes | Grouping |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Divide board into regions | Stack cards at same position |
| Visual effect | Rows or columns | Clustered, collapsible nodes |
| Collapsible | No | Yes |
| Link merging | No | Yes, when collapsed |
| Best for | Primary board organisation | Secondary clustering within swimlanes |
Best practices
- Combine with swimlanes — Use swimlanes for primary organisation (Sprint, Status) and grouping for secondary clustering (Epic, Assignee)
- Start collapsed for large boards — Set the default to collapsed, then expand groups as needed
- Use meaningful fields — Choose fields that represent logical groupings your team understands