Perform Manual Testing Using Jira

Most teams say they are “doing” manual testing in Jira. Yet the same questions keep surfacing after every release. Where are the actual test cases? Which stories were really tested. And why do defects still feel disconnected from the tests that found them.

I have seen Jira boards packed with issues, subtasks, and comments that look busy and reassuring at first glance. But when it is time to trace a failed test back to a requirement or understand test coverage for a sprint, clarity starts to disappear. Jira clearly plays a central role, but how far can it really take manual testing on its own.

The root of this problem is simple. Jira was built for issue tracking, not for managing manual tests. When teams rely on it for testing, they are forced to fit test cases, executions, and results into structures that were never designed for that purpose.

In this article, I break down how manual testing actually works inside Jira.

What Is Jira Manual Testing

Jira manual testing is the practice of using Jira to plan, execute, and track manual tests without specialized test management tools. Teams create test cases, link them to user stories or requirements, and record execution results within Jira issues, keeping testing and development work in one place.

Test cases are often represented as standard or custom issue types, while execution can be tracked with sub-tasks, comments, or status updates. Defects are logged as separate issues linked to the relevant tests. Although Jira does not enforce testing standards, careful workflows and consistent conventions help maintain structure and traceability.

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Why Jira is Used for Manual Testing

Manual testing in Jira may seem unconventional, but many teams rely on it because it integrates testing directly into their development workflow. Using Jira for testing ensures traceability, centralizes information, and aligns QA with ongoing development.

Below are the main reasons teams choose Jira for manual testing:

• Integration with Development Workflows: Jira naturally ties test cases, user stories, and defects together. For example, a test case can be linked directly to a story, making it easier to see what was validated during a sprint. This reduces the need for separate tools to maintain traceability.

• Real-Time Collaboration: Developers, testers, and product owners can access the same Jira board. Comments, attachments, and updates are visible immediately, allowing teams to discuss failures, clarify requirements, and plan retests without switching platforms.
• Flexible Workflow Management: Jira’s custom workflows allow teams to define testing states, approvals, and transitions. For example, teams can model “Ready for Test,” “In Progress,” and “Blocked” states, creating a structure that reflects their actual testing process.
• Centralized Reporting: Even without plugins, Jira can provide basic reports on issues, test execution progress, and defect counts. Teams can generate sprint reports or dashboards to quickly understand testing coverage and blockers, ensuring stakeholders stay informed.

How is Jira Used for Manual Testing

Teams use Jira for manual testing in ways that go beyond simply logging defects. By leveraging its issue tracking, workflows, and linking capabilities, Jira becomes a central hub for planning, executing, and tracking tests.

Here’s how teams typically use Jira in their manual testing process:

Jira in Manual Testing for Agile Teams

In Agile environments, testing happens continuously alongside development, and Jira helps teams integrate manual testing into every sprint. By aligning test cases with user stories and workflows, Agile teams can maintain visibility, track progress, and respond quickly to defects. Here’s how Jira supports manual testing in Agile:

• Linking Test Cases to User Stories: Testers create Jira issues for test cases and link them directly to user stories. This ensures every story has clear test coverage and allows the team to see which functionality has been validated within the sprint.

• Sprint-Based Test Planning: Teams can plan test execution around sprints, assigning testers to specific issues and tracking which test cases are ready, in progress, or completed. This keeps testing tightly coupled with software development phases.
• Quick Defect Feedback: Failed tests generate defects as Jira issues, which developers can prioritize within the same sprint. This immediate feedback loop helps Agile teams fix issues faster and avoid carrying defects into subsequent sprints.

• Dashboards for Sprint Visibility: Agile teams use Jira dashboards to monitor test progress, see blocked or failed tests, and ensure that testing keeps pace with development. This provides transparency to product owners and Scrum Masters without additional tools.
• Collaboration Across Roles: Jira enables testers, developers, and product owners to discuss test results and defects in real time, ensuring that everyone on the Agile team stays aligned on quality objectives.

Jira for Manual Testing in DevOps Pipelines

In DevOps pipelines, testing is tightly integrated with continuous development, deployment, and delivery. Jira helps teams coordinate manual testing alongside automated processes, ensuring that quality checks are visible and actionable throughout the pipeline.

Here’s how Jira supports manual testing in DevOps:

• Integration with CI/CD Tools: Jira can link test cases and defects with builds and deployment pipelines. Teams can track whether a feature passed manual testing before it moves to staging or production, maintaining traceability across the DevOps lifecycle.

• Workflow Automation: Jira workflows can automatically transition test cases or defects based on pipeline events. For example, a failed manual test can trigger a notification or move a related issue to “Blocked” without manual intervention.
• Tracking Test Readiness and Execution: Testers can use Jira to indicate which test cases are ready for execution in a given environment, and monitor progress as code moves through DevOps stages. This ensures testing keeps pace with rapid deployment cycles.
• Visibility Across Teams: Jira dashboards provide a consolidated view of manual test status within the pipeline. Development, QA, and operations teams can see pending, executed, or failed tests, helping coordinate actions and reduce bottlenecks.
• Supporting Continuous Feedback: By logging defects and linking them to stories, Jira allows teams to feed back testing results immediately into development sprints, helping maintain quality in a fast-moving pipeline.

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How to Perform Manual Testing Using Jira

Performing manual testing in Jira involves a structured approach that ensures test cases are clear, execution is tracked, and defects are linked properly. The process can be broken down into the following steps:

Step 1: Define Test Objectives

Identify what functionality, requirements, or user stories need to be tested. Set clear goals, scope, and expected outcomes for each test before creating cases.

Step 2: Create Test Cases

Use Jira issues or custom issue types to document test cases. Include detailed steps, expected results, and any prerequisites needed for testing.

Step 3: Link Test Cases to Requirements

Associate each test case with the relevant Jira story or requirement. This ensures traceability and helps teams verify that all functionality is covered.

Step 4: Assign Test Cases to Testers

Allocate test cases to specific team members. Ownership ensures accountability and clear tracking of execution progress.

Step 5: Execute Test Cases

Perform the manual tests following the documented steps. Record results in Jira by updating issue status, sub-tasks, or custom fields. Capture evidence like screenshots or logs as needed.

Step 6: Log and Link Defects

If a test fails, create a defect issue and link it to the test case. Include a clear description, reproduction steps, and relevant attachments to help developers resolve the issue.

Step 7: Track Progress

Monitor execution progress through Jira dashboards, filters, or test management tool views. Keep statuses updated to maintain visibility across the team.

Step 8: Review and Close Test Cases

After testing, ensure all steps were executed and defects addressed. Close test cases to maintain historical records for future reference and audits.

Using Jira for Manual Testing Without Plugins

Even without test management plugins, Jira can serve as a hub for manual testing if teams plan their structure carefully. Core Jira features like issue types, sub-tasks, and linking allow teams to track test cases, executions, and defects without additional tools. Below are key aspects and limitations to consider.

Manual Testing Using Jira Issues and Workflows

Manual testing in Jira relies on carefully designed issues and workflows to represent tests and execution status. Teams must define a consistent approach so everyone understands how to log, track, and update test cases.

• Custom Issue Types for Test Cases: Teams can create a dedicated issue type, such as “Test Case,” to represent each manual test. Each issue can include steps, expected results, and links to related stories.
• Execution Tracking with Sub-Tasks: Test runs can be represented with sub-tasks or status updates. Testers can log results, note blockers, or record observations directly on the issue.
• Workflows to Mirror Testing Process: Jira workflows can reflect testing stages like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Tested,” giving visibility to the team.
• Defect Management: Failures are logged as standard Jira issues linked to the test case, maintaining traceability.
• Basic Reporting: Jira dashboards and filters can provide summaries of executed, passed, or failed tests, helping monitor coverage.

Limitations of Manual Testing Using Jira Alone

Using Jira alone for manual testing has inherent challenges that can affect traceability and efficiency. Teams often struggle to manage large test suites or generate detailed insights without additional tools.

• Lack of Test-Specific Features: Jira does not natively support test plans, suites, or automated result tracking. Workarounds are needed to replicate these functions.
• Traceability Challenges: Linking test cases and defects helps, but tracing coverage across multiple cycles or releases can be difficult.
• Reporting Constraints: Built-in Jira reports are limited; detailed metrics and historical trends often require manual compilation.
• Maintenance Overhead: As the number of tests grows, organizing and updating test cases in Jira can become cumbersome, increasing the risk of errors or inconsistencies.

Struggling to Organize Manual Tests in Jira?

Manual testing breaks down as Jira projects scale. Use AI to create, execute, & maintain tests in Jira.

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Manual Testing With Jira Using Test Management Tools

Here are some test management tools you can use with Jira for manual testing in 2026.

1. BrowserStack Test Management

BrowserStack Test Management for Jira simplifies manual testing with enhanced tracking and reporting. It allows teams to manage test cases, execute tests across browsers and devices, and link defects directly to Jira issues, all from a unified interface.

• Centralized Test Case Management: Teams can create, organize, and version test cases directly within Jira, ensuring that all test artifacts remain linked to development work.
• Manual Test Execution Across Environments: BrowserStack enables execution on real browsers and devices, capturing results, screenshots, and logs for easy review.
• Traceability and Defect Linking: Each test run can be linked to stories or defects in Jira, providing full traceability from requirement to test outcome.
• Advanced Reporting and Dashboards: Teams can generate dashboards to track execution progress, pass/fail rates, and historical trends without leaving Jira.
• Integration With CI/CD Pipelines: Manual tests can be part of the continuous delivery workflow, allowing teams to catch issues earlier and maintain release quality.

Why Choose BrowserStack Test Management With Jira

BrowserStack’s Jira-integrated test management goes beyond standard test execution features, helping teams improve efficiency, collaboration, and release confidence. Teams choose it for several practical reasons:

• Faster Issue Resolution: Linking test cases and defects in one place reduces context switching, helping developers fix issues faster.
• Improved Visibility: Test progress, pass/fail trends, and blockers are visible in real time, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions without waiting for manual updates.
• Cross-Browser and Device Confidence: Teams can validate functionality across multiple browsers and devices during manual testing, ensuring broader coverage.
• Seamless Collaboration: Testers, developers, and product managers can comment, update, and track tests in the same workflow, reducing miscommunication.
• Shift-Left Testing Support: Early integration in the development workflow ensures accessibility, functionality, and quality checks happen before code reaches production.

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2. Xray

Xray extends Jira by introducing dedicated test issue types, test plans, and executions. It is designed for teams that want comprehensive manual testing without leaving Jira.

• Structured Test Cases: Xray allows teams to create organized test cases with preconditions, steps, and expected results.
• Test Execution Management: Test runs can be scheduled, assigned, and executed with clear status updates.
• Traceability: Each test can be linked to requirements, user stories, and defects, providing end-to-end traceability.

3. Zephyr

Zephyr provides a robust alternative for teams seeking structured test management inside Jira, with a focus on simplicity and real-time visibility.

• Dedicated Test Issue Types: Zephyr offers custom issue types for test cases, cycles, and executions.
• Organized Test Cycles: Test cycles help plan and track execution across releases or sprints.
• Defect Linking: Defects are easily linked to test cases, ensuring traceability from failure to resolution.

Best Practices for Manual Testing Using Jira

These practices help teams get the most out of Jira for manual testing, reduce errors, and maintain clarity without relying on plugins unnecessarily:

• Standardize Issue Types and Workflows: Define dedicated issue types for test cases and defects, and maintain consistent workflows. This ensures everyone knows how tests are created, executed, and closed.
• Link Test Cases to Stories or Requirements: Always associate tests with the relevant Jira story or requirement. This maintains traceability and helps verify that all functionality is covered.
• Keep Test Steps Clear and Concise: Write steps that are easy to follow and include expected results. Clear documentation reduces execution errors and ambiguity.
• Capture Evidence During Testing: Record screenshots, logs, or notes directly in Jira issues. This improves defect reporting and helps developers understand failures without repeated explanations.

• Monitor Progress Using Dashboards: Use Jira dashboards and filters to track executed, passed, failed, or blocked tests. Visual progress helps identify gaps or bottlenecks early.
• Regularly Review and Update Test Cases: Update test cases as requirements evolve. Removing outdated tests and refining steps keeps the repository accurate and relevant.
• Integrate with DevOps and Agile Workflows: Align manual testing with sprints, deployments, and CI/CD pipelines. This ensures testing happens continuously and is part of the overall development cycle.

Struggling to Organize Manual Tests in Jira?

Manual testing breaks down as Jira projects scale. Use AI to create, execute, & maintain tests in Jira.

Try Jira Test Management

Conclusion

Manual testing in Jira works best when test cases, executions, and defects are organized clearly within issues and workflows. Jira alone can make traceability, execution tracking, and reporting difficult, especially for larger projects or multiple sprints.

BrowserStack enhances Jira manual testing by providing centralized test management, cross-browser and device coverage, real-time dashboards, and seamless collaboration. Teams can link tests and defects directly in Jira, catch issues earlier, and maintain higher release quality.

Try BrowserStack Test Management