How to Add Estimate in Jira

Updated on:

May 11, 2026

By:

Use this interactive demo to learn how to enable and configure estimates in your Jira project.

Quick summary

Jira's Estimation feature lets teams track effort using story points or time, and can be enabled directly from Project Settings. Once turned on, the Original Estimate field is automatically added to all issues, giving teams immediate visibility into planned effort.

Steps

Go to Project Settings from your Jira board.
Select Features in the Project Settings menu.
Enable the Estimation feature by toggling it on.
Choose your preferred estimation unit — Story Points or Time — to measure effort.
Confirm that the Original Estimate field has been automatically added to your issues.

📌 Why this matters

Accurate sprint planning in Jira depends on having a reliable estimation system in place. Enabling the Estimation feature in Jira Project Settings allows teams to assign story points or time-based estimates directly to issues, making capacity planning and velocity tracking more precise. The automatic addition of the Original Estimate field to every issue ensures no extra setup is needed, saving teams time and reducing configuration errors. This is an essential step for any agile team looking to improve predictability and deliver work on schedule.

Your product deserves an interactive demo

Start free

How to Use Jira for Project Planning

How to Create Recurring Tasks in Jira

How to Write Test Cases in Jira