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WIP Limits by Field Values

Where configured«Board Settings» → «Card layout» → «Edit WIP limits by field»
Where visibleBoard (detail view)
Settings apply toFor the whole team

Purpose​

Turn a card field into a capacity-style limit. Count or sum how issues contribute by field value (or by whether the field is present), scoped to columns and swimlanes. Badges beside the board show current-vs-limit, and cards are tinted when a limit is exceeded.

FieldA limit is 3 — there are 4 issues (overload, red background). FieldB limit is 5 — there are 2 issues (OK).

How to configure​

Where to find settings​

  1. Open «Board settings».
  2. Go to the «Card layout» tab. Ensure the field you want to use is visible on the board cards.
  3. Click «Edit WIP limits by field».

How to configure​

In the dialog you can add, edit, or delete rules. For each rule:

  • Select a field: choose a field from the board's card layout.
  • Choose a calculation mode: pick how issues contribute — field is filled, exact match, any of selected values, or sum of numeric values.
  • Specify values: if the mode requires it, set which values to match.
  • Set a display name: a short label shown on the badge above the board.
  • Set a limit: the numeric cap for the rule.
  • Choose a badge color: optionally pick a color for the badge.
  • Set column scope: optionally restrict to specific columns.
  • Set swimlane scope: optionally restrict to specific swimlanes.

Click «Save» to store, or «Cancel» to discard.

How to use​

  • A row of badges appears in the toolbar area above the board — one per configured rule — with the label and colors you chose.
  • Badge colors show status: green (under limit), yellow (at limit), red (over limit).
  • When a limit is exceeded, cards that count toward that rule get a red tint so overloaded buckets stand out.
  • Counts update as cards move, respecting Jira's board-level issue-counting settings.

Usage scenarios​

  • "I want to limit how many high-priority issues are in progress, based on the «Priority» field."
  • "I want to sum story points in a column to enforce a capacity limit."
  • "I want to count how many issues have a specific label and cap that number."
  • "I want separate badges for different field values visible at the top of the board."