Planning Poker for Jira

Team backlog estimation inside Jira Cloud — user guide, privacy policy and support.

Frequently asked questions

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Getting started

Where do I find the app after installing it?

In two places, both opening the same Games screen: Apps → Planning Poker in the Jira top navigation, and the Planning Poker tab inside a project. See Documentation home.

Is there anything to configure before the first game?

No. The app has no admin or project settings screen. You only need a Jira project with work items, and an estimation field the app is allowed to write to — see Jira configuration.

Do I have to create a game inside a specific project?

No. Games are global. Opening the app from a project tab only preselects that project in the Spaces filter; a single game’s backlog can hold work items from several projects.


Playing

How do I invite my team?

Open the menu of the game on the Games screen and choose Copy game URL, then share the link. Anyone who may see the game can also find it on the Games screen without a link.

Why can’t I vote?

Because you are not on the game’s estimator list. Only the facilitator and the people added as Estimators get the card deck; everyone else joins as a spectator. The facilitator can add you through Edit game → Edit game tab.

Can I change my card after the votes are revealed?

Yes. Pick another card and the results update for everyone straight away.

What do the ∞ and ☕ cards mean?

means too large to estimate, means I need a break. They count as votes and appear in the distribution, but they have no numeric value, so choosing one as the final estimate keeps it in the game and the report without writing anything to Jira.

The reveal says “The votes are split” — what now?

Two or more cards got the same number of votes, so there is no single answer. Discuss the difference — the notes people left with their votes usually explain it — and click Re-vote for a new round.

Why is there no “Most Votes” number?

It appears from three votes onwards. With one or two votes there is no majority worth calling a result, so the room shows only the count, the distribution and the notes.

What happens when the timer runs out?

The votes are revealed automatically. The facilitator can also reveal them at any moment without waiting for the timer or for the last voter.

Can we estimate without meeting?

The app is built for a live round: everyone votes at the same time and the facilitator reveals. There is no asynchronous mode. The app also has no chat or call of its own — use your usual meeting tool alongside it.


Estimates and Jira

I clicked Save estimate and got an error about the field not being on the screen

Jira refused the write because the estimation field is not available on that work item type’s edit screen. This is a Jira configuration matter, not an app fault. Follow Jira configuration; in team-managed projects the setting lives under Project settings → Features → Estimation.

Where exactly is the estimate written?

Into the field selected in step 1 of the wizard: the Story Points field, or the original estimate of the work item’s time tracking. Nothing else in Jira is modified.

Can I change the deck or the estimation field of a running game?

Only until the first estimate is saved. After that both are locked, because changing them would give the values already written to Jira a different meaning. Everything else — name, privacy, facilitator, estimators, spectators, backlog — stays editable.

Why are T-shirt sizes only available with Original estimate?

Story Points is a numeric Jira field, so the app offers only numeric decks for it. With Original estimate the sizes are converted before the write — XXS 0.5, XS 1, S 2, M 3, L 5, XL 8, XXL 13 — and saved in hours. The room reports what was actually written.

Does deleting a game remove the estimates from Jira?

No. Deleting a game removes the game, its backlog and its votes. Estimates already written to work items stay in Jira.


Access and data

Who can see a game?

A public game — anyone who can open the app. A Private game — only its facilitator, estimators and spectators; for anyone else it does not appear in the list and a direct link returns Game not found or deleted.

Can a user see work items they have no access to?

No. Every read goes through Jira with that user’s own permissions.

Does the app send our data anywhere?

No. It is a Forge app running on Atlassian infrastructure with no servers of its own, and it declares no external permissions, so the platform blocks outbound calls entirely. See the Privacy Policy.

Does “Suggest estimate” use AI?

No. It runs a JQL search over your own Jira for similar, already estimated work items, takes the median and snaps it to the nearest card in the deck. No model and no external service are involved.


Troubleshooting

The screen is blank or shows an old version after an update

Reload the page with Ctrl+Shift+R (Cmd+Shift+R on macOS) to clear the cached app frame.

A teammate’s vote is not showing up

The room refreshes every few seconds, and polling pauses while the browser tab is in the background. Switching back to the tab refreshes it immediately.

The game says it is finished and nothing can be changed

A finished game is read-only by design — voting, revealing, the timer and editing are all rejected. Its report and CSV export remain available. To estimate the same work items again, clone the configuration into a new game from the menu.


Still stuck? See Support.


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