A Jira workflow defines the statuses your work items can use, but your Kanban board determines how those statuses are displayed visually. To create a board that accurately reflects your process, each workflow status needs to be mapped to the correct Kanban column.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to customize the columns and status mappings on a Jira Kanban board so they align with your workflow. I’ll use my Job Search Tracker as an example, with columns for:

Interested → Preparing → Applied → Interviewing → Waiting → Follow Up → Closed

I’ll also show you how to map a separate Templates status to the Kanban backlog. This keeps reusable Story templates accessible without displaying them alongside active job opportunities.

What You’ll Learn

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

Open the settings for a Jira Kanban board
Understand the difference between columns and statuses
Remove unnecessary board columns
Create columns that match your workflow
Reorder Kanban columns
Map workflow statuses to the correct columns
Move unused statuses to the Unmapped statuses area
Map a Templates status to the Kanban backlog
Add the Backlog tab to your space navigation
Verify that the completed board matches the underlying workflow

Common Uses

Customizing Kanban board columns can help with:

Job application tracking
Content production and publishing
Marketing campaigns
Client project management
Recruiting and hiring
Customer onboarding
Approval and review processes
Product development
Training development
Personal projects
Small-business operations
Any process that moves through defined stages

Requirements / Compatibility

To follow this tutorial, you’ll need:

A Jira Cloud account
A Company-managed Jira space
An existing Kanban board
A workflow assigned to the space
Permission to manage the board and its settings
Workflow statuses that correspond to the columns you want to create

This tutorial uses the current Jira Cloud interface for a Company-managed space. Team-managed spaces use a different board and workflow configuration process.

Your screens and available options may vary depending on your Jira plan, permissions, template, and site configuration.

Video Tutorial

Watch the video below to follow the complete process for customizing the workflow columns on a Jira Kanban board.

In the video, I demonstrate how to:

Open the board’s column settings
Remove unnecessary columns
Create and reorder workflow columns
Map statuses to their corresponding columns
Store reusable templates in the Kanban backlog
Add the Backlog tab for quick access
Confirm that the final board aligns with the workflow

Understanding How Jira Works

A Jira workflow and a Kanban board work together, but they are not the same thing.

The workflow defines the actual statuses available to a work item and how that item can move between those statuses.

The Kanban board provides a visual representation of the work by displaying those statuses in columns.

The relationship looks like this:

			
Workflow
Defines statuses and transitions
        ↓
Board column settings
Map statuses to visual columns
        ↓
Kanban board
Shows each work item in its current stage

		

Columns and Statuses Are Different

A column is the visual area you see on the board.

A status is the underlying value Jira assigns to a work item.

Changing a column name does not automatically change the status mapped to it. For example, a column named Interviewing could still be mapped to Jira’s default Done status behind the scenes. The board may look correct while the work items behave incorrectly.

That is why the status labels displayed within each column are important. They confirm which workflow status the column actually represents.

For this project, the mapping should be one-to-one:

Kanban column	Workflow status
Interested	Interested
Preparing	Preparing
Applied	Applied
Interviewing	Interviewing
Waiting	Waiting
Follow Up	Follow Up
Closed	Closed

Unmapped Statuses

The Unmapped statuses area contains statuses currently available to the board but not assigned to a visible column or the Kanban backlog.

Work items with unmapped statuses will not appear on the board. This area is useful for:

Identifying statuses that still need to be mapped
Removing old workflow statuses from the active board
Temporarily holding statuses while reorganizing columns

If an expected status does not appear anywhere on this page, first verify that the correct workflow has been assigned to the appropriate work item type in the space.

The Kanban Backlog

The Kanban backlog provides a separate storage area for work that should remain accessible without appearing on the active board.

For this project, the Templates status is mapped to the Kanban backlog. This keeps the reusable Job Opportunity template separate from actual job applications.

The process works like this:

			
Template Story stored in backlog
        ↓
Open and clone the template
        ↓
Clone begins in Interested
        ↓
Customize the clone for the job
        ↓
Track it across the active board

		

This approach protects the original template from accidental edits while avoiding the need for automation, marketplace applications, or a visible Templates column.

Status Categories

Jira also assigns statuses to one of three broader categories:

To Do: Work that has not yet started
In Progress: Work that is active or still requires attention
Done: Work that is complete

For the Job Search Tracker:

Templates is a To Do status stored in the Kanban backlog.
Interested is a To Do status displayed on the board.
Preparing, Applied, Interviewing, Waiting, and Follow Up are In Progress statuses.
Closed is a Done status.

The category is determined by the underlying workflow status, not merely by the board column’s appearance.

Step-by-Step Instructions

In the following steps, I’m going to show you how to customize your Kanban board so that it aligns with the custom workflow created for the job tracker project, how to add the template status to the backlog for story template storage, and ensure your Kanban board is set up to track job application statuses.

Note: Your options and screens may vary depending on the choices made throughout this process, so your experience may look slightly different from what I’ve documented here, but the general process will be the same.

Preparation Step: Add a workflow to your space

If you haven’t already applied your workflow to the space you’re updating (or if you want to confirm that it has been applied), this is a necessary step for the job tracker project.

Here’s how to do that: Add a Workflow to a Space

Step 1: Navigate to your space

Click on the Jira logo to start from the For You page
Expand the sidebar, if not already expanded, by clicking the arrow icon on the very top left, or just hover over the icon to access the side navigation menu
Click on Spaces then click on the space you want to view (e.g., Job Search)

Step 2: Navigate to the board settings

From the board page, click on the 3 dots next to the board name to open the options
Click on board settings

Step 3: Navigate to columns & statuses

Expand the sidebar, if not already expanded, by clicking the arrow icon on the very top left, or just hover over the icon to access the side navigation menu
Click on layout to open the layout options
Click on columns

Step 4: Customize and Map the Board Columns

From here, scroll down to the map statuses to columns section where you should see a layout of columns, and on the left, a column of unmapped statuses.

As a reminder, these are the workflow columns I’m using for this project, if you’re following along:

Interested → Preparing → Applied → Interviewing → Waiting → Follow Up → Closed

Here’s how I like to organize these columns:

Remove Unneeded Columns

For any columns that are unneeded for this board, click on the trash can icon and confirm you want to delete it
Leave any columns that align with the workflow statuses (e.g., follow up and closed)
If backlog is in the Kanban backlog column, click on it and drag it into the unmapped statuses column.
If you unintentionally delete a status, it can easily be added back following the steps below.
Note: The done column cannot be deleted until the closed column is added and mapped.

Create Columns

Add columns for any additional statuses needed (e.g., interested, preparing, applied, interviewing, waiting)
Click on the + to the right of the columns
Enter the column name
Select the appropriate category
- To do: interested
- In progress: preparing, applied, interviewing, waiting, follow up
- Done: closed
Click on add column

Re-Order Columns

If the columns aren’t in the correct order, click on a column until the pointer changes to a hand, then click and drag the column to the correct location.
Repeat this until all the columns are in the same order as the workflow.

Map Statuses

Ensure every column has the correct status mapped, meaning below the min/max fields, there’s a box with a status name, number of work items, and a “set resolution” checkbox.
If any column is missing its status, simply locate the correct status from the unmapped statuses column, click on it, and drag it to the correct column.
If you are using the templates status, click on templates and drag it into the Kanban backlog column.
- This will allow for story templates to be available, but stored separately from the Kanban board.

Final Check

Ensure that everything looks correct:

Delete the unneeded done column
Kanban backlog contains the templates status (and backlog status has been removed)
The columns are in the correct order: Interested → Preparing → Applied → Interviewing → Waiting → Follow Up → Closed
Each column contains the correct status

Step 5: Navigate back to your space

Click on the Jira logo to start from the For You page
Expand the sidebar, if not already expanded, by clicking the arrow icon on the very top left, or just hover over the icon to access the side navigation menu
Click on Spaces then click on the space you want to view (e.g., Job Search)

Step 6: Add backlog tab (for template storage)

If you’re using the template storage status, you’ll want to add a link to the backlog for easy access.

On the right side of the row of tabs above the Kanban board, click on the + sign
Click on backlog
Click on add to navigation
A backlog tab should now be visible on the row of tabs

Quick Cleanup Tip

While you’re here – if there are any tabs you don’t want in this row, simply hover over the icon for the item, click the 3 dots, and click remove. If you decide you want that tab back later, it can be added back the same way the backlog was added – by clicking the + sign. These tabs can also be dragged to rearrange their location.

Your board is now set up!

After completing these steps, your Kanban board should have all the workflow columns you need to stay organized. If anything needs changing, it’s easy to make adjustments so this board works more efficiently for you.

Next Step

If you’re following my How to Build a Job Search Tracker in Jira guide, here’s the next step:

Boards & Workflows

How to Create a Template Story in Jira

Learn how to create a reusable template Story in Jira, store it safely in the Kanban backlog, and clone it whenever you add a new job opportunity. This guide also explains how to organize job details, contacts, documents, and comments into one complete record.

Additional Tips

Helpful Tip: Map the Status Before Testing the Board

After adding a column, make sure its matching status appears inside it before returning to the board. A column without a mapped status cannot display work items.

Helpful Tip: Keep One Status Per Column When Possible

Jira allows multiple statuses to be mapped to one column, but a one-to-one setup is easier to understand and troubleshoot for this project.

For example: Interested column = Interested status

This makes it immediately clear where every Story belongs.

Helpful Tip: Test with a Temporary Story

After completing the mappings, create a temporary Story and move it across the board. Confirm that:

It begins in the expected first column
Each move updates its status correctly
No unexpected statuses appear
It can reach the final Closed column
A cloned template begins in Interested

Delete the test Story after everything works as expected.

Common Mistake: Renaming Columns Without Mapping Statuses

Renaming a column changes only its visible heading. It does not replace the underlying Jira status.

Always review the status label inside each column after renaming or creating columns.

Common Mistake: Missing Workflow Statuses

If Interested, Preparing, or another expected status is missing from the board settings, the correct workflow may not be assigned to the board’s work item type—or recent workflow changes may not have been saved.

Verify the workflow before trying to recreate the missing statuses from the board settings.

Common Mistake: Mapping Templates to a Visible Column

A visible Templates column can clutter the board and increase the chance of accidentally editing or moving the reusable Story.

Mapping Templates to the Kanban backlog keeps it accessible while clearly separating it from active work.

Version Differences

This tutorial uses Jira Cloud with a Company-managed Kanban board. Atlassian periodically updates Jira’s terminology, navigation, and board settings, so your interface may look slightly different.

Team-managed spaces use a different workflow and board-customization process and will not follow these exact steps.

How to Customize the Details Section of a Jira Story

Learn how to customize the Details section of a Jira Story so the fields you actually need are easy to see and edit. This guide walks through creating custom fields, updating the Story layout, controlling what appears in the details section, and troubleshooting missing fields in a Company-managed Jira space.

How I’m Actually Using My Jira Job Tracker

See how I’m actually using my Jira Job Tracker to save potential jobs, clone a template Story, record listing details, preserve job descriptions, and move opportunities through a flexible Kanban workflow. This practical walkthrough shows that job tracking can be simple, useful, and easy to adapt.

3 Job Opportunity Templates to Organize Your Job Search

Choose from three reusable job-opportunity templates designed to organize applications, company research, contacts, interviews, documents, follow-ups, and outcomes. Start with a minimalist, standard, or maximalist version, then copy, paste, and customize it for Jira, OneNote, Notion, or another job-tracking system.

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