Get started
Welcome to Time to SLA, the ultimate solution for tracking and managing service level agreements (SLAs) in Jira Cloud.
What is Time to SLA?
Time to SLA helps teams track SLA compliance, monitor performance, improve response times, and automate SLA notifications.
Admins can configure SLAs, set up notifications, and generate reports.
Users can view SLAs on work items, track deadlines, and receive alerts.
For admins
As you explore the app, look for the graduation cap icon. Click it to watch SLA University videos tailored to the screen you're on.
Step 1: Set up permissions
Before you start defining SLAs, set user permissions to ensure team members have the right access. In the Permissions screen, you can configure user and group-based permissions for each Time to SLA menu.
Step 2. Configure calendars (Optional)
SLAs need working hours to calculate deadlines accurately. Time to SLA includes a 24/7 calendar by default, but you can create custom calendars for different teams.
Using standard business hours? → Create a new calendar.
Using round-the-clock support? → Stick with the default 24/7 calendar.
Before proceeding, set your time zone under Settings > General to ensure accurate calculations.
Step 3. Define your first SLA
After installation, you'll be prompted to create your first SLA. To help you get started quickly, we offer pre-configured SLA templates with ready-made conditions and goals.
You can pick an SLA template to get started:
Time to resolution – Track how long work items take to resolve.
Time to first response – Measure response time for new work items.
Time in “In Progress” – Monitor how long a work item stays in a particular status.
Click Create from template, configure project details, and you're done!
If you’d rather create it yourself, select Create from scratch. The video below walks you through the steps.
Step 4: View and customize the SLA panel
Once you’ve set up your first SLA:
Create a work item in the project you’ve selected to see the SLA panel in action. Learn more about how the SLA panel works and how you can customize it.
To see the SLA panel on your existing work items, recalculate your SLA data.
Two notifications are set up by default upon SLA creation: one is sent at 50% of the SLA time, and another at 75%. You can also set up custom SLA notifications.
Having problems? Here are quick solutions:
Step 5. Monitor performance with reports and dashboards
Now that your SLAs are running, it's time to track their performance.
Get insights with detailed SLA reports.
Set up report subscriptions for automatic updates.
Export reports to share data with your team.
Want a quick overview of SLA performance? Add the SLA gadgets to your Jira dashboard.
For users
Once your Jira administrator has set up SLAs, here’s how you can use Time to SLA in your daily workflow:
Step 1: View SLAs on work items
The SLA panel appears inside Jira work items, providing real-time tracking of deadlines. To find the SLA panel:
Open a work item in Jira.
Scroll down to the SLA panel.
View the SLAs applied to the work item. There can be several.
Step 2: Track SLA deadlines and statuses
Watch the countdown timer in the SLA panel.
Look for status changes (Ongoing → Warning → Breached).
Check for color-coded indicators to quickly assess urgency.
If an SLA is close to breaching, escalate the work item or take action to meet the deadline.
Step 3: Stay vigilant with notifications
Time to SLA keeps you updated with alerts at 50% and 75% of SLA duration. Check your inbox regularly to avoid missing important SLA notifications.
Where will you receive notifications?
By default: Email.
Other options (if enabled by your admin): Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Not receiving SLA notifications?
Check your Jira notification preferences.
Ask your administrator to confirm whether notifications are enabled for your team.
You’re all set! Start tracking SLAs and optimizing your team's performance today.