Getting Started
Welcome to Nesty! This guide will help you get started with nested checklists and workflows in Jira, from simple use cases to complex automated workflows.
First time using Nesty?
Watch this beginner-friendly demonstration to see how Nesty works and get started with nested checklists and workflowsin Jira:
This video covers the basics of using Nesty, from creating your first nested checklist to understanding how triggers work.
Simple Use Case: Nested Checklist
At its core, Nesty is a powerful nested checklist tool. Start by creating a simple checklist to track tasks within a Jira issue. This is perfect for breaking down work into manageable pieces.
Example: Simple Task Breakdown
- Design mockups
- Implement feature
- Write unit tests
- Implement core logic
- Add error handling
- Code review
- Deploy to staging
This simple nested structure helps you organize work hierarchically, making it easy to see what needs to be done and track progress at a glance.
Intermediate: Adding Context with Text and Titles
As your workflows become more complex, you'll want to add context and explanations. Nesty allows you to use text items and title items to break up sections and explain tasks in detail.
Using Title Items to Organize Sections
Title items act as section headers, helping you organize your checklist into logical groups:
- Title: "Pre-Development Phase"
- Requirements gathering
- Design approval
- Technical approach review
- Title: "Development Phase"
- Write unit tests
- Implement feature
- Code review
- Title: "Testing & Deployment"
- QA testing
- Staging deployment
- Production release
Using Text Items for Explanations
Text items allow you to add detailed explanations, instructions, or context that doesn't need to be checked off:
- Text: "Before starting development, ensure all dependencies are resolved and the API contract is finalized."
- Checkbox: API contract signed off
- Checkbox: Dependencies identified
- Text: "All code must pass linting and have at least 80% test coverage before review."
- Checkbox: Linting passed
- Checkbox: Test coverage ≥ 80%
By combining titles and text items with checkboxes, you create self-documenting workflows that anyone can understand and follow. This is especially useful for onboarding new team members or standardizing processes across teams.
Improving Jira Best Practices & Process Clarity
Nesty helps you implement and enforce industry-standard Jira practices that ensure tasks are clear, quality is maintained, and organizational processes improve. Here's how Nesty supports key Jira concepts:
Definition of Ready (DoR)
Ensure every story meets quality standards before development begins. Use Nesty to create a reusable DoR checklist at the top of every story ticket.
Example DoR Checklist:
- Title: "Definition of Ready"
- Designs approved ✓
- Acceptance criteria written ✓
- API contract signed off ✓
- Dependencies identified ✓
- Story points estimated ✓
- Technical approach reviewed ✓
- Blocker Trigger - Prevents development from starting until all items are complete
See a complete example in our Product Management workflows.
Definition of Done (DoD)
Standardize what "done" means across your team. Create a comprehensive DoD checklist that must be completed before any story can be marked as complete.
Example DoD Checklist:
- Title: "Definition of Done"
- Code written and reviewed ✓
- Unit tests written and passing ✓
- Integration tests passing ✓
- Documentation updated ✓
- QA testing completed ✓
- No critical bugs ✓
- Deployed to staging ✓
- Blocker Trigger - Story cannot be closed until all items are checked
This ensures consistent quality and prevents incomplete work from being marked as done. See examples in Development workflows.
Acceptance Criteria
Transform acceptance criteria from static text into actionable, trackable checklist items. Each criterion becomes a checkbox that must be verified before the story is complete.
Example: Acceptance Criteria as Checklist:
- Title: "Acceptance Criteria"
- Text: "As a user, I should be able to reset my password via email"
- User can request password reset from login page ✓
- Reset email is sent within 2 minutes ✓
- Reset link expires after 24 hours ✓
- User can set new password after clicking link ✓
- Old password is invalidated after reset ✓
This makes acceptance criteria testable and verifiable. Product managers can write criteria as checklist items, which can then be converted to separate issues for detailed testing.
Test Cases & Test Plans
Structure your testing process with organized test cases. Use nested checklists to group test scenarios, track test execution, and ensure comprehensive coverage.
Example: Test Plan Structure:
- Title: "Test Plan"
- Title: "Unit Tests"
- All functions have unit tests ✓
- Edge cases covered ✓
- Test coverage ≥ 80% ✓
- Title: "Integration Tests"
- API endpoints tested ✓
- Database interactions verified ✓
- External service mocks working ✓
- Title: "Manual Testing"
- Happy path verified ✓
- Error scenarios tested ✓
- UI/UX reviewed ✓
- Blocker Trigger - All test sections must pass before release
See comprehensive testing workflows in our QA & Testing workflows.
Quality Gates & Process Gates
Implement quality gates that prevent progression until standards are met. Use blocker triggers to enforce that code reviews, security scans, or compliance checks are completed before moving forward.
Example: Quality Gate Structure:
- Title: "Pre-Deployment Quality Gates"
- Code review approved ✓
- Security scan passed ✓
- Performance benchmarks met ✓
- Accessibility standards verified ✓
- Blocker Trigger - Blocks deployment until all gates pass
- Notify Trigger - Alerts team when gates are cleared
Quality gates ensure consistency and prevent technical debt. See examples in Security & Compliance and DevOps workflows.
Task Clarity & Process Improvement
Nesty helps improve task clarity and organizational processes in several ways:
- Clear Task Breakdown: Break complex stories into nested, actionable items that leave no ambiguity about what needs to be done
- Contextual Information: Use text items to provide background, rationale, or important notes that help team members understand the "why" behind tasks
- Standardized Templates: Create reusable checklist templates for common workflows (DoR, DoD, testing, etc.) that ensure consistency across teams
- Visual Progress Tracking: See at a glance what's done, what's in progress, and what's blocked - improving transparency and communication
- Automated Handoffs: Use triggers to automatically move work between teams, reducing manual coordination and preventing dropped handoffs
- Enforced Dependencies: Blocker triggers ensure proper sequencing, preventing teams from skipping critical steps
These practices lead to fewer misunderstandings, reduced rework, faster delivery, and better team alignment. Explore Cross-Functional Projects to see how multiple teams coordinate using these principles.
🎯 Key Benefit: By implementing these Jira best practices with Nesty, you transform static documentation into living, enforceable workflows. Checklists become quality gates, acceptance criteria become testable items, and processes become automated and consistent.
Advanced: Automating Workflows with Triggers
Once you've mastered nested checklists with titles and text, you can supercharge your workflows with triggers. Triggers are special items that automatically perform actions when all checkboxes at their level are completed.
💡 How Triggers Work: When all checkbox items at the same hierarchical level as a trigger are completed, the trigger automatically fires its action. You'll see an animation indicating the trigger has been activated.
Blocker Trigger
Prevents workflow progression until certain conditions are met. Perfect for ensuring proper sequencing of tasks.
Example: Block "Development Phase" until "Pre-Development Phase" is 100% complete. See this in action in our Product Management workflows.
Notify Trigger
Sends notifications to Slack, Teams, or email when a section is completed. Keep stakeholders informed automatically.
Example: Notify the #engineering channel when a feature is ready for QA. Used extensively in Development workflows and Support workflows.
Change Assignee Trigger
Automatically reassigns the Jira issue to a different person or team when a section completes. Perfect for handoffs.
Example: Auto-assign to QA team when development tasks are complete. Essential for Dev → QA handoffs and Onboarding workflows.
Attach Trigger
Requires file attachments before a section can be considered complete. Ensures documentation and deliverables are included.
Example: Require design mockups to be attached before development begins. Commonly used in Design workflows.
Trigger Cascade
Chains multiple triggers together, creating complex automated workflows where one action leads to another.
Example: When development completes → notify team → change assignee to QA → block until testing done. See complex examples in Cross-Functional Projects.
Real-World Workflow Examples
Ready to see how these concepts come together? Explore our comprehensive workflow guides for different roles and use cases:
Development & Testing
Product & Design
Operations & Support
Business & Teams
Next Steps
- Start with a simple nested checklist in one of your Jira issues
- Add title items to organize your checklist into sections
- Use text items to add context and explanations where needed
- Experiment with triggers to automate your workflows
- Explore our workflow examples to see how others use Nesty
- Read the detailed trigger documentation to understand each trigger type