Screens
In short
Screens is the Explore surface for Jira screens: an aggregate view of every screen, a searchable and filterable list, and a per-screen detail panel showing how each screen is structured and where it is used, including which custom fields sit on it.
Screens are the bridge between fields and workflows: fields are placed on screens, screens attach to schemes, schemes assign to projects. When something is wrong with a screen (too many fields, orphan status, duplicate content) the effect cascades: users see cluttered forms or fields they cannot fill in, and admins see the support tickets.
Before you begin
A connected integration with at least one completed scan.
How the page is organized
Screens follows the standard Explore pattern with one variation: the detail view is a slide-in panel beside the list rather than a full page, so you can open a screen, investigate, and dismiss it without losing your place.
Reading the summary cards
Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
Total Screens | Every screen in the instance |
Orphaned Screens | Screens attached to no screen scheme and no workflow transition: unreachable by users, usually cleanup candidates. Highlighted when above zero |
Avg. Fields per Screen | Mean field count across every screen: a quick density check |
High Complexity Screens | Screens in the High tier. Too many fields, tabs, required fields, or duplicates. Highlighted when above zero |
Orphaned and High Complexity are the two to read carefully, for opposite reasons: an orphan has no user impact so removal is free, while a High Complexity screen is being used, which is exactly why the complexity matters.
Reading the Complexity Distribution
Screens fall across three tiers: Low (0.0–3.0), Medium (3.1–6.0), High (6.1–10.0). A healthy instance keeps most screens in Low. A large High bar means several individually complex screens worth working through one by one.
Reading the Screen Usage chart
The usage donut groups screens by role:
Usage type | Meaning |
|---|---|
Create Only / Edit Only / View Only | The screen plays exactly one operation role |
Multi Use | More than one role, often all three via a scheme default |
Unused | Referenced by no scheme and no workflow: the same screens counted as Orphaned |
A scheme default covering all three operations counts the screen as Multi Use. A large Multi Use slice is common and healthy (screens being reused); a large Unused slice is the cleanup signal.
Reading the Field Count Distribution
Screens bucketed by field count: 0–5, 6–10, 11–20, 21+. Most screens land in the middle bands. A heavy 21+ bar means genuinely overloaded screens; this chart and the High Complexity card usually tell the same story from different angles.
Using the list
Default sort is Complexity descending. Columns: Screen Name (opens the panel) · Complexity (score + tier) · Fields (across all tabs) · Tabs · Screen Scheme (checkmark = referenced by at least one scheme) · Workflows (transitions using this screen) · Projects (resolved through the scheme chain) · Status (Active / Orphaned). Search by name; filter by Complexity Tier, Status, or Usage Type.
Productive combinations:
Status = Orphaned → every cleanup candidate
Sort by Fields descending → the heaviest screens first
Complexity = High + sort by Projects descending → highest-impact screens to simplify
The detail panel
Click a screen to slide in the panel.
Header: name, Status badge, Complexity Score with tier colour, and View in Jira to open the screen in Jira's admin UI directly.
Summary cards: Total Fields, Tabs, Projects, and a Usage breakdown of how the screen serves Create, Edit, View, and Default roles across schemes.
Panel tabs:
Tab | What you see |
|---|---|
Tabs | The screen's tabs and the fields on each |
Schemes | The screen schemes referencing this screen and in what capacity |
Issues | Issue types associated through the scheme chain |
Workflows | Workflow transitions using this screen, with links to Jira |
Projects | Projects using this screen, resolved through the chain |
Jumping into Fields: on the Tabs tab, each field is clickable and opens the Fields surface for that specific field, with a breadcrumb back to the screen panel you came from. Fields live on screens, so an admin investigating a screen usually has field questions next; the link takes you there with context preserved.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a screen Orphaned even though I remember using it?
Orphaned means no screen scheme reference and no workflow transition use. A screen can sit inside a scheme that itself is not assigned to any project, leaving the screen effectively unused. Check the chain before deleting; see the checks Orphan screens and Orphan screen scheme.
Usage Type "Unused" vs Status "Orphaned"?
Same situation from two angles. In practice, filtering by either returns the same screens.
Can Screens flag conflicts between required fields and hidden fields?
Not in this release; cross-checking field-configuration conflicts is on the roadmap. Verify suspected conflicts in Jira directly.
What's next
How the Screen Complexity Score is calculated — the full scoring model
Fields — where you land when you click a field in a screen's panel
Check Reference: Orphan screens · Fields with no screens