What is a definition of done in Jira?

A definition of done (DoD) is the checklist of conditions every work item must satisfy before it can be called done — tests passed, code reviewed, documentation updated, stakeholders notified. Jira itself has no notion of it: the Done button closes an issue no matter what is unfinished. Teams that get it right store the DoD on the issue as a checklist and enforce it with a workflow validator.

What is the difference between definition of done and acceptance criteria?

Acceptance criteria are specific to one story — they describe what this particular feature must do to be accepted. The definition of done is the same for every item the team ships — it describes what finished work always requires, like review, tests and release notes. A story is done when its acceptance criteria pass AND every definition-of-done item is satisfied. Teams that conflate the two end up either duplicating review/test items on every ticket or forgetting them entirely.

Does Jira have a built-in definition of done field?

No. Jira has no native DoD field, checklist or gate. Teams approximate it with a required custom field, a subtask-per-condition setup, or text in the description — none of which can stop an issue from being closed half-done. The workable native boundary is workflow conditions, and Jira's standard conditions can't count subtask or checklist completion. That gap is what checklist apps with a workflow validator fill.

How do I enforce a definition of done in Jira?

Store the DoD as a checklist on the issue, mark the non-negotiable items as required, and add the 'Checklist required items complete' validator (Checklist Workflow Automation for Jira) to the transition into Done. From then on Jira refuses the transition and names the items still open. Alternatives: ScriptRunner can script the same gate for teams already paying for it, and HeroCoders' checklist app covers this ground too — pick by what else you need around the gate (JQL, CSV, reminders, price).

Should bugs have the same definition of done as stories?

Usually not. Stories carry feature-level conditions (acceptance criteria met, metrics wired up, docs updated); bugs need a defect-specific gate: root cause identified, fix verified in a production-like environment, a regression test added, and affected users or release notes updated. Keep both templates in the same project so 'done' stays one auditable concept with two shapes.

Jira Definition of Done: Template + How to Enforce It

October 17, 2026 · 6 min read

NGPilot

Every team says it has a definition of done. Then you look at a closed ticket: the release notes were never written, one test is skipped, the customer was never told. Jira didn't fail them — Jira never knew what "done" meant. The Done button closes anything. This post gives you a copy-paste definition of done template for stories and bugs, shows where to store it so it's actually on every ticket, and walks through the enforcement options from free to fully gated.

Quick answer: A definition of done (DoD) is the team-wide checklist every issue satisfies before closing — distinct from per-story acceptance criteria. Jira has no native DoD field, so the setup that works is: keep the DoD as a checklist template applied to every new issue, flag the non-negotiables as required, and add a workflow validator (Checklist Workflow Automation for Jira, free up to 10 users) that blocks the Done transition while any required item is unfinished. Below: the template, the storage options, and the enforcement ladder.

The Template

Definition of Done — user story

Code peer-reviewed
Unit + integration tests pass in CI
Acceptance criteria demonstrated to the reporter
No new high/critical vulnerabilities
Documentation and release notes updated
Feature flag / rollout plan confirmed
Stakeholders notified

Mark the first two and the release-notes line required — they are the ones teams skip under deadline pressure, and the ones that cost the most when skipped. The rest stay optional: nothing destroys a definition of done faster than twenty mandatory checkboxes nobody reads.

Definition of Done — bug fix

Root cause identified (not just the symptom)
Fix verified in a production-like environment
Regression test added
Release notes / affected users updated
Related issues linked

Bugs need a different gate than stories — a defect closed without a regression test is a defect scheduled to return. Same project, second template, so "done" stays one auditable concept with two shapes.

What the template is not

Not a checklist of who does what (that's assignment) and not a list of what this story must do (that's acceptance criteria — keep those in the story's own description). The DoD is only the conditions that are true for every piece of finished work. If you're writing an item that applies to some tickets only, it belongs in acceptance criteria.

Where to Store It (So People Actually See It)

Option	What you get	What breaks
Wiki page	One canonical copy	Nobody opens it; zero per-ticket visibility
Description template	On every ticket from birth	Free text — items get deleted, JQL can't see them
Checklist template on the issue	On every ticket, structured, JQL-searchable	Needs an app to render and enforce

The wiki page is where definitions of done go to die. The description template is one step better — Modern Issue Templates for Jira pre-loads a rich-text body (description, DoD section, testing notes) on every new issue automatically, so the checklist is at least present on birth. But presence is not enforcement: a text checklist in the description can be deleted by anyone, and nothing stops the transition.

The Enforcement Ladder

Level 0 — nothing. The default. Close the ticket, hope for the best.

Level 1 — present. The DoD template auto-applies to every new issue (issue template). Reviewers see it; nothing enforces it.

Level 2 — enforced. The checklist lives on the issue, the non-negotiables are required, and a validator blocks Done until they're done.

Level 2 is the whole point, and it needs one workflow edit with Checklist Workflow Automation for Jira:

A Jira admin opens Project settings → Workflows, edits the workflow, and on the transition into Done adds the validator Checklist required items complete (category: Forge apps).
From then on, closing an issue with an unfinished required item is refused, and Jira names the offenders:

Complete required checklist items before transitioning: "Code peer-reviewed", …
Optional: add the Complete required checklist items post function to the same transition if your DoD documents review steps rather than work — it completes the required items automatically once the reviewer decides to move on.

Two rules make the gate predictable: only exactly Done satisfies a requirement (a custom status like Waiting on vendor still blocks, Skipped never counts), and the validator fails open — if the app can't read a checklist, the transition goes through rather than bricking the workflow.

Audit What Slips Through

Enforcement prevents new shortcuts; the JQL layer catches everything already in flight:

issue in hasIncompleteRequired()
cwaIncompleteRequired > 0 AND sprint in openSprints()
cwaOverdueRequired > 0

Save the first as a filter called "Owed before Done" and pin it as a dashboard gadget — it's the team's honest backlog of unfinished endings. Pair it with overdue reminders, which comment on issues where a required item has blown past its due date and mention the assignee (at most once every 7 days per issue, so it nudges without nagging).

Do You Need an App for This?

For Level 1 — no. Any issue-template mechanism puts the DoD text on tickets.

For Level 2 — yes, something has to count checklist state inside a workflow validator, and native Jira can't. The honest landscape: ScriptRunner can script the same gate if you already pay for it; HeroCoders' checklist app covers this ground; Checklist Workflow Automation does it without scripts and stays free up to 10 users, with the JQL functions, CSV round-trip and reminders built around the same required-item concept. Pick by what you need around the gate, not the gate itself — every option blocks the transition.

How to Add a Checklist to Jira — the checklist mechanics in depth: panels, required flags, JQL and templates
Create Jira Issue Templates — put the DoD body on every ticket from birth
Plan Jira Sprints That Actually Work — where the DoD gate sits in sprint planning
Checklist Workflow Automation for Jira — full documentation: enforcement, templates, CSV, JQL, audit log

Sources

Manage workflow transitions — Atlassian Support — validators and conditions on transitions
Jira workflow conditions — what native conditions can and can't check — the boundary that makes checklist validators necessary

Try Modern Issue Templates for Jira

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The Template​

Definition of Done — user story​

Definition of Done — bug fix​

What the template is not​

Where to Store It (So People Actually See It)​

The Enforcement Ladder​

Audit What Slips Through​

Do You Need an App for This?​

Related Resources​

Sources​

Related guides