Story map components

A story map is made up of goals, steps, stories, and swimlanes. Together, these elements help you organize your product backlog, plan releases or sprints, and connect your work items to real user needs in Jira.

Goals (Themes)

High-level outcomes or objectives, can be mapped to Jira issue types.

Steps (Epics)

Major activities or phases under each Goal, forming the backbone of your map.

Stories

Actionable tasks under each Step, linked to Jira work items (issues).

Swimlanes

Horizontal sections that group Stories by release or sprint.

How They Work Together

Goals set the overall direction and can be mapped to Jira work types. Steps (Epics) break those Goals into manageable phases. Under each Step, Stories capture the detailed work items your team will deliver. Swimlanes then slice the map horizontally, showing which Stories are planned for each release or sprint.

This structure helps you keep the big picture in view while managing the details of your backlog and delivery schedule.