How to customize Jira Service Management portal?

This post was originally published on May 27, 2019, and has been updated for accuracy on March 29, 2024.

People tend to stick to first impressions. Especially when it comes to Customer Portals and Help Centers where look and feel is crucial. Unfortunately, they usually come across a generic layout. This is your opportunity to stand out! But how to customize the Jira Service Management portal? Don’t worry, we will tell you about it in the present article. 

How to customize the Jira Service Management portal? 10-step checklist. 

Jira Service Management portal configuration takes a few steps. We described it in detail in the article about how to set up Jira Service Management. Here you have the checklist of 10 most important things that help you get started: 

  1. Log in to your Jira instance. Remember that to configure it you need Jira Admin permissions.
  2. Go to Jira Service Management settings in the administration panel.
  3. Set up request types that your users will be able to submit. Customize them with specific fields and workflows.
  4. Create request forms. Include relevant fields to gather all necessary information.
  5. Organize incoming requests into queues based on their type or responsible team. 
  6. Set up SLAs to define response and resolution times for each request type.
  7. Design the layout of the Customer Portal to match your organization’s branding.
  8. Add helpful content such as knowledge base, FAQs, and announcements.
  9. Automate repetitive tasks by creating automation rules.
  10. Define when and how users and agents receive notifications about their requests.
jira service management portal Central operations desk
Exemplary Service Desk in Jira Service Management. Source: Atlassian

You’re almost done! Now, it’s time for some extra points. They will help you make sure you’re making the most of your Jira Service Management.

  1. Test each element to ensure everything functions well. Gather feedback from stakeholders to improve the portal’s usability.
  2. Train agents and users. Provide documentation to introduce them to the portal’s features.
  3. Track the performance of the portal. It includes metrics such as response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores.
  4. Don’t ignore your observations! Use data to identify areas for improvement. 
Get more customization options of your Jira Service Management Portal.
Try Theme Extension at your company. It’s free for 30 days.
Go to the Marketplace

Native customization possibilities of Jira Service Management

In native Jira Service Management, you’re able to set up your Customer Portal to match your brand style more. You can add a basic background and a text banner to it. But what if someone wants to make advanced changes to the look and feel? On Data Center, with the 4.2 version of Jira Service Management, you get access to the software’s source code. It allowed for implementing the most advanced in-house modifications. However, this wasn’t exactly what the users needed. Even though you got the chance to make some more adjustments, it’s still necessary to involve developers in the procedure. 

new_customer_portal_experience
Customer Portal made with native Jira Service Management. Source: Atlassian Confluence

How do I customize my Jira Service Desk portal?

In the native Jira Service Management Customer Portal, you can change the login message and the language. Teams can also add names, logos, and announcements to their service desks. This helps customers make sure they are in the right place. 

How do I change the name of a Jira Service Management portal?

To brand your portal you must be logged in as a Jira Admin. From your service project, navigate to Project settings and then Portal settings. At this point, you can edit the name, introduction text, and logo fields. 

Your portal’s header, URL, and button colors are automatically copied from the main help center. 

TIPS

How to change your page name in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management?

  1. Click on the Page name text field.
  2. Type in the desired text. Page name can be maximum 48 characters long.
  3. You can see the customized text on the configuration panel preview.
  4. Changes are saved automatically.

How do I change the logo in Jira Service Desk?

Keep in mind that the picture for your project called the project avatar, isn’t the same as the logo for your portal. The project avatar appears within your service project for your team. On the other hand, the portal logo shows up in your customer-facing help center and portal. You’ll need to set them up separately. 

You set up the logo in the same Portal settings as the name. To change the avatar, go to the Project settings and then navigate to Details. Next, pick the new avatar in the proper field. You can select one from the default icons or upload your image.

How do I add a custom field in Jira Service Management?

You might need to add new custom fields to collect more details from your customers. It can be a field for their number, the request purpose, or location. Everything that could assist your agents in resolving an issue. Here’s an instruction on how to add custom fields on Cloud hosting: 

  1. Go to Settings and then Issues.
  2. Choose the Custom field from the navigation bar on the left. 
  3. Click on the Create custom field
  4. Select All, and choose a custom field type. Then click Next.
  5. Submit a name and description of your new field. 
  6. Click Create.

After you’re done, take a look at the box next to your project key. Pick screens where you want your new custom field to appear. 

In the Atlassian documentation, you can find an explanation of how to update custom fields in the Data Center.

Customize Jira Service Management templates

You still can get a more advanced setup without digging into JSM’s source code. The apps on the Atlassian Marketplace extend the native design customization options. One of them is Theme Extension for Jira Service Management. The plugin enables us to change several UI elements on the Customer Portal.

theme extension customer portal
Customer Portal made with Theme Extension for Jira Service Management
Add colors, search, navigation bar, and more to your Customer Portal.
Try Theme Extension at your company. It’s free for 30 days.
Try it free

How do I change the layout of my Jira service desk?

To customize Jira Help Center design with Theme Extension you don’t need any technical skills. The plugin is available on the Cloud and Data Center. You get the main customization options: Pages and Templates. To edit them you have to log into Jira with Jira Admin permissions. Let’s take a closer look at what can you do. 

Pages

In Theme Extension, Pages replace a traditional Customer Portal experience. They allow you to have a customizable space for each project you manage. Even if there are multiple at once. 

Using Pages you can edit: 

page editor jira service management theme
Customization process in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management
TIPS

How to add logo to your Customer Portal in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management?

  1. Click the pen icon to expand the Logo/Home link panel.
  2. Choose a link text (up to 48 characters) or upload an image (JPG, PNG, HEIC).
  3. Select the target for the link.
  4. Click Save.

 

Customer Portal Templates

In Templates Gallery, you can use the premade Customer Portal templates, and configure them to match your needs. You can also create your own. 

Predefined templates include:

  • Light
  • Yellow
  • Violet
  • Rose
  • Green
  • Dark
TIPS

How to create templates in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management?

  1. In the configuration panel, navigate to the Templates gallery section.
  2. Click on New template in the top right corner.
  3. Set colors for the Main sectionNavigation section, and Other elements.
  4. Enter a Template name.
  5. Click Save.
theme extension jira service management templates
Templates Gallery in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management

Cards theme

Theme Extension for Jira Service Management enables you to edit the Customer Portal by adding the Cards theme to the default Jira Service Management setup. How can you make some changes in the UI design?

TIPS

How to add cards theme to Theme Extension for Jira Service Management?

    1. Go to the Project Settings of the selected service management project.
    2. Go to Theme Extension Configuration and select Cards theme.
    3. Apply one of the ready-made theme styles or create a new one.
    4. On the live preview, click on both the top and bottom background, welcome text, search and navigation bar, and one of the cards to edit these elements. You can also choose a footer or an Announcement banner.
    5. Change the default card style by clicking the icon on the left, under the request types group view, and choose one out of the six styles. You can also customize each card separately by clicking on them and changing the background and font colors. To change the size of the cards, use the slider on the right.
    6. You can also create custom cards with company details, invitations for an event, links to external documentation, or social media channels. This is the only place where you need to use a few lines of HTML code. Once you’re all set and done, save your theme and publish it.

custom cards theme jira service management
Portal with custom cards in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management
List Theme

Cards are not the only option to personalize your Help Center. Theme Extension for Jira Service Management enables you to add List Theme and customize them in different ways.

TIPS

How to edit a List Theme in Theme Extension for Jira Service Management??

    1. Choose one of the ready-made themes or create a new one.
    2. In the case of the new theme, choose from 1 up to 3 colors.
    3. Additionally, you can add a footer and an Announcement banner.
    4. Click Publish and enjoy your new List Theme.

Here’s an example of how it can look like:

list theme jira service management customer portal inspiration
Customer Portal optimized and branded with Theme Extension for Jira Service Management
Adjust Customer Portal to your brand. Use templates or customize it yourself from scratch.
Try Theme Extension at your company. It’s free for 30 days.
Try it free

5 best practices that make customizing your Help Center important

A good Help Center can help your customers and your business. It can make customers happy, reduce support tickets, and improve your brand. But, to make your Help Center the best it can be, you need to customize it.

In this section, you’ll discover 5 helpful tips to make your Help Center a valuable asset for your business.

Customer Portal should match your business needs.

Customization helps tailor the support portal to fit your organization’s unique needs.

Visual consistency makes your brand recognizable.

Incorporating logos, colors, images, and style results in a consistent look and feel. Thanks to this customers are sure they are in the right place to get support.

Transparency helps users find answers.

When a Customer Portal is intuitive, users can find the information they need quickly. If you provide them with the knowledge base, they can solve problems on their own. It reduces the workload for support teams.

Flexible Help Center grows with you. 

Flexibility makes it possible to adjust your Help Center as your organization changes.

Engaging Customer Portal provides insights.

Customer Portal offers data on what users are searching for and what’s working best. This can help you improve your Support team efficiency over time.

Key takeaway

Jira Service Management has some native customization options but they’re limited. Modern businesses usually need more flexibility. This is why, apps like Theme Extension for Jira Service Management allow you to aim higher. Thanks to plugins, you can transform your company’s Customer Portal. You can get a unique Help Center that reflects your brand visual identity. There’s no doubt an intuitive user interface changes how people interact with the platform. It becomes truly helpful, not just functional enough. Thanks to this, a company gains trust and brand recognition among its clients. 

FAQ

  • How to do customization in Jira?

    Here’s a general guide on how to customize Jira ticketing system:

    1. Log in to Jira with an account that has administrative access.
    2. In Jira, customization options are usually found in the “Settings” or “Administration” section. This might be accessible through the gear icon or directly from the sidebar. It depends on your Jira version.
    3. If you want to customize settings for a specific project, find its settings section.

    You can configure issue types, workflows, permissions, screens, etc. Some common customizations include:

    • Issue Types: Define different types of issues based on your project needs. For example, you might have “Bug,” “Task,” “Feature,” etc.
    • Workflows: Create or modify workflows to define the lifecycle of an issue. Workflows mark the status an issue can have and the transitions between them.
    • Fields: Add or customize fields to capture relevant information about your issues. You can create custom fields to track specific information unique to your project.
    • Permissions: Manage who can perform certain actions within the project.
    • User Management: Manage user accounts, groups, and permissions.
    • System Configuration: Configure general settings such as email notifications, time zones, and design.
    • Apps: Atlassian Marketplace offers a choice of plugins that can extend Jira functionality.
  • How do I edit a Jira Service Desk form?

    First, log in to Jira and find the Service Desk project you want to edit. Then, locate the specific request type. Navigate to the form configuration settings for that request type. Customize the form by adding, removing, or rearranging fields as needed. Remember to save your modifications. Next, verify that the form works correctly by testing it or using the preview feature. Once you’re satisfied, make your changes live for users.

Katarzyna Kornaga

Katarzyna is a Content Specialist, responsible for writing on the Deviniti blog. She values helpful, unique content where users can find answers to their questions. When not writing, you can find her walking her dog, Loki, flowing through Ashtanga yoga classes, or curled up with a good book at home.

More from this author