How do I use advanced hierarchy

[djx]

To be clear, I'm not asking "how do I configure advanced hierarchy", as this is well documented. 

I want to know how I can actually use advanced hierarchy in my project. It looks like I should be able to use as many levels of hierarchy as I want to organize my work, but in practice this does not appear to be true.

From what I can see:

• Level 1 - Epics (even if you rename them) are the highest level that can be created
• Level 2+ - Other Categories
• Tasks - All other standard issue types
• Sub-Tasks - All sub-task types which will belong to Tasks

All of these can be shown on boards, timelines, and plans, however the Level 2+ items cannot be used to sub-group Tasks in an Epic, and Tasks cannot select them as a parent. All tasks must be assigned directly to an Epic. If I want to see the relationship between Level 1, Level 2+, and Tasks, I can use relationships which will then show on the Timeline and Plan.

So if I cannot group tasks using the hierarchy, and I have to use relationships between them - what exactly is the advanced hierarchy doing for me?

Please, educate me on my ignorance. :) 

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @djx 

Welcome to the Atlassian community!

In this example Themes (Initiatives) are the top level. Features (New Feature) are children of Themes. Epics are children of Features.

When adding "children" you can't skip levels. Epics can be children only of Features. Standard issues types can be children only of Epics.

I'm not sure I understand your use case for trying to use Features to group standard issues types under an Epic. Can you expand on that and provide an example?

[djx]

Thank you for the prompt response. It turns out it was a fundamental misunderstanding. I was interpreting #1 to be the highest level of the hierarchy. I thought it was strange that levels 2 and 3 were displayed above it...

After switching my levels around (with the highest number being the highest level of the hierarchy) everything is working as expected.

Thanks again!