Traceability

Linking Requirements to Jira Issues

4Spec uses native Jira issue links to connect requirements to the stories, tasks, bugs, and epics that implement them. To link a requirement:

1. Open a requirement by clicking on it in the tree or matrix view.
2. In the detail panel, find the Linked Issues section.
3. Click Link Issue to open the search dialog.
4. Search for the Jira issue by key, summary, or JQL. Results appear as you type.
5. Select the issue and choose the link type (requires or tests).
6. Click Link to create the connection.

Links are bidirectional — the linked Jira issue also shows the requirement in its issue links section. Both "requires" and "tests" link types count toward coverage.

Coverage Badges

Every requirement displays a coverage badge that reflects how well it is linked to implementation and test issues:

Badge	Meaning
Covered	The requirement has at least one linked issue via a "requires" link and at least one linked test case via a "tests" link. Full traceability is established.
Partial	The requirement has some links but is missing either implementation links or test links. Traceability is incomplete.
Uncovered	The requirement has no linked issues at all. This is a traceability gap that should be addressed.

Coverage badges appear in the tree view, the traceability matrix, and the document view, so gaps are always visible.

Matrix View

The Traceability Matrix tab provides a spreadsheet-style view of all requirements and their linked issues:

• Rows — one row per requirement, showing the requirement ID, summary, and coverage badge.
• Linked issues — expand a row to see all linked Jira issues with their key, summary, status, and link type.

The matrix gives you a comprehensive overview of traceability across the entire project. Each row is expandable — click to reveal the linked issues for that requirement.

Matrix Filters

Use the filter controls at the top of the matrix to narrow down what you see:

• Coverage status — show only Covered, Partial, or Uncovered requirements. Use All to see everything.
• Folder — filter requirements by their folder in the tree.
• Issue status — filter linked issues by their Jira status (e.g., show only requirements linked to open issues).

Filters combine — for example, you can show only Uncovered requirements in a specific folder to find gaps quickly.

Coverage Summary Bar

At the top of the Traceability Matrix tab, a summary bar shows project-level coverage statistics:

• Total requirements — the total number of requirements in the project.
• Covered — count and percentage of fully covered requirements.
• Partial — count and percentage of partially covered requirements.
• Uncovered — count and percentage of requirements with no links.

The summary bar updates in real time as you add or remove links. It provides a quick health check of your project's traceability completeness.

Unlinking Issues

To remove a link between a requirement and a Jira issue:

1. Open the requirement in the detail panel.
2. In the Linked Issues section, find the issue you want to unlink.
3. Click the unlink icon next to the issue.
4. The link is removed immediately. The Jira issue itself is not affected — only the link is deleted.

Unlinking updates the coverage badge in real time. If removing a link causes the requirement to become Uncovered, the badge changes accordingly.

Next Steps

• Document View — render requirements as a structured specification with coverage indicators.
• Test Cases — create test cases and link them to requirements via "tests" links.
• Reports — generate coverage reports and compliance documentation.

Need Help?

For questions or feedback, contact contact@be4.software.