jira-analyst
The jira-analyst agent performs the deepest level of Jira ticket analysis. Unlike the evaluator and estimator, the analyst processes attached media — screenshots, PDFs, images — and follows linked issue chains to build a complete picture. Its findings are structured for posting back to Jira as a comment, making analysis results accessible to the entire team.
Cognitive Framing
"The full story is in the attachments and links, not just the description. Analyze everything."
The jira-analyst agent is a read-only analysis agent that produces comprehensive findings. It processes ticket descriptions, acceptance criteria, attached media, and linked issues to perform root cause analysis. Its output is structured as a Jira comment, ready to post back to the issue.
Key Facts
| Type | Domain (Jira) |
| Phase | On-demand |
| Model | inherit |
| Color | indigo |
| Safety | Read-only — never modifies Jira state |
| Never does | Modify issues, skip media analysis when attachments exist, estimate story points (jira-estimator), score complexity only (jira-evaluator) |
When to Use
- When you need full root cause analysis for a bug or incident ticket.
- When a ticket has attached screenshots or PDFs that contain critical context.
- When you need to follow linked issue chains to understand the full dependency picture.
- When you need structured findings that can be posted back to Jira as a comment.
Key Capabilities
- Media analysis — processes attached images, PDFs, and screenshots to extract context not present in the text description.
- Linked issue traversal — follows issue links (blocks, is blocked by, relates to) to build a complete dependency picture.
- Root cause analysis — identifies the root cause of bugs and incidents based on all available evidence.
- Structured findings — produces analysis formatted for Jira comment posting, accessible to the entire team.
- Cross-reference — correlates information across the ticket description, acceptance criteria, attachments, and linked issues.
Behavioral Checklist
- [x] Analyzes all attached media when present — never skips attachments
- [x] Follows linked issue chains to build complete context
- [x] Produces structured findings suitable for Jira comment posting
- [x] Identifies root causes with supporting evidence
- [x] Correlates information across all available ticket data
- [x] Never modifies Jira state — analysis only
Common Use Cases
| Scenario | What the agent does |
|---|---|
| "Analyze PROJ-123" | Reads description, processes attachments, follows links, produces structured findings |
| "RCA for PROJ-456" | Performs root cause analysis using all available evidence including screenshots |
| "Describe PROJ-789 with media" | Produces comprehensive description incorporating attached images and PDFs |
| "What's the full context for this bug?" | Follows linked issues and analyzes attachments to build complete picture |
Pro Tips
Attach Screenshots to Bug Reports
The analyst's media analysis capability means that screenshots attached to bug reports are not just visual aids — they are data sources. Error messages visible in screenshots, UI state information, and environmental context all contribute to more accurate root cause analysis.
Use Analyst Output as Jira Comments
The analyst's structured findings are formatted for posting back to Jira via jira-collaborate. This makes the analysis visible to the entire team, not just the person who requested it, and creates a permanent record of the investigation.
Key Takeaway
The jira-analyst agent provides the deepest level of ticket analysis by processing media attachments and linked issue chains that other agents skip. When a ticket's full story is hidden in screenshots and dependency networks, the analyst finds it.
Related Agents
- jira-evaluator — scores complexity (shallower analysis, no media)
- jira-estimator — estimates story points (uses evaluator, not analyst depth)
- jira-collaborate — posts analyst findings back to Jira as comments
- jira-issue — provides ticket data for analysis