I am organizing my tasks for the first time and I want context on period dates vs start/due dates

[Dr. Brennan]

In the task details I have options to set both the start and due dates as well as the beginning and ending of the period.  Can some one clarify how Jira uses the period term differently that the start and due dates?

[Michael Yaroshefsky - Visor for Jira]

Hi @Dr. Brennan ,

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Jira can be confusing at first. However, here's some clarity on the terms you're asking about:

• Start date means the date work on a task is expected to begin
• Due date means the deadline to finish or complete a task

For "Period date,"-  Jira refers to this as a timeframe, usually when you're performing a search or running a report. Here's an example:

Start date: December 20, 2023
Due date: January 20, 2023
Period start date: December 1, 2023
Period end date: January 31, 2024

This Atlassian article explains more about periods in Jira. See the section titled "Using Simple Search" https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftwareserver0910/scheduling-an-issue-1282248879.html