What’s changing in Jira and JSM apps with Atlassian’s GA launch of New navigation?

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We’re excited to announce the General Availability (GA) of Atlassian’s new navigation for Jira, Jira Service Management, Jira Product Discovery, Confluence, and Atlassian Home. In this article, you’ll find key details about what’s changing, when those changes will occur, and what they mean for App developers.

What’s changing when it comes to navigation?

Jira, Jira Service Management, and Jira Product Discovery	Atlassian Home	Confluence
Discover Jira’s fresh look and navigation.	Learn about Atlassian Home’s navigation.	Read about Confluence’s Navigation.

The new navigation is centered around customization capabilities and ease-of-use improvements. Designed to feel familiar to anyone who uses software products, it’s also the foundation for new features that are being built and will ship soon. We want to ensure everyone can take advantage of these enhancements as they roll out across all Atlassian products. Read about how we built the new navigation.

What’s changing with regards to Jira and Jira Service Management apps?

As Atlassian updates its navigation system, the locations for accessing Jira and Jira Service Management apps have also been modified as outlined below.

Feature	Old navigation experience	New navigation experience
Global apps are transitioning from the top navigation to the left navigation Modules: jira:globalPage Web-Item: global-navigation-product Web-Item: system.top.navigation.bar
Jira project apps are transitioning from the left navigation to horizontal tabs Modules: jira: projectPage Web-Item: jira:project.sidebar.navigation
Jira Service Management project apps are moving from the dedicated Apps section in the left navigation to within the left navigation of the Jira Service Management project Modules:  jira: projectPage Web-Item: jira:project.sidebar.navigation
Modification of entry point locations for board and backlog apps. Modules: Web-Item: jira.software.board.tools Web-Item: board-tools-1 Web-Item: view-actions-print
Global multi-page apps Reference
Jira project multi-page apps Forge reference Connect proof of concept code

Recommendations for Jira and JSM apps

1. For apps that will have a dual left navigation or dual tab experience in the old navigation, we recommend adopting subpages in Forge. For Connect, you can follow the POC code to get an idea of how to build app navigation that is compatible with Jira. In case the subpages concept doesn’t work for your use case and you would still want to have the app nav alongside Jira navigation, that’s still fine. Users will have the option to collapse the side navigation and tabs at their discretion, as illustrated below.

2. We recommend utilizing global apps that are accessible in the apps section of the Jira’s side navigation when operations are conducted across multiple projects. Conversely, apps situated at the project level (within tabs for Jira and in the side navigation of each project for JSM) should provide functionalities that specifically support operations within the context of the respective project.

What to expect?

For insights into the GA rollout strategy, please refer to the table below.

Note: The timelines are tentative only, and we’ll offer more clarity for the phases when we’re closer to the release. Please watch this page and see the public roadmap to get the status and more information on the new navigation.

Timeline change log:

• 31 March 2025: Changed sandbox & opt-in date from mid-April 2025 to April 14, 2025. Shifted premium & enterprise timeline from End of June to Early July - Late July 2025. Updated "edition" terminology to "plan" to reflect Admin Hub labelling.

Cohort	Timeline	Details
EAP and Beta participants	Ongoing	If you enrolled your site for new navigation during the EAP/Beta phase, the rollout process doesn’t impact you as we’ll not be disabling it for you and your users. You and users can continue the new navigation. We’ll remove the option to turn off the new navigation and enable the new navigation for all users on the site by mid-April 2025.
5% of sites on the Standard plan	17 March 2025	We’ll start the new navigation rollout for 5% of sites on the Standard plan. The sites are chosen randomly and your admins are notified about the changes to the products.
Free plan	17 March 2025	We’ll transition sites on the Free plan to the new navigation. Admins and users won’t be able to turn off the new navigation.
All sites for all plans have optional opt-in	April 14, 2025	If you’re an admin of a site, you can turn on the new navigation: For just yourself For everyone on the site
Sandbox environments	April 14, 2025	If your site has a Sandbox environment, admins can self-serve and choose to turn on the new navigation.
Standard plan	Mid-April to Mid-May 2025	We’ll begin rolling out the new navigation to sites on the Standard plan in mid April 2025. If you’re an admin, we’ll remove the option to turn off the new navigation and enable the new navigation for all users on the site. For Jira and Atlassian Home, users can still turn off the new navigation only for themselves until the end of May 2025. This will not affect anyone else on the site.
Premium & Enterprise plan	Early-July to Late-July 2025	We’ll begin rolling out the new navigation to sites on the Premium plan in early July 2025. If you’re an admin, we’ll remove the option to turn off the new navigation and enable the new navigation for all users on the site. For Jira and Atlassian Home, users can still turn off the new navigation only for themselves till early July 2025. This will not affect anyone else on the site.
100% rollout	End of July 2025	All users of all plans are on the new navigation with no ability to turn it off.

Frequently asked questions about Jira and JSM Apps

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions based on the inquiries we have received. This list will be updated frequently as we gather more questions.

	Question	Answer/Response
1	Can we identify whether the side navigation is collapsed or expanded? This capability would enable the app to load with the navigation in the preferred state or adjust its functionality accordingly.	Implementing this feature could lead to inconsistencies in Jira's navigation items and negatively impact the overall user experience. Consequently, we have decided not to pursue this solution.
2	Could we dynamically identify which customers are using the old or new navigation? This information would help us optimize the app's appearance until the new navigation is fully rolled out and the opt-out option is removed.	Yes this feature is available for all Connect as well as for Forge Jira apps
3	Are there any plans to enable the addition of apps directly to the main navigation, beyond the designated app section in the left-side navigation?	No, there are no plans to allow the creation of apps outside of the designated app section in the left-side navigation.
4	I've noticed that my app link includes an ellipsis ('...') that directs users to "App settings." How is the target page for this link determined?	For Forge, it is a URL to the admin page, but if one is not defined, it links to the configuration page (if available). For Connect, a link to the first (top-most) admin page from the admin_plugins_menu location is returned
5	The project apps in Jira are organized into tabs, while they are situated in the left navigation panel within each Jira Service Management (JSM) project	The navigation structure has been finalized and tested with customer feedback.
6	The icons in the project navigation transform into ellipses for adminis when the tabs are active. Is this behavior expected?	Yes, this design is tailored to meet the accessibility needs of users.

In the meantime, join our focus group to stay updated, ask questions, raise concerns, and connect with the team working on the new navigation. 

Regards,
Atlassian Navigation Team

[Pablo Silva]

I've been using it for a few months and... 
... although I agree with the reasons why, like refresh, adapt to a 21:9 screen with more space on the sides.
I don't like the end result, it's not only because of change, as any other may require time to adapt, but it added more clutter on both ver and horiz menus, and is more confusing and slow to reach where we want. 

I appreciate the effort, but... needs improvement.

[Shraddha]

We as admins have tested these features in the EAP phase for our sandbox instance and honestly we are still not adapted to the new features. It's a lot of clicks, back and forth navigation of pages, let alone the clutter on the left panel.

I wish Atlassian can provide the option to disable this feature for folks who not like or are getting adapted.

[Yatish Madhav]

Thanks for this post @Chandana Meka 

[michelle_bachmann]

While the new navigation may be praised by regular users and consumers, it is a terrible experience for an Admin. I agree with @Pablo Silva. It's now so cluttered and inefficient, for both vertical and horizontal menus, and now more clicks are required for many of the same functions. I haven't found any new feature that has made me say, "Wow...how did I do without this for so long?" 

So disappointed, Atlassian.

[Piotr_Śmiałek_Deviniti]

Are the current updates considered final, or is this period treated as a testing and feedback window where adjustments might still happen? We're about to start updating our Figma components to reflect the new navigation and would like to make sure that the current structure and assumptions won't significantly change. Thanks in advance for clarifying!

to other vendors, we can discuss upcomming changes here :)
https://community.developer.atlassian.com/t/how-are-vendors-adapting-to-the-new-jira-navigation/90867

[Don Arsenault]

The Jira board header gets even bigger with the new line of project apps! Another vertical inch lost to the header! How can that be good for actual users?! Jira's header gets bigger and the actual work space gets smaller. The header will take up half the vertical space on my laptop display, I expect.

[Angela Stephens]

I would love if Atlassian would begin making this type of content (the article) available to export/copy so that we can use it to craft internal messaging and documentation in our own Confluence spaces.

[Mark B Wager]

Hi @Chandana Meka 

Are Jira "Business" projects going away?

It looks like the new Nav merges the best of Jira "software" and Jira "Work Management" features into  ONE type of interface.

If that's the case, why would we need a distinction between "software" and "business" projects anymore?

• Is there still going to be a difference between 'software' and 'business' project types?  And if so, what are the differences? And why?

It seems like you could have ONE interface and we could simply turn ON/OFF "Features" in the settings.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and future plans for this.

Thanks,

Mark

[Chandana Meka]

Hi @Piotr_Śmiałek_Deviniti

I am writing to confirm that the updates regarding Jira apps are now finalised. We have released a Request for Comments (RFC), an Early Access Program (EAP), and a Preview for developers earlier.

I will be closely monitoring feedback regarding the Jira apps and identifying any critical bugs that need to be addressed. Rest assured, there will not be any major changes, as any significant updates should have been communicated in advance to allow developers ample time to prepare.

Additionally, we have introduced a new feature that allows Jira Forge app developers to tailor their apps according to customer navigation. If this would be beneficial for you, please feel free to utilise this. We are working on similar feature for Connect apps. 

Thank you,

Chandana

[Piotr_Śmiałek_Deviniti]

@Chandana Meka Thank you very much for your detailed answer and for sharing the links to the RFCs — it's super helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to clarify this :)

[Piotr_Śmiałek_Deviniti]

@Chandana Meka btw. thats great you decided to give an abilitiy customize their Jira Forge apps according to the type of navigation the customer is using. We've already talked about that case and it's good to know you already adressed that :) 

[Jason S]

Hi @Mark B Wager

Are Jira "Business" projects going away?

No, business projects will remain. We don't currently have plans to remove them. Customers should expect business and software projects to co-exist for the foreseeable future

Is there still going to be a difference between 'software' and 'business' project types?  And if so, what are the differences? 

Yes, there is and will continue to be a difference between software and business projects.

Broadly, the differences between business projects and software projects in Jira are based on their intended use cases, features, and target audiences:

Business Projects

• Purpose: Designed for non-technical teams such as HR, legal, marketing, and finance. Ideal for teams that perform general task management and business workflows, and do not require technical or software development tools.
• Features:
  • Templates tailored for business processes like task tracking, approvals, and workflows.
  • Simpler configurations and terminology suitable for all users
  • Exclusion of software-specific tools like agile boards or development integrations

Software Projects

• Purpose: Built for software development teams to manage agile workflows and integrate with development tools; best suited for technical teams working on software development projects.
• Features:
  • Agile boards (Kanban and Scrum), backlogs, sprints, and release hubs.
  • Integration with development tools like Bitbucket and other CI/CD tools.
  • Advanced features for tracking software versions, development progres and configuration of agile workflows

Why the differences between them: 

As above, the different project types cater to different user types. 

---

You made a broader suggestion that the project types could be one interface with features to toggle on/off. Thank you for the suggestion. We'll definitely consider this in how we simplify Jira.

Jason

[Rick Westbrock]

The timeline says that as of yesterday as a site admin I should be able to opt-in for myself or for all users however I can't seem to find either of those settings, even in my sandbox instance. Has anyone else found where to opt-in?

[Susan Hauth _Jira Queen_]

Hi,

Spending my first day in the new NAV as the Jira admin for my organization before my users are subjected to the change. 

I'm finding this a lot of clicks as an administrator of Jira projects.  

Also very confused as to why the JSM experience is SO different from JSW, JWM (which I prefer).   I like the project panel with stuff on the top and being able to have a colorful background.  It's good when you are jumping around in projects to have that color to remind you which project you are in.   But having the JSM now show MORE stuff on the left panel is frustrating, no color and tends to blend into the rest of the left panel stuff. 

I do like that I can customize my view but not impressed with the lack of sorting ability for my favorite dashboards (which I rely heavily on).  I had to unstar them all and then try and add them back in logical order making sure the least favorite to most favorite order of dashboards so that the most favorite would end up at the top of the list.   Which is opposite to the old Nav!

It's going to take time to adapt.  

Honestly I would prefer some more bug fixes, small enhancements that are in JAC to spending so many development hours on Navigation.   Pretty sure that navigation changes would never be at the top of my prioritization list for things we need in Jira.

Susan