Circular dependencies

Last updated 2026-09-28

A circular dependency is a chain that comes back to where it started: ABC-1 blocks ABC-2, ABC-2 blocks ABC-3, ABC-3 blocks ABC-1. Nothing in the loop can ever start, and Jira does not warn you when you create one.

How LinkLens shows them

• The link that closes the loop is drawn as a red dashed arrow. The other links in the loop keep their normal colour so you can still read the intended order.
• A Circular dependencies line under the canvas lists each loop as keys, for example ABC-1 → ABC-2 → ABC-3 → ABC-1. Up to ten loops are listed.
• The legend gains a red dashed = circular note.

Fixing one

1. Hover each card in the loop and read the tooltip to see which link is wrong.
2. Open the issue (click the card), remove or reverse the incorrect link with Jira's link editor.
3. Reload; the red arrow disappears.

Notes

• Loops are detected on the chosen link type only. A loop through mixed types (blocks then relates) is not a dependency loop and is not flagged.
• Which link is marked red depends on the order issues were visited; any link in the loop could be the one that is wrong. Read the whole loop before deleting.
• Hidden Done issues are excluded, so a loop that passes through a finished issue is not reported while Hide Done is on.

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