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Highlight overdue work on a Jira board

Start by finding unfinished work with a due date before today. Then decide who will act on it. Highlighting is useful only if the queue excludes finished work and gives each overdue item an owner or next action.

Overdue work

Use a quick filter for a temporary overdue view; ask a board administrator to add it.

  1. Define overdue consistently

    For deadlines that expire at the end of a calendar day, use duedate < startOfDay() AND statusCategory != Done. This excludes work due today and finished items.
  2. Create an overdue quick filter

    In Board settings → Quick filters, add a filter named Overdue with that condition. Apply it on the board. It only narrows the board’s existing work; it cannot bring in a ticket outside the board filter.
  3. Review the queue

    Show Due date where supported, or open the work item to check it. For each item, decide whether to finish it, reassign it, unblock it, or agree on a revised date. Record the decision before changing the deadline.
  4. Make recurring review easier

    If the team wants a persistent visual cue, reuse the same condition in a card-color query. See the card-color guide for rule order and setup.

Keep deadlines visible

Display Due date on BetterBoard cards and use board filters to focus the review on the work that needs attention.

Learn how

Good to know

Example: review on 8 September with a calendar-day deadline rule.

  • An unfinished item due 7 September belongs in Overdue. An unfinished item due 8 September does not yet.
  • A completed item due 7 September stays out of the queue. An undated item belongs in the separate missing-date review.
  • The query uses Jira’s date interpretation. Check your profile time zone when a deadline appears on the wrong side of midnight.
  • Do not change due dates just to make the board look healthy. Keep the reason for a revised commitment visible.

Keep deadlines visible

Display Due date on BetterBoard cards and use board filters to focus the review on the work that needs attention.

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FAQ

Why is an overdue item absent?
Check whether it is in the board’s scope, mapped to a column, and in the relevant sprint or backlog. Then check the due date and status category.
Does this send reminders?
No. A filter or color rule changes what you see. Notifications require a separate automation rule or another reminder workflow.

Sources