Dependencies

Dependencies allow you to link issues together to represent relationships, blockers, and connections. Understanding these relationships helps with planning and prevents bottlenecks.

Relationship Types

Blocking Relationships

Blocks / Is Blocked By

When one issue must be completed before another can start.

AUTH-1 (Database Schema) ─blocks→ AUTH-2 (User Model)
                                       │
AUTH-2 (User Model) ─is blocked by→ AUTH-1

Use when:

• Technical prerequisites exist
• Work cannot proceed in parallel
• Sequential dependencies

Related Relationships

Relates To

Issues that are connected but can proceed independently.

AUTH-1 ←─relates to─→ AUTH-2

Use when:

• Issues share context
• Work might affect each other
• Good to be aware of

Duplicate Relationships

Duplicates / Is Duplicated By

When issues describe the same problem.

BUG-123 ─duplicates─→ BUG-100 (original)

Resolution:

• Keep the original issue
• Close the duplicate
• Transfer relevant info

Clone Relationships

Clones / Is Cloned From

When an issue is copied from another.

PROJ-200 ─clones─→ PROJ-100

Created when:

• Using the Clone feature
• Creating similar issues
• Splitting issues

Parent-Child Relationships

Parent Of / Child Of

Hierarchical relationship between epics, stories, and tasks.

Epic
├── Story (child of Epic)
│   ├── Task (child of Story)
│   └── Task (child of Story)
└── Story (child of Epic)

Creating Links

From Issue View

1. Open the issue
2. Scroll to Links section
3. Click + Add Link
4. Select link type
5. Search for target issue
6. Save

Quick Link

Type in the description or comment:

Blocks AUTH-123
Related to PROJ-456

Elixion auto-creates the link.

Bulk Linking

1. Select multiple issues
2. Click Bulk Actions > Link Issues
3. Select link type
4. Select target issue(s)
5. Apply

Viewing Dependencies

Issue View

Links appear in the issue sidebar:

Links
──────
Blocks:
  → AUTH-123 Database setup
  → AUTH-124 Create tables

Is Blocked By:
  ← INFRA-50 Server provisioning

Relates To:
  ↔ DOCS-10 API documentation

Dependency Graph

Visualize dependencies:

1. Open issue
2. Click View Dependencies
3. See graph of all connected issues

INFRA-50 ──→ AUTH-100 ──→ AUTH-123
              │           │
              └──→ AUTH-124 ──→ AUTH-125

Board View

Blocked issues show indicator:

┌─────────────────┐
│ 🚫 AUTH-123    │
│ Login form     │
│ Blocked by 2   │
└─────────────────┘

List View

Filter by dependency status:

• Has blockers
• Is blocking others
• Has related issues

Managing Dependencies

Resolving Blockers

When a blocking issue is completed:

1. Blocked issues are notified
2. Blockers automatically removed
3. Issues can proceed

Removing Links

1. Open issue
2. Find link in Links section
3. Click ✕ to remove
4. Confirm removal

Circular Dependencies

Elixion prevents circular dependencies:

❌ A blocks B blocks C blocks A

You'll see an error if creating a link would create a cycle.

Dependency Planning

Sprint Planning

Before sprint planning:

1. View dependency graph for sprint candidates
2. Identify blockers outside sprint
3. Ensure blocker issues are prioritized
4. Adjust sprint scope if needed

Identifying Bottlenecks

Find issues blocking multiple others:

Critical Path Issues:
1. INFRA-50 - Blocks 5 issues
2. AUTH-100 - Blocks 3 issues
3. API-200 - Blocks 2 issues

Risk Assessment

High-risk scenarios:

• External blockers (outside your control)
• Long chains of dependencies
• Multiple teams' dependencies

Best Practices

When to Use Links

| Scenario | Link Type | |----------|-----------| | Must complete first | Blocks | | Related but independent | Relates To | | Same bug reported | Duplicates | | Copied issue | Clones | | Breaking down work | Parent-Child |

Avoiding Dependency Chains

Problem:

A → B → C → D → E

Long chains increase risk.

Solution:

• Parallelize where possible
• Break large items smaller
• Identify critical path early

Documentation

Include dependency context:

## Dependencies

### Blocked By
- AUTH-100 - Need user model completed first
  Reason: We need the user schema to build the profile page

### Blocks
- FRONT-200 - Frontend needs this API
  Reason: Profile page depends on this endpoint

Regular Review

During standups/planning:

• Review blocked issues
• Identify stuck items
• Adjust priorities as needed

Reporting

Dependency Report

View all dependencies in a project:

1. Go to Project > Reports
2. Select Dependencies
3. See:
   • Total links
   • Blocking chains
   • Circular risk assessment
   • Critical path

Export Dependencies

Export for external tools:

• CSV format
• JSON format
• GraphML for visualization tools

Automation

Auto-Link Rules

Configure automatic linking:

Example: Auto-link PRs

When: PR created with issue key in title
Then: Create "Relates To" link

Example: Auto-link duplicate detection

When: Issue title matches > 80% similarity
Then: Suggest duplicate link

Notifications

Configure alerts for:

• Blocking issue completed
• New blocker added
• Dependency chain > 3 levels

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