This article continues from Custom Timeframes and shows you how to apply custom timeframes in your workflows, use them in backlog and roadmap views, set up automation, and include them in capacity planning.
In this article:
Assigning Timeframes to Work Items
Once you’ve created a custom timeframe, you can start applying it to your work items and OKRs.
Custom timeframe fields are multi-select, which means a single item (Epic, Feature, Story, Objective, Key result) can belong to more than one timeframe value.
Example: If a Feature spans both PI-1 and PI-2 or Quarter 1 and Quarter 2, you can tag it with both values.
To assign a timeframe value to a work item:
Open your Backlog (or another view where your item is displayed).
Make sure the custom timeframe field is visible (use Column selection if needed).
Open the item and select one or more timeframe values from the dropdown.
Using Custom Timeframes in the Backlog
Custom timeframes can be used just like other fields in backlog views:
Filter to show only items in a specific cadence.
Group items by timeframe to quickly see what’s planned for each period.
Sort backlog items using timeframe values for prioritization.
This flexibility helps you align work with multiple planning rhythms at the same time.
Automation Rules
Automation rules allow you to keep dates and hierarchies aligned automatically when working with custom timeframes.
Date Alignment: ensures that when a work item’s timeframe changes, its start and end dates adjust to match the timeframe’s defined dates.
Inheritance and Aggregation: lets parent items (e.g., Epics) inherit or roll up values from their child items (e.g., Stories).
To create a Date Alignment rule:
Go to Automation Rules in the Workspace Settings.
Click Add Rule and select Date Alignment.
Choose the custom timeframe you want to apply.
Save the rule.
Now, when you move an item between timeframes, its dates will automatically update.
Capacity Planning with Custom Timeframes
Capacity planning integrates seamlessly with custom timeframes, so you can model delivery according to the cycles your team actually follows.
Open Capacity Planning.
Use the dropdown to switch between default cadences (Sprint, Quarter) and your custom ones (e.g., Program Increment).
Items will be grouped by the selected timeframe, showing effort allocation against your team’s available capacity.
Use toggles to model different scenarios, rebalance workload, and check overall feasibility.
This makes it easier to commit to realistic plans and manage risks across product areas.
Best Practices
Portfolio alignment: Define timeframes at the Portfolio level if you want all connected workspaces to share the same cadence.
Consistency: Avoid overlapping or slightly different timeframe ranges across workspaces, as this can cause confusion in reporting.
Change management: If timeframe values or date ranges change (e.g., PI start/end dates), communicate updates to your teams since items and capacity planning will be affected.
Test first: Apply new timeframes and automation rules to a small set of items before rolling out widely.
Now that you know how to use Custom Timeframes in practice, you might also want to explore: