---
stage: Plan
group: Product Planning
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---

# Epics **(PREMIUM)**

When [issues](../../project/issues/index.md) share a theme across projects and
milestones, you can manage them by using epics.

You can also create child epics and assign start and end dates, which creates
a visual roadmap for you to view progress.

Use epics:

- When your team is working on a large feature that involves multiple discussions
  in different issues in different projects in a [group](../index.md).
- To track when the work for the group of issues is targeted to begin and end.
- To discuss and collaborate on feature ideas and scope at a high level.

## Relationships between epics and issues

The possible relationships between epics and issues are:

- An epic is the parent of one or more issues.
- An epic is the parent of one or more child epics. For details see [Multi-level child epics](manage_epics.md#multi-level-child-epics).

```mermaid
graph TD
    Parent_epic --> Issue1
    Parent_epic --> Child_epic
    Child_epic --> Issue2
```

Also, read more about possible [planning hierarchies](../planning_hierarchy/index.md).

### Child issues from different group hierarchies

<!-- When feature flag is removed, integrate this info as a sentence in
https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/group/epics/manage_epics.html#add-an-existing-issue-to-an-epic -->

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/371081) in GitLab 15.5 [with a flag](../../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `epic_issues_from_different_hierarchies`. Disabled by default.
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/373304) in GitLab 15.5.

FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is unavailable. To make it available, ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](../../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `epic_issues_from_different_hierarchies`.
On GitLab.com, this feature is available.

You can add issues from a different group hierarchy to an epic.
To do it, paste the issue URL when
[adding an existing issue](manage_epics.md#add-an-existing-issue-to-an-epic).

## Roadmap in epics **(ULTIMATE)**

If your epic contains one or more [child epics](manage_epics.md#multi-level-child-epics) that
have a start or due date, a visual
[roadmap](../roadmap/index.md) of the child epics is listed under the parent epic.

![Child epics roadmap](img/epic_view_roadmap_v12_9.png)

## Related topics

- [Manage epics](manage_epics.md) and multi-level child epics.
- Link [related epics](linked_epics.md) based on a type of relationship.
- Create workflows with [epic boards](epic_boards.md).
- [Turn on notifications](../../profile/notifications.md) for about epic events.
- [Award an emoji](../../award_emojis.md) to an epic or its comments.
- Collaborate on an epic by posting comments in a [thread](../../discussions/index.md).
- Use [health status](../../project/issues/managing_issues.md#health-status) to track your progress.

<!-- ## Troubleshooting

Include any troubleshooting steps that you can foresee. If you know beforehand what issues
one might have when setting this up, or when something is changed, or on upgrading, it's
important to describe those, too. Think of things that may go wrong and include them here.
This is important to minimize requests for support, and to avoid doc comments with
questions that you know someone might ask.

Each scenario can be a third-level heading, e.g. `### Getting error message X`.
If you have none to add when creating a doc, leave this section in place
but commented out to help encourage others to add to it in the future. -->