Jira Automation Unlimited

Introduction

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Introduction

 

The Jira Automation Unlimited app is designed to simplify a Jira administrator and Jira users day to day tasks to let them work more productively and do less repetitive work. This version is called 'Unlimited' because there is practically an unlimited number of combinations and possibilities for simplifying and automating your work in Jira. We'll be regularly adding new capabilities, allowing you to automate within Jira and using external tools.   

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You can find this app on the Atlassian Marketplace here.

 
 
Getting Started - Overview

 

Getting started is easy. New Automation will be created after opening ‘Jira Automation’ in  the main dashboard menu inside Jira:

  1. Go to the Manage apps.

  2. Click on “Jira Automation”/”Configure”:

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To build automation you'll need to configure three parts:

- Name: Name of your automation rule and the project you'd like it to work with.

- Condition: What conditions will trigger your automation.

- Action: The actions you'd like Jira to do.

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Let's analyze each of the parts in the following steps.

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3. Click "New Automation" and enter the name of your future trigger. Then select the project to which the automation conditions will be applied. Click Save to save the added data.

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   4. Select one of the suggested types of triggers.

Issue Assigned. This trigger fires when issue in Jira has been assigned to a user.

Issue Created. This trigger fires when issue has been created.

Field Value Changed. This trigger tracks on Jira fields changes and initiates a reaction if any.

All these triggers have different purposes but the same logic for setting all the parameters. Let's look at the settings using the example of the Issue Assigned trigger.

   5. Click “Select” under “Issue Assigned” trigger. Confirm your choice by clicking the "Save" button.

Every trigger includes two components - condition and action. Components can either restrict execution by testing a condition, perform an action, or control the flow by branching on related issues.

New condition includes:

  • Advance compare condition. Compares two values using smart values and regular expressions.

  • User condition. Compare a user against specified criteria.

In Advance compare condition you need to fill in the field to monitor for changes in JQL (for example, if you want to follow issue by some reporter - {{issue.fields.reporter.accountId}}) and value (for example, for reporter you need to enter reporter’s ID user - 5dde48c836b8050e29250d9e). The accuracy of the value can be adjusted using the Conditions - equals, does not equal, starts with, contains and others.

In User condition, you can choose one or more criteria for new condition. Indicate whether all conditions or one of the conditions must be met to perform the action. Condition includes 3 fields:

  • Validation - to specify the ticket field for checking (assignee, reporter, User who triggered the event and approvers);

  • Validation options -  to specify how exact the match should be (“user is”, “user is not”, “user is in group” or “user is not in group”);

  • Criteria -  to choose a group or definite user from the Jira list.

After You entered all parameters, click “Save”. “Back” button takes you back to back window.

   6. Then we need to choose one of the possible actions. Click on “New action”.

New action includes 4 options:

  • Assign Issue. There are numerous ways to assign issues to users - from specifying the user manually to copying from other issues and fields. You can also assign to users in a list based on smart criteria.

  • Create issue. Create a new issue in a given project.

  • Log work. Log work on an issue.

  • Update issue. Update certain issue field.

For “Assign Issue” there are different settings. At first, you need choose one of the elements from “Assign the issue to” list:

User in the defined list has an additional field. You can choose assignee method - balanced, random or round-robin. User list shows all available users to assign to in your project.

Another field value or comment gives only one additional field - Field type. You need to choose to what user to assign issue - Issue creator, Issue reporter, Previous assignee or Previous commenter.

“Automatic” value should automatically assign an issue to a random user. This option doesn’t provide any configuration settings.

“Copy from another issue” value should provide a way to select from which issue to inherit the assignees list. Option should provide only one configuration setting. You can choose from where to import assignee.The  drop-down list includes:

  • Epic

  • Parent issue

  • Issue from JQL request

“Smart value” value provides a way to indicate Jira’s variable to take assignee value from.  You need to fill in the field to “User” in JQL (for example, if you want to follow issue by some creator - {{issue.fields.rcreator.accountId}}).

“Specify user” value provides a way to indicate where you pick user’s value from list:

  • Copy from issue

  • All existing users list

“Unassigned” should set Assignee field to “Unassigned” type.

“User who triggered event” value detect a user who triggered an event and put it’s id value to the Assignee field.

For “Create Issue” the settings are different. You can choose:

  • Project, where the issue is created.

  • Issue title. Describe your Issue title. 

  • Issue description. Write description for the issue. 

  • Issue type. Choose the type in which an issue was created.

“Log work” feature allows to report time spent on a certain issue. This feature should provide a number of configuration options:

  • Time spent. Enter the time of work in the “2w 1d 5h 30m” format.

  • Operations. This control allows to choose a way to specify the “Date Started” parameter. There are two options available - set the value manually or copy it from the existenting Jira issue. “Set value manually” provides a way to input time in relative or absolute format. Click on field and choose the date in a calendar. “Copy from the existenting Jira issue” allows to choose an issue to copy the value from as well as a corresponding time field.

  • Work description. Write a description of your log work.

  • Work log visibility. If you want, you can set a restriction on viewing the recorded time for certain user roles and user groups only.

For “Update issue” you need to use 4 settings:

  • Issue. Field with drop-down list of your available issues.

  • Validation options. What field you can update - summary or description.

  • Value. Enter your text updating.

  • Way. You can add new text to current text (“add”) or change text for new (“replace”).

After configuring your action settings, save changes by clicking the “Save” button.

   7. To save all of your update settings for the new trigger, click the “save” button in the right corner.

Your new trigger for Jira Automation is ready!