Cascading Issue Picker for Jira Cloud and JSM: Structured issue selection made simple

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(What does LEGO have to do with Jira issue linking? Watch the video below to find out... 😉)

You click “Link work item” in Jira Cloud, type a keyword, and suddenly face a flat list of hundreds of similar results. Which Epic is the right one? Which Sub-task belongs to which Story? You scroll, refine your search, and try again. Flat lists, endless scrolling, wasted time.

In small projects this is inconvenient. In large organizations, with thousands of issues across multiple levels, it becomes a serious bottleneck. Agents lose time, requestors get frustrated, and mistakes in linking are hard to avoid. For teams migrating from Jira Data Center to Cloud, the problem is even sharper. Custom cascading pickers, which solved this on DC through scripting, simply aren’t available in Cloud. The result: a big gap in functionality right where it’s most needed

The challenge of issue linking in Jira Cloud and JSM

In native Jira Cloud, issue linking depends on a single search bar. After selecting a relationship type, you type a keyword or issue key, and Jira returns one long list across all projects. This only works if you know the exact issue key. Otherwise, you’re left scrolling.

In Jira Service Management portals, requestors have it even harder. They usually cannot select issues themselves at all, leaving agents to interpret the request and correct links manually. That adds friction, slows down resolution, and reduces transparency.

How the Cascading Issue Picker improves Jira Cloud issue linking

The Cascading Issue Picker introduces hierarchy into the process. Instead of a single endless list, users filter step by step: first choose an Epic, then the Stories linked to that Epic, and finally the Sub-tasks connected to the Story.

Imagine a requestor in a JSM portal. Instead of typing free text, they drill down through the hierarchy – Epic, then Story, then Sub-task – until they pinpoint the exact item. The request is submitted with clear links already in place. Agents see the context instantly, and there’s no guesswork or follow-up needed.

We’ve put together a short video that illustrates this flow in practice and shows both the requestor and agent perspective.

Why it matters

• Faster selection saves agents valuable time

• Clearer context reduces errors and unnecessary communication

• Requestors finally get a structured way to indicate what their request is about

Extra control for admins

For administrators, the Cascading Issue Picker is flexible and safe to configure. Each level is defined with JQL, which means you can restrict exactly which issues are available for selection. You can also set limits on how many items can be chosen, ensuring the field stays practical even in large projects. All of this is done without scripting, directly in the field configuration.

Who benefits most

• Large organizations with complex, multi-level project structures

• Teams managing high volumes of interconnected issues

• Data Center to Cloud migrators who previously relied on custom-built cascading pickers

Getting started with the Cascading Issue Picker

The Cascading Issue Picker is part of Awesome Custom Fields for Jira Cloud and Jira Service Management. Configuration is straightforward and based on JQL, giving admins full control while making life easier for agents and requestors.

Want to see what it looks like in action? The showcase video walks through the flow step by step, and the documentation provides details on how to set it up.

If you have any questions, feel free to schedule a 1:1 call with us.