How to automatically adjust dates when cloning templates in Jira

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When working with templates in Jira, we naturally expect certain information to be reused across issues. This is one of the biggest advantages of templating: data such as names, descriptions, links, or responsibility details automatically flow from one task to another, eliminating repetitive copy-and-paste work.

But what about date fields?

Copying them as-is rarely makes sense – the dates from your template rarely match the real timeline of your new project.
At the same time, manually adjusting each date after cloning is slow, error-prone, and completely defeats the purpose of using templates in the first place.

In many real workflows, the sequence of tasks follows a defined timeline: some steps must happen 2 days later, others 10 working days later, and others right before go-live.

So what do we do with date fields?

Jira’s native cloning does not let you adjust dates before cloning or shift them intelligently afterward. Every date is copied one-to-one, forcing users to rebuild the timeline manually.

This is exactly why Auto-Adjustment exists.

Let’s dive into how you can automatically adjust all date fields while cloning your work items, so your entire template instantly aligns with your project timeline – whether you rely on calendar days or working-day offsets.

Before we begin – what you need to get started

To use Auto-Adjustment effectively, you first need a set of work items to serve as your template – or simply an existing issue you want to duplicate with an adjusted timeline.

You can prepare your template in several ways:

1. Build a template following the approach described here:

👉 Why repetitive work deserves better than manual effort
This method guides you through creating a clean, reusable structure in Jira.

2. Use your own templating approach

Some teams already maintain their own collections of issues that serve as templates – and that works perfectly fine. Auto-Adjustment will work with any structure.

3. Select any set of existing issues

You can also choose a group of tasks that are not connected by hierarchy but still represent a repeatable workflow you want to keep consistent. Auto-Adjustment preserves the chronological relationship between their dates and intelligently shifts them during cloning.

Important requirement: Your template must contain date fields

Auto-Adjustment recalculates date offsets based on the original timeline in your template.
To make this possible:

• The work items you plan to clone must contain date fields (Due Date, Start Date, or custom date fields),
• and the dates in your template should be set in the correct chronological order, reflecting the real sequence of work.

This initial timeline acts as a “reference schedule.”

Auto-Adjustment is available in Clone Expert for Jira, so make sure the app is installed and enabled.

Let’s get started – time to clone your template

Once your work items are prepared with the correct dates and timeline logic, you’re ready to start cloning and let Auto-Adjustment do its work.

You can begin cloning in several ways:

1. From inside an Epic:  Actions → Clone template
Clones the Epic and all its child issues.

2. From any individual work item: Actions → Clone work item
Useful when cloning any work item with children or without children.

3. From a list of issues (Bulk clone) in the Search Work Items view: Apps → Bulk clone
You can select any group of issues, even without hierarchy.

Two Auto-Adjustment modes

In the clone window, in the preview table, go to a date column → open Bulk Clone options → choose Auto-adjust dates.

There are two adjustment options:

1. Auto-adjust to earliest date (forward planning).

2. Auto-adjust to latest date (backward planning)

with two date calculation logics:

• Calendar days

• Working days (skip weekends)

Auto-adjust to earliest date (forward planning)

This mode shifts the entire timeline forward, starting from the new earliest date you provide during cloning.

This option calculates the difference between:

• the earliest date in your template, and

• the new earliest date you choose,

…then applies this shift to all other dates.

EXAMPLE: Forward-planning with Calendar Days

Template task	Template Due Date
Task A	01.01.2026
Task B	07.01.2026
Task C	20.01.2026

➡️ New earliest due date: 10.02.2026
Offset = +40 calendar days

Task	Adjusted Date
Task A	10.02.2026
Task B	16.02.2026
Task C	01.03.2026 - End date

EXAMPLE: Forward-planning with Working Days (skipping weekends)

Task	Template Due Date	Template offset
Task A	01.01.2026	Start date
Task B	07.01.2026	Task A + 4 WD
Task C	20.01.2026	Task B + 9 WD

➡️ New earliest due date: Monday 10.02.2026

Task	Adjusted Date
Task A	10.02.2026
Task B	16.02.2026
Task C	27.02.2026 - End date

Auto-adjust to latest date (backward planning)

Many processes are driven not by a start date, but by a fixed deadline:

• Go-live date
• Contract end
• Release target
• Legal or regulatory deadline
• Event date
• End-of-quarter closure

In such cases, what you really need is to plan backward. This option uses the latest date in your template as the anchor and shifts everything backward so your workflow ends exactly on that date.

EXAMPLE: Backward-planning with Calendar Days

Task	Template Due Date	Template offset
Task A	01.01.2026	Task B - 6 days
Task B	07.01.2026	Task C - 13 days
Task C	20.01.2026	End date

➡️ Finish by: 21.08.2026, Offset: +213 calendar days backward-shift anchor

Task	Adjusted Date
Task A	02.08.2026 - Start date
Task B	08.08.2026
Task C	21.08.2026

EXAMPLE: Backward-planning with Working Days (skipping weekends)

Task	Template Date	Relative Offset
Task A	01.02.2026	Task B - 4 WD
Task B	07.02.2026	Task C - 9 WD
Task C	20.02.2026	End date

➡️ Finish by: 21.08.2026

Task	Adjusted Date
Task A	04.08.2026 - Start date
Task B	10.08.2026
Task C	21.08.2026

As a result, your entire workflow finishes exactly on time, while every other task falls into the correct place.

When to use which mode?

Use Auto-adjust to earliest date when… 

You know your start date
✔ You plan forward
✔ Workflows: onboarding, implementation, project kickoff, migrations

Use Auto-adjust to latest date when…

 You know your end date
✔ You plan backward
✔ Workflows: releases, go-live, events, compliance deadlines, audits, contract expiries

 

Practical example – Implementation Project Timeline

Below is a real sequence of tasks with working-day offsets and a new anchor date of 15.04.2026.
Here, we consider a scenario in which the template structure determines the start and end dates.

Task	Template date	Offset	Adjusted date
Scope preparation	01.01.2026	0 WD	15.04.2026
Kickoff scheduling	07.01.2026	+4 WD	21.04.2026
Environment provisioning	20.01.2026	+9 WD	01.05.2026
Workshop	27.01.2026	+5 WD	08.05.2026
Configuration	10.02.2026	+10 WD	22.05.2026
Validation	17.02.2026	+5 WD	29.05.2026
Final delivery	19.02.2026	+2 WD	02.06.2026 - End date

This example shows how the Auto-adjust to earliest date option recalculates the entire structure when you know your project start date.
By setting the starting point, you align all dates with your original template timeline and instantly see the workflow's projected end date.

 What if we only know the expected final delivery date?

Then we use the Auto-adjust to latest date option – the new backward-planning mode.
In this scenario, you provide the deadline, and Clone Expert automatically calculates the correct start date and all intermediate dates.

Let’s assume that the Final delivery must be done on 22.07.2026.

Task	Template date	Offset	Adjusted date
Scope preparation	01.01.2026	0 WD	03.06.2026 - Start date
Kickoff scheduling	07.01.2026	+4 WD	09.06.2026
Environment provisioning	20.01.2026	+9 WD	22.06.2026
Workshop	27.01.2026	+5 WD	29.06.2026
Configuration	10.02.2026	+10 WD	13.07.2026
Validation	17.02.2026	+5 WD	20.07.2026
Final delivery	19.02.2026	+2 WD	22.07.2026

Reminder:
In the preview table, you can review all calculated dates before cloning and verify that the timeline aligns with your current project.

All automatically assigned dates can be edited afterward. Clone Expert does not block changes – you remain fully in control. 

Tips for building templates with Auto-Adjustment

• Always set the earliest or latest date intentionally
• Keep spacing realistic
• Group large templates into phases
• Use dynamic placeholders together with Auto-Adjustment for full automation
• Test both directions for templates used in time-sensitive workflows 

Want Help Designing Date-Driven Templates?

If you'd like to experiment with Auto-Adjustment, it's available in Clone Expert for Jira on Atlassian Marketplace.

To learn more, check the Documentation or request a live Demo.

Stop wasting time on manual date adjustments – let Clone Expert for Jira handle your project timelines automatically!