How to automatically create a Jira link to another issue when cloning

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If you often clone issues in Jira, you’ve probably noticed that while the content gets copied, the connections don’t always follow. Being able to automatically create a Jira link to another issue when cloning can save time and keep your work organized, especially when those linked relationships represent dependencies or related tasks.

Whether you’re tracking bugs, managing escalations, or coordinating work across projects, smart linking helps everyone see how issues connect at a glance. Let’s look at what Jira does natively, why that can be limiting, and how you can make cloned issues link automatically with the right relationship type.

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🔗 What are Jira issue links, exactly?

In Jira, an issue link is a simple way to show how one issue connects to another.
You’ve probably seen some of the standard types already:

• Blocks / is blocked by

• Relates to

• Duplicates / is duplicated by

• Clones / is cloned by

 

These relationships help teams see dependencies, track similar issues, and understand how work is connected across projects. It’s one of those small details that can make a big difference when you’re managing lots of issues or working with multiple teams.

When multiple issues are properly linked, it becomes much easier to follow their progress and understand which tasks depend on each other. A well-structured linked network of issues can make your project workflow far more transparent and efficient. It also ensures the content of each issue stays relevant and up to date in context.

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🧩 The problem with Jira’s native clone links

If you’ve used Jira’s Clone function, you might have noticed it automatically creates a link between the original issue and the clone. That link is always of the type “is cloned by”, and that’s about it.

There’s no way to:

• Choose a different link type (like blocks or relates to).

• Automatically link issues across projects.

• Keep those linked relationships when cloning across Jira instances (for example, between your support and development projects).

That means you often end up editing links manually to reflect the actual relationship, which can get repetitive fast if you’re doing this regularly. Plus, if your cloned content needs to stay consistent between issues, maintaining those links becomes even more important.

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⚙️ Linking cloned issues automatically

The good news: you can take control of this process without needing complex automation.
By using an app like Elements Copy & Sync, you can automatically create a Jira link to another issue every time you clone and even choose which link type makes the most sense for your workflow.

 

For example, you could set things up so that:

• When an issue is cloned for development, a “relates to” link is created.

• When a ticket is escalated, it “blocks” the original one until resolved.

• When issues are copied across projects, the linked relationship remains intact.

This approach helps you maintain consistent linked relationships between issues without needing to manually update links each time. It also ensures your cloned issues stay accurate, synchronized, and properly connected.

You can even go a step further and use the app’s configuration options to create different link types depending on the project or workflow stage. This flexibility gives you complete control over how your issues interact, something native Jira cloning can’t fully deliver.

Read our complete guide on how to create Jira linked issues and sync them together

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🧠 How to set it up in Elements Copy & Sync

If you’re using Elements Copy & Sync, here’s how you can set up a recipe to automatically link cloned issues with the right relationship type:

1. Open your configuration

Go to the Elements Copy & Sync settings and create a new “Copy & Synchronize Jira work items” recipe

2. Go to the “Target” tab

This is where you can add the connection between the source and target issue.

 

3. Choose your link type

In the monitoring part, from the dropdown, select the link type (like blocks, relates to, or is cloned by) that best fits your team’s workflow and the work being done.

4. Define your destination project

Decide where the copied work should go, whether it’s in the same project or another one handled by a different team.

 

5. Define triggers

Configure the trigger options: how your recipe can be triggered (manual, via Automation or post-function).

6. Test and refine

Clone a test issue to verify that your work is being properly linked and that your teams can see how the cloned work relates to the original.

This setup ensures your work stays connected across multiple teams and projects, while reducing repetitive manual steps. By using this approach, you can add clarity and consistency to your linking process, keeping every issue and every piece of work properly connected.

Read detailed documentation on how to create a link between an issue and its copy automatically

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🚀 Why it’s worth setting up smart linking

Configuring automatic links between cloned issues brings a few key benefits:

Consistency – Every cloned issue follows the same linking logic and structure.

Traceability – You can easily follow an issue’s trail across projects or teams.

Less manual work – No need to open each linked issue and add links by hand.

Cross-project visibility – Keep your linked relationships intact even across different Jira instances.

Ultimately, it ensures that your issue network stays connected and your teams always have the full context across every project.

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🎯 Wrapping up

Jira’s native clone feature is useful, but limited when it comes to linking. If you want to automatically create a Jira link to another issue when cloning, setting up smart linking rules gives you the flexibility to define exactly how cloned issues relate, including the right link type and the correct relationships.

Whether you’re working within one project or across multiple instances, these automated, linked connections keep your issues aligned, traceable, and much easier to manage.

Try Elements Copy & Sync for free to automatically link your cloned issues!