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String from an Assets field to then resolve a user? Possible or Not?

Tim Kennett

I have a project automation I'm working on but I need to get a Name - that is a string format - and put into a User Picker (single user) customfield.

This doesn't resolve the name though and using a "Edit work item" doesn't work either.

Has anyone been able to use a string value to search a username that I can enter into a field, that in turn is used to become the approver for a status in a workflow?

The field has the chance to change, which is why I'm pulling it from an Asset field using a lookup. I've looked into assets and they dont have a "user" type for fields either?

AI / Rovo suggests that I can resolve the string using a lookup value?? I can't figure that out and think its tripping on a hallucination...

Accepted answers

Trudy Claspill

Hello @Tim Kennett

You cannot set a User Picker field using the display name of the user.

You could use a Send Web Request action to execute an API call to search for a user that has a matching name and extract the account ID from the results.

https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-user-search/#api-rest-api-3-user-search-get

You can then use the extracted account ID to set the User Picker field.

If you have not used Send Web Request before, this article can help you get started.

Automation for Jira - Send web request using Jira REST API

Marc Koppelaar

Hi @Tim Kennett

In assets on the object, that responds with a user/employee or else how people are defined, you can create a user attribute.

You can fill this manually or via automation, then also create another attribute last sync date.

Create a Jira automation rule that triggers based on a schedule, without using a JQL clause.
Branch the rule on an AQL search action
Create a variable, example EMAIL, with smart value: {{object.email address}}
Add a Send web request action to get the Atlassian accountID related to the email address
1. In the Authorisation header, make sure you add the keyword Basic followed by the base64 of your emailaddress:APItoken.
  
  So if the base64 of the emailaddress:APItoken is AB12XY45, then to the Authorisation header add the value Basic AB12XY45
2. Add the following Web request URL:
  
  https://<Cloud site URL>/rest/api/3/user/search?query={{EMAIL.urlEncode}}
3. Add the Content-Type and "Application/JSON" header
4. Check the option "Delay execution of subsequent rule actions until we've received a response for this web request" as the response contains the Jira work items linked to the Confluence page
Create a variable to store the accountID of the Atlassian user, example AID, with smart value: {{webResponse.body.accountID}}
Action to edit the attributes of the user object in Assets.

Example:

user attribute: {{aid}}
last sync date: {{now.format("dd/MMM/yy")}}

All comments

Trudy Claspill

Hello @Tim Kennett

You cannot set a User Picker field using the display name of the user.

You could use a Send Web Request action to execute an API call to search for a user that has a matching name and extract the account ID from the results.

https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-user-search/#api-rest-api-3-user-search-get

You can then use the extracted account ID to set the User Picker field.

If you have not used Send Web Request before, this article can help you get started.

Automation for Jira - Send web request using Jira REST API

Marc Koppelaar

Hi @Tim Kennett

In assets on the object, that responds with a user/employee or else how people are defined, you can create a user attribute.

You can fill this manually or via automation, then also create another attribute last sync date.

Create a Jira automation rule that triggers based on a schedule, without using a JQL clause.
Branch the rule on an AQL search action
Create a variable, example EMAIL, with smart value: {{object.email address}}
Add a Send web request action to get the Atlassian accountID related to the email address
1. In the Authorisation header, make sure you add the keyword Basic followed by the base64 of your emailaddress:APItoken.
  
  So if the base64 of the emailaddress:APItoken is AB12XY45, then to the Authorisation header add the value Basic AB12XY45
2. Add the following Web request URL:
  
  https://<Cloud site URL>/rest/api/3/user/search?query={{EMAIL.urlEncode}}
3. Add the Content-Type and "Application/JSON" header
4. Check the option "Delay execution of subsequent rule actions until we've received a response for this web request" as the response contains the Jira work items linked to the Confluence page
Create a variable to store the accountID of the Atlassian user, example AID, with smart value: {{webResponse.body.accountID}}
Action to edit the attributes of the user object in Assets.

Example:

user attribute: {{aid}}
last sync date: {{now.format("dd/MMM/yy")}}

Tim Kennett

OK, I'm getting a status 200 response but the body is just "[]" these square brackets? Is this an authorization issue? or the text isn't found or could it be I'm using the wrong 'Query'

https://discoveryparks.atlassian.net/rest/api/3/user/search?query=Walters

Would this work? I'm just hard coding it for the moment but no matter what I change the result is the same.

I'm doing the Header option as mentioned above Basic with the encoded base64 in the Value field.

Screenshot 2026-04-14 at 10.02.58.png

Trudy Claspill

Hello @Tim Kennett

In your Headers you should have "Authorization" where you have "Basic", and the word "Basic" should precede your encoded token in the Value field, like this:

Screenshot 2026-04-13 at 7.14.55 PM.png

Because your header doesn't properly include the authorization your api call is being executed Anonymously, and is returning empty results as per the specification for the API endpoint:

Permissions required: Browse users and groups global permission. Anonymous calls or calls by users without the required permission return empty search results.

Tim Kennett

Yeah I tried that as well.

I did it again but still get the [] response.

I've also checked that Im in a group under Browse users and groups, global permission. I'm definately in there.

I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong here? Do you need to use Oauth? The documentation seems to suggest it. No mentions it in any of the links in this chat.

Screenshot 2026-04-14 at 12.02.15.png

Trudy Claspill

So I got someone else to replicate this in Automation and Postman. Neither is working. I've checked the permission on the "Browse users and groups" under global permissions and we both have that and its still not working.

I'm giving up on this.

Hello @Tim Kennett

I am sorry that this has been a struggle. I have another question which might lead to a solution if you are willing to continue.

When you created your API token did you use the Create API token option or the Create API token with scopes option?

If you chose the latter:

1. What scopes did you specify. It could be that the scopes are not set correctly.

2. Try creating an API token with the first option (without Scopes) and see it that works.

Tim Kennett

No scopes

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