Adding a rich text default description when creating a issue type = story

[Marlita Johnson]

Our company doesn't use Jira Cloud (I meant Jira Next Gen).

When I create a new story, I want the description field to default specific components/text that our team uses when creating stories.

I can do this using Automation (When: Issue created, Issue Type equals Story, Then: Edit issue fields Description), but I can't format the default text in any way (no bolding, adding headers, etc).

Also, when I Clone an issue with this automation on, it replaces the description field on the cloned story to be what's in the automation script instead of the description in the story I'm cloning.

Is there a different solutions for adding a default template into new story (not a cloned story)?

[Marlita Johnson · Accepted solution]

Thanks everyone! Very helpful!

[Nar Kumar C_ - Narva Software · Accepted solution]

Hi @Marlita Johnson,

There are few options in Jira Cloud. It seems you already tried Automations.

If you are using team-managed project, check out this community post: The Uplimate Guide To Issue Templates in Jira

For company-managed projects (which are what most users use I believe), currently Marketplace apps are the only proper solution for this.

[Lukas Nicolai_Seibert · Accepted solution]

Hey @Marlita Johnson welcome to the Community 👋

if you were open to using an app for this. With Templating.app you can create issue templates and description templates. In our easy to use interface could specify via drop down menu: When issue created -> issue type equals story -> then edit issue field: description 

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1224664

In this video we give you a quick guide how this works with a story: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ORkPJdC_bc

Fell free to me know if you have any further questions.

Hope this helps! 

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Marlita Johnson 

Welcome to the Atlassian community.

When you say you don't use Jira Cloud, do you mean that you use Jira Data Center?

If so, you can add a default value for the Description field per this article:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/configuring-contexts-and-default-values-for-the-description-field-1047552727.html

That method does support formatting of the default text.

Only a Jira Administrator will be able to make that change in a Jira Data Center instance.

[Marlita Johnson]

Thank you! My page looks like this so I'm not seeing the same as what's on the page above:

Is there anything that I can do in just my Project that wouldn't affect all the other projects?

[Trudy Claspill]

Thank you for that screen image. That is helpful to this conversation.

Based on that image you are using Jira Cloud, which contradicts your first statement in your post.

The link I provided was relevant only to Jira Data Center.

Jira Cloud does not support setting default text for the Description field directly for Company Managed projects (vs. Team Managed projects).

There is a work around describe in the posts below where (in summary):

1. a custom field is created where you can set default text.
2. that custom field is used in the Create Issue screen and the built-in Description field is removed from the Create Issue screen.
3. Automation rule is used to copy the text from the custom field to the built-in Description field, when issue creation is completed.
4. The custom field is not shown on the View/Edit/Layout for issues, while the built-in Description field is presented.

Posts on this topic:

https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Jira-questions/Default-text-for-Description-field-on-Jira-Cloud/qaq-p/785597

https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Jira-questions/How-to-create-a-template-for-issue-description/qaq-p/1041636

Creation of a custom field and changing the which fields appear on screens requires Jira Product Admin access, which you don't have based on your screen image. So you would need to get help from your Jira Admins to implement this.

You could also use a third party app to generate template text to display in your Create Issue dialog for your Description field. This post offers a solution with an app:

https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Jira-questions/How-do-I-create-a-custom-template-for-a-description-text-input/qaq-p/2764424

[Trudy Claspill]

@Marlita Johnson 

If you are able to meet your need using the information provided in one of the responses, please consider clicking the Accept Answer button above that response to mark your Question as Solved. Doing so helps others searching the community find posts with validated answers.