Are external item links that useless?

[Jonathan Porta]

Recently, we started to use two instances of Jira, specifically to give access to one instance to clients for collaborative projects.

With that obviously came the external links between items from the two instances.

Initially it seems to work, links are symmetrically created but...

• Links are not maintained (deleting it one side won't remove it from the other side)
• They are not display in linked issues AT ALL, fully ignored.
• They don't even trigger automations about links

Have you encountered other issues? Are some of them in a good way to be solved by Atlassian?

Have any of you found a work-around for the problems listed above?

Quite disappointing if you ask me...

[Marc - Devoteam]

Hi @Jonathan Porta 

Al the actions you mention are only related to issue linking.

This is not what the external link will do or has ever implied to do.

External link option to reference information from outside the Atlassian instance.

If you want more possibilities, you will need to look for 3rd party solutions, like exalate or elements copy & sync

[Jonathan Porta]

Maybe I'm not using the correct terminology, how would you call an item link between two items coming from different instances? This is the kind of linking I was referring to.

I don't need more possibilities. I just would like to have this links shown in the standard fields "Linked Issues", or triggering automations.

[Marc - Devoteam]

Hi @Jonathan Porta 

Jira instances are linked via the application links option in the systems settings

The Linked Issue section on a work item (issue) is only for internal linking.

You can't use external links for automation.

The only automation trigger that can activate an automation rule on an instance based on an external action is the incoming webhook trigger

Or you can create an automation on an instance and use the send web request action to make an API call to another instance.

[Jonathan Porta]

The Linked Issue section on a work item (issue) is only for internal linking.

If I create a link to a ticket on the same instance and then to a ticket to the other instance, they both appear in the Linked Issue section in item details page:

The first one is from "local instance", the second is from "remote instance".

But it is not the case when you try to use the Linked issue field in a grid. In this case, only the ones from the same instance are shown. Same for reports, and same for API!

I've thought about using web requests to sync, but if I add a link to another instance, the event in automation is not even triggered. So I can't get the {{destinationIssue}} variable I should put in the web request.

[Marc - Devoteam]

Hi @Jonathan Porta 

I didn't know this from the linked work item section.

"But it is not the case when you try to use the Linked issue field in a grid. In this case, only the ones from the same instance are shown. Same for reports, and same for API!"

This is correct and as designed PIA, automation and reports can only use the items from the instance the item is in.

What event are you trying to do in automation, please show the following:

1. images that show your complete rule.

2. images showing the details of any relevant actions/conditions/branches.

5. images showing the Audit Log details for the rule execution.

4. Explain where the issue is.