Automation: A rule to change the Due Date after editing a custom field

[Lisa Bowman]

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to create a simple automation and really struggling!! The rule I wish to create is:

Update the Due Date when there are any changes to a custom field called Blocker Clearance Date. Every time the blocker clearance date is added/changed, the Due Date needs to change by +50 days. I'm missing steps as I can only get the rule to work once and that's only when I amend the Blocker clearance date (not add). Also, the only issue type I would like this to work on is the sub task.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Walter Buggenhout]

Hi @Lisa Bowman,

Can you share a screenshot of your entire automation rule so we know how far you already got and where you may be struggling?

Theoretically, your rule should consist of:

• trigger: Field Value Changed
• condition: Field Value / issue type = Sub-task
• action: edit issue / edit due date

depending on the scope of your rule (is it in a single project or in multiple projects), more conditions might be useful, but I would call that refinement afterwards.

Hope this helps! 

[Lisa Bowman]

Hi Walter!

Thank you so much for your quick response. Firstly, you've helped me find where to add the Sub-task as a condition. Here are the screenshots below. This is just required for one single project at the moment and this is a company managed project.

[Walter Buggenhout]

I can see that you are now triggering the rule only when your work item is edited. You can play around with that setting (in the trigger) to make it fire on other events as well.

Your rule currently doesn't check what the value of your blocker clearance date is after the event. It might be removed e.g. and that will still trigger your rule as it is now. You might add additional conditions along with the sub-task condition to make sure it meets certain criteria. But what you need (not) to do there depends on your requirements, obviously.

Lastly, I see your calculation adds 50 days to now (which is the current date). Is that what you want? If so, I would imagine your rule should be doing what you need (if you fine-tune your conditions where needed).

Or am I missing something you are trying to achieve?

[Lisa Bowman]

Basically, every time a date is added or changed in the Blocker Clearance Date field, I would like 50 days added to the Due Date.

Currently, when I add a date to the blocker clearance date field, nothing happens. If I change the blocker date, a date appears in the Due Date field, but if I change the Blocker date again, the due date doesn't change with it.

[Walter Buggenhout]

Right now, you are not adding 50 days to the due date. You are setting the due date to 50 (business) days from today. If you do this 2x on the same day, that will indeed not make a difference.

If you really want to add 50 days to the due date, you would need to update your calculation to something like this:

{{issue.duedate.plusBusinessDays(50)}}

if that is what you are trying to achieve, obviously. 

[Lisa Bowman]

Thanks Walter,

I can see what you are saying about my original calculation.

I did try the calculation you suggested but a date didn't appear in the Due Date field at all.

I think I might have to leave this one and come back to it another time.

Thank you for your help!

[Marc - Devoteam]

Hi @Lisa Bowman 

Whenever you ask for help with an Automation Rule it will help us to help you if you provide:

1. what type of project is this (e.g., company-managed, team-managed, etc.), 

2. images that show your complete rule.

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

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

5. Explain where the issue is.

These questions are not for not willing to help, but to have community members understand on how automation works.

[Lisa Bowman]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for your quick response and noted! Have provided more information :)