Automation rule not copying custom dropdown field when cloning between projects

[Denilson Cardoso]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to build an automation rule in Jira (Company-managed projects) that clones a work item from project A to project B when the status changes to "Done". Most fields are being copied successfully — like date and priority — but a custom dropdown field (single select) is not being copied.

Here's what I’ve done:

• Both projects are Company-managed.

• The custom field “Departamento Solicitante” (customfield_10113) is available and has the same options in both projects (Dep1, Dep2, etc.).

• The field is present on the edit and create screens for both projects.

• I'm using the Edit issue action to set the field like this:
  {{triggerIssue.customfield_10113.value}}

• I also tried adding JSON to the “Additional fields” section:

{
"fields": {
"customfield_10113": {
"value": "{{triggerIssue.customfield_10113.value}}"
}
}
}

But the dropdown field is always empty in the cloned issue.
Any ideas on what I might be missing?

Thanks in advance!

[Evgenii]

Hi, @Denilson Cardoso

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

First, check the custom field contexts — it's possible that the field is only available in a limited list of projects. If so, it won't appear in issues outside those projects.

Also, have you tried adding a log action to your rule and including the smart value for the custom field?
This way, you can verify whether the field has a value and confirm that the source data exists.

This can help pinpoint whether the issue is with data availability or rule configuration.

[Evgenii]

One more suggestion: if you're using the "Edit Work Item" action and want to apply changes to the newly cloned issue, make sure to use a Branch action first, and select "Most recently created work item".

Then, place the "Edit Work Item" action inside that branch. This ensures the edit is applied to the correct (cloned) issue, not the original one.

[Clara Belin-Brosseau_Elements]

Hi @Denilson Cardoso

I just wanted to share an alternative solution to Automation that can be really complex to implement sometimes. 

You can try our app Elements Copy & Sync to clone an issue from one project to another including all its fields (attachments, comments, labels, custom fields...).

It's really easy and quick to set up so don't hesitate to give it a try.

[Luka Hummel - codefortynine]

Hi @Denilson Cardoso and welcome to the community!

If you’re looking for a reliable way to clone issues across projects - including custom dropdown fields and other advanced issue content - I’d recommend trying out our app Deep Clone for Jira.

Deep Clone for Jira supports:

• Cloning custom fields like single- and multi-select dropdowns
• Cloning between different projects, including cross-instance clones
• Cloning issue status, comments, attachments, work logs, sprints, and more
• Field editing during cloning via the Field Editor - helpful if you want to change field values while cloning

You can trigger Deep Clone manually, or from Jira Automation or post functions, depending on your use case.

[Priyanka Khare]

Hello @Denilson Cardoso 

Try using the option ID instead of the value. In your JSON, set:

{
"fields": {
"customfield\_10113": {
"id": "{{triggerIssue.customfield\_10113.id}}"
}
}
}

Hope this helps!

[arielei]

Hey @Denilson Cardoso 

Yes, use "Edit work-item" action and set the target field by clicking the 3 dots in the smart-value line and then select "COPY", after that click on it and it will allow you to change from which work-item to copy, for example -> triggered work-item.

[arielei]

Hello @Denilson Cardoso 

Were you able to resolve your issue?