Custom field similar to Description field (Rich Text + Large Content)

Hi @Kranthi kumar Girri 

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Yes, you can change your multi line text field from Default Text Renderer to Wiki Renderer

To configure this, navigate to Project Settings → Fields → search for the field → click the Edit icon → enable the 'Use wiki renderer' option

Cheers!

P.S. If it's a JSM project, you'll find the Fields setting under 'Request management' tab OR it's available under "Work items' tab on Jira software projects

Hi @Kranthi kumar Girri !

Actually, using a text field for acceptance criteria might not be the best way to manage them in Jira. Acceptance criteria work well as clear, checkable statements rather than one large text blob. 

In our team, we manage acceptance criteria in the form of a checklist that is added directly to Jira work items. The checklist is shown in a dedicated section below the work item description area. Such a checklist allows you to check off criteria one by one, which would not be possible in a simple text field. 

 Here's what this looks like in Jira:

As Jira does not have native functionality for feature-rich checklists, we use our own solution Smart Checklist for Jira. It's available on the Atlassian Marketplace and it's free for small teams.

What's especially useful is that Smart Checklist allows you to save your acceptance criteria and other standardized checklists as reusable templates. It also has built-in features that allow you to add checklists from these templates to new Jira work items automatically, according to your custom settings.

 For Knowledge Transfer content, you can keep even long notes in checklists - each step on the checklist can have an expandable Details section where you can provide links, bulleted lists, additional descriptions, and more. You can also organize content in the checklist with headers and multiple checklist tabs added to one work item. This helps you keep detailed information structured and organized instead of placing it all in one giant field. 

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions

Hi @Kranthi kumar Girri 👋 

Unfortunately, Jira Cloud doesn't offer a native rich text custom field type. The built-in Paragraph/Text Area field is plain text only and caps out at around 30k characters, but the editing experience is nowhere near the Description field: no formatting toolbar, no inline images, no hyperlinks. 

If you're open to a Marketplace app, I'd suggest taking a look at Awesome Custom Fields (full disclosure: I am affiliated with the team behind the app. One of its field types is specifically a Rich Text field, which gives you the same editor experience as the Description field: formatting, inline images, hyperlinks, tables, and support for large content. You can create as many of these as you need, so both your Acceptance Criteria and Knowledge Transfer fields could have the full rich text experience.

On top of that, you'll go plenty of other useful custom fields, e.g. to a cascading select list that is not limited to 2 levels like a native one, an advanced formula to perform calculations based on different fields, a visual fields like a progress bar, and many more.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. 

Wiki renderer is a Server and Data Center setting. Jira Cloud doesn't have it — there's an open feature request for exactly this (JRACLOUD-42832), so that menu will never show up no matter which settings page you're on. Paragraph (supports rich text) is the right field type on Cloud, and your screenshot shows you already have it. Jean's point about ADF storage covers the length worry.

For the 20,000 character requirement I'd push back on the design. Acceptance Criteria is fine in a Paragraph field because it stays short. Knowledge Transfer at that length belongs on a Confluence page linked from the issue. You get version history and comments there, and the issue stays readable.

Hi there! Welcome to the Atlassian Community! 👋

You are spot on! The field type that closest matches the formatting capabilities of the Description field is indeed Paragraph (supports rich text).

Here is a quick breakdown of how this field works along with its storage limits:

1. Which Field to Use

To get a rich text editing experience for your custom field:

1. Go to Jira Settings (gear icon in the top right corner) > Issues.
2. Select Custom fields from the left menu.
3. Click Create custom field and choose Paragraph (supports rich text).
4. Associate the new field with the appropriate Screens for your project.

2. Character vs. Storage Limits

Unlike simple text fields, rich text fields in Jira do not enforce a standard character limit. Instead, they operate under a data storage limit:

• No explicit character limit: There isn't a hard limit on the number of individual letters or words you can type.
• Storage cap: The absolute limit per field is 1 MB of data.
• Behind the scenes: Jira stores this data in ADF (Atlassian Document Format)—a JSON format used internally by Jira to store rich text, embedded links, and formatting specs.

Pro Tip: In practical terms, 1 MB of ADF payload is massive for a single field. It holds a substantial amount of formatted content, so users rarely hit this ceiling during day-to-day documentation!

Hope this helps clear things up! If you run into any questions about field permissions, screen schemes, or automation rules related to custom fields, feel free to reach out.

If this response solved your question, please consider marking it as Accepted Answer so other community members facing the same question can find the solution easily! 🚀

Cheers and happy configuring!