Custom field with duration format and validation

[Helmut Priyanka]

I’d like to create several customfields where users can enter a duration, for example in minutes, hours, days,

From what I’ve found, Jira only supports this type of input for certain built-in fields available when creating an issue. Is there any way to achieve the same functionality with custom fields?

I’ve tried using Number and Text custom fields, but the problem is that users can enter virtually anything. My requirement is to have four separate custom fields that accept and validate duration values in a similar way to Jira’s built-in time-related fields.

[Duc Thang TRAN]

Hello @Helmut Priyanka 

What is the purpose of this requirement? Is it intended for estimation and planning?

Jira does not provide this functionality natively, but I have implemented the following workaround in the past:

Create a Number field called “Duration”
Add a Select List field for the unit: minutes, hours, or days
Use automation to convert the value into a standard unit

A simpler option, which I usually require users to follow, is to use a single Number field with a description specifying the required unit, such as hours or days.

Personally, I would recommend using one standard unit to keep the data simple and consistent.

[Helmut Priyanka]

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, the main purpose is planning, dashboards, reporting and JQL filtering. We need several separate duration fields where customers enter how long each phase is expected to take.

I understand the Number + Unit workaround, but I’m concerned about maintenance. For each duration I would need multiple fields and automation triggered on create/edit and whenever either value changes. For example, changing 1 day to 1 hour means only the unit changes, but the normalized value must still be recalculated.

With several duration fields this quickly becomes complex. I’d prefer something closer to Jira’s native time fields, with validation and direct JQL support.

[Khrystyna_Dzhus_SaaSJet_]

Hi @Helmut Priyanka

Just to clarify the use case: what exactly would these duration fields represent?

Do users need to manually enter values such as 1d 23h 12m or 50:30, or are you trying to track how long a work item spends in particular workflow statuses?

If you need users to enter the duration manually, then you would need an editable custom field with duration validation.

If, however, you want to track time spent in specific statuses, apps such as Time in Status by SaaSJet can create read-only custom fields that calculate these values automatically from the work item history. The value isn’t entered or edited by users; it’s calculated based on the selected status and can then be displayed on the work item or board and used in JQL.

So it really depends on what the duration is supposed to represent. Could you share a little more about what users would enter into those four fields and how you plan to use the values afterward?

Disclosure: I’m part of the SaaSJet team.

[Helmut Priyanka]

In my case, I’m not trying to track time spent in statuses. I need users to manually enter a duration, for example 1h 30m, 45m, or 2d 4h.

The important part is that the field should validate the input as a duration, rather than behave like a free-text field.

I’d also like to be able to use the value later in JQL, for example to find all issues where the duration entered in this custom field is less than 2 hours.

Ideally, I’m looking for something similar to Jira’s built-in time-related fields, but as a custom field that I can create several times for different purposes.

[Gor Greyan]

Hi @Helmut Priyanka

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Jira Cloud doesn't currently provide a native Duration custom field type that behaves like the built-in time-tracking fields such as 30m, 2h, 3d.

If you need full duration-field behavior, parsing, validation, calculations, and reporting, I  would look at a Marketplace app that provides a dedicated duration custom field.

We are using the Epic Sum Up field, for example.

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1213091/esu-sum-up-kpi-budget-reporting-project-epic-overview

[Helmut Priyanka]

Thanks for the suggestion! I tested Epic Sum Up and its Duration custom field seems to work as I need. I couldn’t find much documentation about JQL support, but from my initial tests it looks like filtering/searching by this field works as well.

Thanks for pointing me toward Marketplace apps. I’ll check what other options are available and use the trials to compare them before choosing the best one.

[Emre Karaduman - The Starware]

Hi  @Helmut Priyanka 
You are not missing a setting: Jira Cloud has no duration custom field type. The custom field type list tops out at Number and Short text, and the only fields that understand Jira's 2w 4d 6h 45m format are the built-in time tracking values (Original Estimate / Remaining Estimate / Time Spent). Those are part of a work item's time tracking, not a field type you can create twice — so you cannot have a second one called Vendor Lead Time and a third called Maintenance Window.
Atlassian has two open suggestions for exactly this, both still Gathering Interest: JRACLOUD-94778 (411 votes) and JRACLOUD-67720 (62 votes). Worth a vote, but not a solution for this quarter.
The Number + unit select + automation approach works, but for four durations that is twelve fields and four rules to maintain, and JQL ends up querying the helper field rather than the one people type into.
The Duration Field:

• Input uses Jira's own grammar: 2w 4d 6h 45m, any order, case-insensitive, decimals, bare numbers fall back to your instance's default unit. Anything that isn't a duration is rejected instead of saved.
• Display follows your Time Tracking configuration (Pretty / Days / Hours, hours-per-day, days-per-week).
• JQL per unit, with autocomplete: "Vendor Lead Time.hours" > 8, "Vendor Lead Time.minutes" < 60, ORDER BY "Vendor Lead Time.weeks" DESC.
• Create as many as you need, each with its own name — no configuration screen.
• Editable on create, on transitions, and inline on the work item view; included in the navigator column and CSV export.

Docs are here: Duration Field. Free to try if you want to compare it against the other options in the thread.

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1216682/custom-fields-for-jira?hosting=cloud&tab=overview

Disclosure: I’m part of the The Starware team.

[Eyüp Firat]

@Helmut Priyanka whats your exact use case behind this? maybe we could try workaround with an automation :)

[Helmut Priyanka]

Thanks! The main use case is planning, dashboards, reporting and JQL filtering. We need several separate fields where users manually enter how long different phases of a task are expected to take, e.g. 1h 30m or 2d.

Automation could probably work, but with multiple duration fields I’m worried it would require extra helper fields and several rules to keep everything synchronized on create/edit. I’m trying to find something closer to Jira’s native time fields, with validation and easy JQL support.