How can I enable cross-project automation in Atlassian Jira (Automation for Spaces)?

[GeraByte]

Hi everyone 👋

I’m trying to create an automation rule where — when an issue in Linked work items (from another Space/project) transitions to Done, an automation in the current Space should be triggered.

I’m an admin on both boards (projects). I’ve read that I might need to enable a multi-project rule or global automation, but I can’t find where this option is located.

When I open the automation builder, the Scope only shows the current project — I don’t see a way to select multiple projects or link rules across spaces.

Can someone explain where exactly to enable multi-project automation or how to allow cross-project rules in the new “Atlassian Automation for Spaces” interface?

[Mikael Sandberg · Accepted solution]

In order to change the scope to be either multiple spaces of global you need to have Jira admin access. If you do not see a link to global automations when you go to rule details in the automation it means you do not have Jira admin. 

[Trudy Claspill]

...and in that case you will need to work with a Jira Admin to create the rule.

If you are only a Project Admin the rules that you create in a given project can see and update only issues in the same project. 

The one exception to that rule is that you can use the Create Item and Clone Item actions in a rule in Project A to create issues in Project B.

Otherwise Edit actions, Lookup actions, and Related Issues actions/branches can see and act on only the issues in the same project where the rule was created.

[GeraByte]

Mikael Sandberg 

Thanks a lot for clarifying that! 🙏

Could you please help me with one more thing — my Jira administrator isn’t sure where exactly to go to grant me this level of access.

Could someone please describe step by step where they should navigate in the Jira Cloud Admin settings to give a user the required Jira Admin permissions (so I can access Global or Multi-Project Automation scope)?

We’ve already checked ⚙️ → System → Global permissions, but we couldn’t find where to assign “Jira Administrator” rights properly in the new Atlassian interface.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @GeraByte 

The exact steps depend on the User Management experience applied to your Atlassian Cloud Organization.

Guidance for identifying that and then the applicable steps are in this document:

Give users admin permissions 

Your roles would need to include "app admin".

And as a result of that change you would have access to much more than just creating multiple-project rules. You could impact other projects if you are not well trained in the various administrative options and begin changing things. If your organization has implemented Role Based Access Control policies granting you that level of access may not be appropriate.

If you need just one multiple project rule created I would strongly advise you to work with the current Jira Admins to get that one rule created rather than getting elevated permissions that you don't need.

[Artem Taranenko]

to find global automations:

for Jira cloud it is https://[orgname].atlassian.net/jira/settings/automation

to get to it, go to Settings and select System Settings from the menu

then look for 'Global Automations' in the left nav pane