How can I retrieve a user's “Manager” field using the REST API?

[Rainer Maximini]

We use SCIM to transfer the user's manager. This is also displayed for the user in Jira and Confluence, so it works perfectly in the cloud.

I would like to retrieve this field from the user via the standard User REST API (not the SCIM API). I need the hierarchy for an external analysis. However, I can't find a REST API that returns this field. Is there really no REST API for this field?

I don’t want to use the SCIM API for security reasons.

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski]

Hello @Rainer Maximini 

I do not see a standard Jira Cloud user REST endpoint that returns the Manager attribute.

Atlassian does support syncing manager through SCIM so it can appear on Atlassian profiles/Home, but the normal Jira user REST responses still only document the usual user fields like accountId, displayName, active, avatar URLs, emailAddress, and timeZone, not manager.

I also checked the Admin User management REST API (/users/{account_id}/manage/profile). That one exposes profile data and extended_profile, but Atlassian documents fields like job_title, organization, department, and location there, not manager.

Here something Interesting for you.

Sync the manager attribute into Atlassian Home | Platform experiences | Atlassian Support

[Rainer Maximini]

I also checked the Admin User management REST API (/users/{account_id}/manage/profile). That one exposes profile data and extended_profile, but Atlassian documents fields like job_title, organization, department, and location there, not manager.

That's exactly my problem. The manager is missing there, which I didn't want to believe. But thanks for confirming it. I thought I was just too dumb to notice.

[Nikola Perisic]

Hello @Rainer Maximini 

• Which SCIM are you using?
• That type of a field this is in Confluence and Jira - user picker?

There isn't a direct API for the custom field specifically rather for the issues: https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-issue-fields/#api-rest-api-3-field-get

[Rainer Maximini]

Which SCIM do you use?

Users and groups are synchronized via EntraID. If you query the user via https://api.atlassian.com/scim/directory/XXX/Users, the manager is also entered correctly, e.g.

{ "Resources": [ { 

  "urn:ietf:params:scim:schemas:extension:enterprise:2.0:User": {

    "manager": {

        "value": "d21f0db4-62a6-4af7-b1c4-e493ada60a9c"

} }, } ] }

What type of field is this in Confluence and Jira—a user selection?

 Neither; it is a user property. This is also displayed graphically in the user profile as a reporting line.

There is no direct API specifically for the custom field, but rather for the issues: https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-issue-fields/#api-rest-api-3-field-get

This is the API endpoint for querying the fields of a work item. However, the manager is defined on the user, not on the work item.