How to auto remove certain user from watcher list of all work items in team-managed project?

[Tim Ma]

When a user asked to be removed from the watcher list of all work items, what is the best way to do it automatically? 

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Tim Ma 

The best way to accomplish that is for them to execute a Search work items action to find all the items for which they are a Watcher, and then use the Bulk Change feature to Stop Watching the issues. They must still have access to the items at this time, and they must also have the global permission for Bulk Change.

The filter would be

project=X and watcher = currentUser()

Then they select Bulk change work items

Then check the box to select all work items and click Next at the bottom of the screen.

Then choose Stop Watching Work Items and click Next.

Then click Confirm.

[Trudy Claspill]

The above operation can only be done by the individual for themselves. Bulk Change does not support making changes in bulk to Watchers to add or remove other users.

If you choose the Edit operation instead you will find that the Watchers field is not available.

There is a Manage Watchers action within Automation Rules. So if you need to do this on behalf of somebody else, and you have access to manage watchers for the specified project(s), and you have access to create an Automation Rule for the specified project(s), then you could do it that way also.

[Tim Ma]

Thanks for the answers. "watcher = currentUser()" is put in the JQL field of the filter, right? It seemed to work.

[Tim Ma]

Also, does regular user normally have bulk edit ability?

[Trudy Claspill]

Yes, the JQL is put into the Advance/JQL field of the filter. If they want to do this for issues in only one project they should add

AND Project=X

where X is the project/space they want to affect.

The tags on your post say you are using the Free plan. If that is accurate, then use a "normal" user will have the permission to bulk change items because all users in a Free plan have the equivalent of Project Administrator access to all projects.

To double check, regardless of whether you are on the Free plan or a paid plan, a Jira App Admin can click the gear icon next to their avatar in Jira, select System, then find the Global Permissions option.

Find the Make bulk changes permission.

Check which groups have that permission.

Confirm that the specified user is a member of one of those groups.

[Tim Ma]

Thank you for all the replies.