Jira Automation rules - Can we copy from custom field to core field (description)

[Alexander Schöne]

I am trying to setup a base template for bugs. Since Jira doesnt natively support this and all plugins I found dont work in a convenient way I am trying to just do the most important thing with the automation rules:

Pre-populate the "Description" field in the "Create Issue" screen (before user has actually created the issue) with pre-formatted text.

So I have several questions:

1. Is it possible to copy text from custom fields to core fields (here the "Description" field" with automation rules?

2. If that is possible, can the rule be executed when the user selects the "Create" button in the project (the main "Create" button in Jira)?

3. Can the text be formatted, for example bold text or cursive?

If you know another solution for this task please let me know, I have been looking into this for quite a while now.

We are on Jira Cloud, company-managed project

[John Funk]

Hi Alexander,

What we do is create a new custom field of paragraph type. Then you can modify the context for the field to be used by that project (Settings > Issues > Custom Fields, then search for your new field and click the 3 dots menu and select Contexts and default value).

There you can put your prepared text in the Default value for the field.

Also be sure to put the new custom field on the create screen (or form) for that project. You could even hide the Description field in the create screen for that project if you want to avoid confusion. Just be sure that you leave the Description field on the Edit screen. (You might even want to hide the new custom field on the Edit screen so that only the Description field gets updated moving forward. )

Finally, you can create an Automation rule to copy the value from the new custom field to the Description field if you like. This would be done with an Issue Create trigger and a condition where the custom field is not empty. 

That solves no. 1 and 2 above.

For no. 3 - You will need to modify the renderer type of the custom paragraph field first in the Field Configuration for the project. Search for the custom field name in the Field Configuration and select Renderer. Then change that to Wiki style renderer. 

[Alexander Schöne]

I think what you re proposing is exactly what I have tried previously, but I got stuck at this point: 

"Finally, you can create an Automation rule to copy the value from the new custom field to the Description field if you like. This would be done with an Issue Create trigger and a condition where the custom field is not empty."

I had tried to use the Post-functions in the workflow. Can you explain how you would do this with automation rules?

[John Funk]

Do you have the rule that you created but it didn't work? Can you post that here? 

[Mohamed Benziane]

Hi,

1- Yes it's possible but after the issue creation and not in the create screen if you want to use automation.

2- see 1

3 - Yes with automation you can user formatted text

You can look at thi thread to find some solution

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Default-text-for-Description-field-on-Jira-Cloud/qaq-p/785597

[Alexander Schöne]

Unfortunately this needs to happen at the point of issue creation, but thanks for the other link that is very useful.