Prevent Issue Links (not EPIC LINK) to EPIC which is DONE_AUTOMATION

[Mateusz Janus]

Topic old as gold...

I am looking for AUTOMATION. No need to block on groovy level.

1. EPIC1 is DONE and on Status Properties i can block any linking from this EPIC screen

2. But users can still LINKED issue to EPIC1 from ticket B.

Goal: Automation

When any Ticket B is trying to LINK (any link) to EPIC which is closed remove the link of this specific EPIC1 from Ticket B.

Trust me I tried many crazy idea, and search many strange articles I even learned JSON basic knowledge but cannot find solution for this. What I achieved so far is REMOVING ALL LINKS when try to link EPIC closed. I need to remove only that one triggered by Ticket B.

I will OWE you 100 KUDOS if u help.

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Mateusz Janus 

Please provide screen images showing the rule you have so far, and images for the details of each step.

[Trudy Claspill]

Also what version of Jira are you using?

[Mateusz Janus]

Data Center 9.12.1

Screenshoots are not allowed for me because of CyberSecuirty restrictions...:(

[Trudy Claspill]

If screen images are not allowed then please describe the rule in words.

What are you using as a Trigger?

What is the next component after that? And after that? And after that?

[Mateusz Janus]

@Trudy Claspill 
-1. When: Issue Updated
-2. IF; Linkes issues present

Types: All link types
-3. Branch: For Linked Issues

Types: All link types

--3.1. Then: Delete issue link(s)

------

So i Monitor if Ticket B (i.e. Story) is updated

Checking if issue links are there

For branch related issues I delete all links...

-------

The problem I face here 

1. I dont know what type of links users will use i.e. Duplicate by or Block By. So cannot build logic based on that

2. I want to trigger only that specific NEW LINKING, not removing all of them in Branch (EPIC)

[Trudy Claspill]

I would recommend that you change the trigger to Issue Link Created, as a start.

In a nutshell there is not a built in action natively available to enable you to delete a single link in Automation.

So you would need to use the Send Web Request action to interact with the Jira REST API to retrieve the data for one of the issues in the linked pair, including the issue links information.

https://docs.atlassian.com/software/jira/docs/api/REST/9.12.0/#api/2/issue

You would have to parse the response to find the issue link information for the link between the two issues involved in the pair. From that you would need to get the Link ID.

Then you could use another Send Web Request action to call the Jira REST API to delete that specific link.

https://docs.atlassian.com/software/jira/docs/api/REST/9.12.0/#api/2/issueLink-deleteIssueLink

The structure i would recommend is

TRIGGER: Issue Link Created
CONDITION: if/else
  If:
    Issue Fields Condition:
      Field: Issue Type
      Condition: equals
      Value: Epic
    Issue Fields Condition:
      Field: Status
      Condition: equals (or "is one of")
      Value: Done (and any other status that is used for "done" for the Epic)

        <insert here the Send Web Request, parsing, and Send Web Request steps>

  ELSE-IF:
    Advanced Compare Condition:
      Smart Value: {{destinationIssue.type.name}}
      Condition: equals
      Value: Epic
    Advanced Compare Condition:
      Field: {{destinationIssue.statusCategory.name}}
      Condition: equals
      Value: Done 

        <insert here the Send Web Request, parsing, and Send Web Request steps>

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Trudy Claspill 

I like your suggestion better than mine as you use the specific link ID to confirm the correct one is deleted with the endpoint.

Thanks,
Bill

[Mateusz Janus]

[Mateusz Janus]

@Trudy Claspill screenshoot workaround ;)
 I am not sure about this. This is ACTION i need to execute? So i have to provide some URLs...? I have no access to any JIRA backend config :( i am 100% JIRA UI guy

<insert here the Send Web Request, parsing, and Send Web Request steps>

[Mateusz Janus]

@Trudy Claspill @Bill Sheboy  thank you for your cooperation. But this is definatelly to much and over-engineer just to block one simple thing in my process. I am not able to reach any API details in my instance so i guess if there is no any "simple" UI automations we have to drop this idea.

But I was also wondering if we could validate Ticket A (story) which is also updated using linking and kill this idea on this level

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Mateusz Janus 

I'm not sure what you are asking here:

"But I was also wondering if we could validate Ticket A (story) which is also updated using linking and kill this idea on this level"

In an Automation rule it doesn't matter what type of issues you are linking - Epics, story, task, bug. There is no simple solution for removing a just-create issue link via Automation.

If you are open to third party apps you might find one that takes over the Link Issues process and enables you to restrict the issues that can be selected when creating a link.  Here is a search that might help you find such apps:

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/search?query=links&product=jira&hosting=dataCenter

And here is one you might consider:

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1219910/linksy-formerly-vlinks-easy-issue-linking?hosting=datacenter&tab=overview

(Disclaimer: I do not work for the company that created that app. I have never used that app before. No warranties, express or implied, about the quality of the app.)

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Mateusz Janus 

Given issue links have direction, impacting which issues appears as the trigger one to a rule, I suspect this is not a simple scenario and may require multiple rules.

A general outline could be:

• trigger: issue linked
• if / else condition
  • condition: trigger issue type is Epic AND condition: trigger issue status is Done
  • action: create variable, to build a dynamic JSON expression to remove the link to the specific destination issue 
  • action: edit issue, with the JSON to remove the link
• else / if
  • condition: destination issue type is Epic AND condition: destination issue status is Done
  • action: create variable, to build a dynamic JSON expression to remove the link to the specific trigger issue 
  • action: edit issue, with the JSON to remove the link

That will cover the direct linking cases, and may miss other cases.  Thus, testing to confirm if the rule is triggered for other things, such as: issue created with a link at the same time to an Epic, etc.

Kind regards,
Bill

[Evgenii]

Hi, @Mateusz Janus 

There is condition, to check, if related issue (Epic) matches specified JQL.
Add it to automation rule.
And in that case, if status = Done, delete parent from trigger issue.

[Trudy Claspill]

@Evgenii 

The author is asking about deleting an issue link, not the parent/child relationship.

[Mateusz Janus]

exactly. I support Epic Link and Parent link (Initiative) against such linking using automation but LINKING (flat) i.e. Clones, Blocked By looks like rocket sience. I cannot upload screenshoots @Trudy Claspill because of CyberSecuity limitation ...(i am waiting till they release this limitation for me on this WEB Page).

But in Automation Action there is action "delete linked issues" if condition is met. This is what I achieved.

The problem is i want to delelete only triggered ticket link. Any hints (before i attache screenshoot-dono when it will happen).