Release Features: Day 1 vs. Optional/Configurable

[Elizabeth Palmer]

Hi all,

This may already be documented in the Release Features information and I may have simply overlooked it, but I'm trying to understand how to distinguish between features that are available and active on Day 1 of a release versus features that are optional or configurable and can be enabled when we're ready to leverage them.

Could someone point me to where that information is documented, or share the best way to identify which release items require additional configuration versus those that are immediately available?

Thanks!

[Alexandre Pezzini]

This is a great question, as Atlassian Cloud moves fast and the distinction between "automatic" and "opt-in" isn't always immediately obvious in the release notes.

To distinguish between these two types of features, you should look for specific labels and formatting in the official Atlassian Cloud release notes.

1. How to Identify "Day 1" (Automatic) Features

These are features that Atlassian pushes to all sites automatically. In the release notes, they are typically identified by:

• No Label: If a feature is listed under a product heading (e.g., "Jira Software") without a specific "ROLLING OUT" or "COMING SOON" tag, it is generally considered a standard update that is active as soon as it hits your site.

• "ROLLING OUT" Label: This is the most common tag. It means the feature is being deployed across the global infrastructure. While it is "automatic" (you don't have to turn it on), it may take a few days or weeks to reach your specific instance.

• UI Refinements: Small changes to buttons, colors, or navigation are almost always "Day 1" and cannot be disabled.

2. How to Identify "Optional/Configurable" Features

These features require an admin to take action before users see them. You can spot these by looking for:

• "To get started with this change..." Instructions: Look for a bulleted list of steps at the end of a feature description. If the notes say "Go to Project Settings > [Feature Name] and toggle it on," it is optional.

• "COMING SOON" Label: This often precedes a feature that will initially be available as a "Labs" or "Beta" feature that you must manually enable to test.

• Plan-Specific Features: Features labeled for Premium or Enterprise (like Sandboxes or Release Tracks) are often configurable by nature because they involve administrative setup.

3. The Best Places to Verify

To stay ahead of these changes, Atlassian provides two primary resources:

• Blog Posts | Atlassian Cloud | Atlassian Documentation: This is the "new home" for all cloud release notes. It includes a Rollout Status for each item, which is the best way to see if a feature is "Live" or still "Rolling Out."

• What are release tracks? | Atlassian Support (Premium/Enterprise only): If you are on a Premium or Enterprise plan, you can use Release Tracks to bundle these updates. This gives you a 2-week to 1-month window to see what is coming and decide if you need to prepare documentation or configuration before the "Day 1" hits.

Summary Tip: If the release note includes a "How to enable" section, it's configurable. If it only describes the change and says "Rolling Out," it's an automatic Day 1 feature.

Verified Sources:

• Blog Posts | Atlassian Cloud | Atlassian Documentation

• What are release tracks? | Atlassian Support