What is the best way to use automation?

[koen]

What is the best way to use automation when dealing with workflows, etc? 

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Accepted solution]

Hello and Welcome @koen 

for me, the best use of Automation is to take care of the small, repetitive things that nobody really wants to do manually all day 🙂

So I would usually approach it like this:

keep the workflow itself as clean and simple as possible

then use Automation for the repetitive admin work around it

Typical examples:

auto-assigning issues

updating fields or labels

sending reminders / notifications

syncing parent / child issue status

closing or flagging stale tickets

What I would avoid is using Automation to patch a workflow that is already too complicated. In those cases, it is usually better to simplify the process first.

So yep, my rule of thumb would be:

Workflow = process
Automation = repetitive actions around the process

And if someone is just starting, I would begin with 1–2 small rules, test them well, and keep an eye on the audit log before building bigger ones.

[koen]

Thank you 

[Gunjan Kumar · Accepted solution]

Hi @koen , Welcome to the Atlassian Community

The best way to use automation is to focus on reducing repetitive work while keeping the number of automation rules low. Instead of creating many small rules, it’s better to create a few well-structured rules with conditions that handle multiple situations.

For example, you can automatically assign issues, set priorities, add labels, or move tickets to the next workflow stage when certain actions happen, such as when an issue is created or when all subtasks are completed. Another useful practice is automating status transitions, like moving a parent task to “Done” once all its subtasks are finished, which saves time and keeps workflows accurate. Scheduled automations can also help manage work by reminding people about inactive or stale tickets. Using features like smart values and branching allows a single automation rule to update related issues (like subtasks, stories, or epics) without needing several separate rules. Overall, the goal is to keep automation simple, reusable, and efficient, so your team spends less time on manual updates and more time on actual work.

[koen]

Thank you

[Benjamin]

HI @koen ,

Welcome. What do you man by animation? Are you referring to adding video attachments to your work item?

-Ben

[koen]

I apologize, I meant automation.