How to get custom fields to read from external data sources?

Question

Hi everyone,

I am wanting to find out how to get custom fields updated with external data sources. For example, I have an Excel export of a list of projects from a planning software that my company uses. As this Excel table is updated with new projects consistently, I want to be able to somehow connect custom fields so that they can read from this table and have the options in the custom field updated.

Currently, I use the app 'External Data for Jira' and find that works well but my company is planning on moving to an enterprise solution and fear that we might lose access to this app.

Just in case we no longer have access to this app, does anyone know of any workarounds or other apps (either free or paid) that does similar things to what 'External Data for Jira' does?

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks :)

Julie d_Antin _Elements_ · Answer

Hello @Patricia Paguio !

I understand your need to have custom fields in Jira dynamically read and display data from external sources—it’s a powerful way to enhance your workflows and reduce manual data entry. At Elements, we’ve created a solution specifically for this use case: Elements Connect for Jira Cloud.

Elements Connect allows you to configure custom fields in Jira that fetch data dynamically from various external sources, such as databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.),REST APIs, LDAP, CSV files and more!

These fields can be configured as either as Dynamic Fields where users can search and select values in real time or Read-Only Fields, displaying critical contextual data directly from the external source.

We’re here to help every step of the way. If you have any questions about the setup or need assistance with a specific data source, feel free to reply here or reach out to our support team directly.

Looking forward to hearing how this works for you!

Julie

John Funk · Answer

Sorry - I use Cloud, so not sure of other alternatives for Server/Data Center.

I know that ProForma Forms has an option with their forms to connect to an external data source.

Patricia Paguio · Answer

Hi John,

Thanks for the comment! We do actually use External Data for Jira Fields but from what I know that app is only available for Cloud. We may be moving to a Data Center/Server which I don't believe offers External Data for Jira - sorry for not making that clear!

I was wondering if you knew of any other alternatives available on the Data Center, or maybe even know where I can click around to browse and explore other options :)

Thanks for the help!