What does publishing a (bug) workflow really do in Jira Software?

Question

Looking at some of the tutorials online, it looks like you can create, associate, and use updated workflows to issues (e.g. 'bug") in Jira wo/publishing the updated workflow.

Is this really the case?  What does publishing a workflow in Jira really do (behind the screens)?

Hana Kučerová · Accepted Answer

Hi @Holloway Winfred ,

publishing workflow means something like - from this moment I will use this new version for my issues instead of old version. If your old version of workflow used different statuses then the new one, Jira will ask you how to transform issues and change the old statuses to the new ones. There's is always only one version of workflow valid.

Paul O_qqk8km · Accepted Answer

It might be that the tutorials you are viewing are showing new workflows?  You can create, update, and associate a workflow to issues without publishing it. However, once you have associated a workflow to issues it becomes 'active' and any edits will be done in 'draft'.  Publishing then applies the changes to associated issues as described above.

(From the workflows page you can see 'Active' and 'Inactive' workflows)