Force the user to have a task have at least one subtask before moving to another state

Question

Hi!

How I can force the user to have a task have at least one subtask before moving to another state?

Thorsten Letschert _Decadis AG_ · Answer

Hey @Beatriz ,

While this might not be possible out of the box, a workflow app from the Atlassian Marketplace capable of evaluating so-called Jira expressions will do the trick.

Taking Jira Workflow Toolbox as an example, the required steps would be as follows:

* Open the workflow editor and select the transition of interest
* Choose between Jira expression condition (by JWT) or Jira expression validator (by JWT)* Condition hides the transition if your expression returns false
* Validator shows the transition but blocks it when trying to confirm if the expression returns false and you're able to show a message on the transition screen

* Copy and paste the following expression (in the code block)
* Save, publish - all set!

issue?.subtasks?.length > 0

P.S. I'm part of the team behind the beforementioned app.

Regards from Germany,
Thorsten

Jeffrey Wolfe · Answer

You can enforce this rule in Jira using workflow validators. In your workflow settings, add a Scripted Validator (if you're using ScriptRunner) or a Regular Expression Check to ensure that a task has at least one subtask before transitioning to another state.

Another option is using Jira Automation to send a warning or prevent the transition by reverting the status if no subtasks exist. If you're on Jira Cloud and need a no-code approach, you might need a marketplace app like JSU Automation Suite to enforce this behavior.