nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Jira Automation: Epic in progress when a linked task goes into progress

Sina Mathieu

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to create an jira automation rule that allows setting an epic to "In progress" as soon as a linked task goes "in progress." Unfortunately, it doesn't really work yet.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks in advance!

Accepted answers

Sina Mathieu

Hello everyone,

I've modified the rule:

So, for me, the epic is transferred to the "in progress" status when a task is transferred to the "in progress" status. Thank you very much for your support!

Best regards,

Sina

All comments

John Funk

Hi Sina,

So, what is not working? Can you share a screenshot of the Audit Log for when you run the rule? Can you describe the steps you are taking when you expect the rule to run?

Staffan Redelius

Hi @Sina Mathieu

If you build the rule as described below the Rule will be triggerd by the transition of a Work item. IF the work item has a Parent Epic that is in status Open AND the child work item is moved to blue status (status category = "In progress") THEN the Epic status will be moved to "In progress"

Make sure that your workflow allows the transitions when designing the rule

Skärmbild 2025-06-11 082113.png

If this solves your problem, please mark the answer as accepted to help other find working solutions.

If you have any other questions I am happy to assist!

All the best!
/Staffan

Sina Mathieu

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the quick replies.
I've now tried to redesign the workflow as described above:

Then I created an epic and attached a task. I set the task to "In Progress." I expected the epic to also be set to "In Progress." Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.However, the audit log reports a "success":

I'm still doing something wrong, can you please help me?

Staffan Redelius

You wrote: when a linked task goes "in progress... and that makes me wonder.

There is a difference between links between work items (they are only relations) and Epic-> Task where you have a hierarchy where the Epic is the parent and the Task is the child of.

The example is based on the assumption that you have a hierarchy with an Epic and want to change the status on the Epic based on the status of the Child work item (Task) included in the Epic.

Can you verify that the following:

The Task that triggers the rule is actually a child work item of the Epic and not just a linked work item?
The Epic is in status "Open" and not in i.e "To Do" when you fire the rule?
Does the Task that triggers the rule have the status "In progress"?
Does the workflow for the Epic allow transition from "Open" to "In progress"

Note that there is a difference between "Status" = "In progress" and "Status category" ="In progress where the first one is an absolute state in the workflow and the second is all stauses that are blue in the workflow.

Below is a picture of a linked vs. child work item

Skärmbild 2025-06-11 144427.png

Best regards,
/Staffan

Sina Mathieu

Hello @Staffan Redelius ,

I can give the following answers to your questions:

These are linked tasks, no child tasks
The epic is in the "Open" status
The task is set to the "In Progress" status and should then trigger the rule
The workflow allows a status change from anywhere to all statuses

Thanks for your quick answer an best regards,

Sina

Staffan Redelius

Ok, then I understand why it doesen't work.

The Task should be a child work item and not a linked work item. It makes sense to set the Parent Epic to "In progress" when the work is started on included work Items.

All planning and progress reports in Jira are based on the parent/child structure where the Epic is the container of several child work items.

Links are as I described just relations between work Items.

John Funk

Thanks for the screenshots and additional information, Sina.

Is the Epic in a different project from the Task? If so, you need to add both projects to the Rule details page for the scope of the project.

Sina Mathieu

Hello @John Funk ,

Thanks for your reply. No, both issues are in the same project.

Best regards,

Sina

Sina Mathieu

Hello everyone,

I've modified the rule:

So, for me, the epic is transferred to the "in progress" status when a task is transferred to the "in progress" status. Thank you very much for your support!

Best regards,

Sina

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Quick Links

Find more posts tagged with

jira

automation

datacenter