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First Subtask status update should update and epic

Harald Heinz

Hi, I have created an automation with the purpose of once a subtask is transitioned to status "bestellt" (meaning 'ordered) to update the status of its parent task but also epic.

Problem 1: the custom-created epic we named "Auftrag" does not get updated in this automation, whereas the parent (task) does correctly

Problem 2: we use several subtask types and I need to know how to narrow this automation down to only apply for the first subtask being transitioned to status "bestellt"

Screenshot 2025-08-29 110903.png

Accepted answers

Marc -Devoteam-

Hi @Harald Heinz

This is not doable in a single rule, as the trigger of the rule is the sub-task.

So indeed it's parent will be updated, as you stated,

The Epic will not as the trigger of the rule is the sub-task, not the child of the Epic (Story, Task, etc..).

You will need a second equivalent rule that triggers on the update off the Story, Task, etc.., to transition the Epic.

Note: make use to check the checkbox that the rule can be triggered by another rule.

Duc Thang TRAN

Hello @Harald Heinz

For your problem 1:
This is because a subtask does not have a direct relationship with an Epic, so you cannot perform the branch For Epic. This branch only applies if you run it on a child of an Epic (e.g., a Story or Task).

For your problem 2:
I don’t understand. If the first subtask transitions to Bestellt, automation will transition the parent to In Bearbeitung. But the next time it fires, you have the condition “if the parent is not In Bearbeitung, so the action will not run again.

All comments

Marc -Devoteam-

Hi @Harald Heinz

This is not doable in a single rule, as the trigger of the rule is the sub-task.

So indeed it's parent will be updated, as you stated,

The Epic will not as the trigger of the rule is the sub-task, not the child of the Epic (Story, Task, etc..).

You will need a second equivalent rule that triggers on the update off the Story, Task, etc.., to transition the Epic.

Note: make use to check the checkbox that the rule can be triggered by another rule.

Duc Thang TRAN

Hello @Harald Heinz

Bill Sheboy

Hi @Marc -Devoteam-

FYI -- this can be done with one rule with Jira Cloud, but that is not a general solution...

The solution is to first branch to the parent for the update (which gets substituted with inline code and avoids parallel processing), add a re-fetch (or delay) for a pause, and then use a JQL branch to update the grandparent Epic.

A more generic approach uses a JQL branch to the parent field value, and enables "allow rule trigger"...although that one has higher risks from latency.

Kind regards,
Bill

Harald Heinz

Thank you @Duc Thang TRAN ,

Do you also know how I can solve this problem 2 for the last subtask transitioning to Done to update the task above it to Done aswell?

In other words, if all subtasks are done, they should conclude the task

Duc Thang TRAN

Hello @Harald Heinz

I think you can approach this by using a lookup issue.
trigger an issue transitions to Done and is a subtaks ,

next : lookup issue with a JQL like:

parent = {{issue.parent.key}} AND statusCategory != Done

The idea is:

If the JQL retrieves an issue, it means not all subtasks are done.
If it doesn’t retrieve anything, it means all subtasks are done.

So, the next condition would be {{lookupIssues.size}} = 0.
Then Brach For the parent : transition issue to Done.

Harald Heinz

Thank you very much @Duc Thang TRAN

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