How to copy dates using automation: to track delays

Wim-Jan Lam

We have defined a few date fields in JPD:

• Project target
• Original target

I want to use automations to populate the Original target date with a copy from the Project target date field when those are populated the first time with a quarter/month/day value.

I have the following steps in an automation rule (named: Copy the first Project target date to Original target date):

1. When: value changes for Project target (Change type = value added; For = Create / Edit work item)
2. Condition: Issue type = Idea
3. Then: Re-fetch Work item data
4. And: Edit Work item data (with advanced editing, see below)

When I've hardcoded the date values it populates the Original target date field correctly:

{
"fields": {
"customfield_11819": 
"{\"start\":\"2026-10-01\",\"end\":\"2026-12-31\"}"
}
}

However if I try to use smart values it fails, example below:

{
"fields": {
"customfield_11819": 
"{\"start\":\"{{issue.customfield_11444.start}}\",\"end\":\"{{issue.customfield_11444.end}}\"}"
}
}

Error from audit log:  (no valid interval: {"start":"","end":""})

I'm getting tired of Copilot and ChatGPT confidently saying they understand the problem and suggesting something that then doesn't work.

Now I turn to the kindness of my fellow JPD travelers... 

What is the correct date-formatting-qualifier to use for extracting the start- and end-date from a custom date field and populate them in another custom date field in JPD?

Bill Sheboy

Hi @Wim-Jan Lam -- Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

As you observed, Jira Product Discovery (JPD) uses its own date field format: it is a text representation of JSON, allowing it to store a single date, a date range, or a date-quarter.

But...rules do not recognize it as JSON for dot-notation access until it is parsed, such as with the jsonStringToObject() function.

You may use that function to access your first field to set the other:

{{jsonStringToObject(issue.customfield_11444).start}}

and 

{{jsonStringToObject(issue.customfield_11444).end}}

 

As the values are identical layouts, you could also try just setting it directly:

{
  "fields": {
    "customfield_11819": "{{issue.customfield_11444}}"
  }
}

 

And, when you need to use them as actual date types (e.g., when using other date functions), you may convert the value with the toDate function:

{{jsonStringToObject(issue.customfield_11444).start.toDate}}

 

Kind regards,
Bill