How can I retrieve a user's “Manager” field using the REST API?

Question

We use SCIM to transfer the user's manager. This is also displayed for the user in Jira and Confluence, so it works perfectly in the cloud.

I would like to retrieve this field from the user via the standard User REST API (not the SCIM API). I need the hierarchy for an external analysis. However, I can't find a REST API that returns this field. Is there really no REST API for this field?

I don’t want to use the SCIM API for security reasons.

Rainer Maximini · Answer

I also checked the Admin User management REST API (/users/{account_id}/manage/profile). That one exposes profile data and extended_profile, but Atlassian documents fields like job_title, organization, department, and location there, not manager.

That's exactly my problem. The manager is missing there, which I didn't want to believe. But thanks for confirming it. I thought I was just too dumb to notice.

Rainer Maximini · Answer

Which SCIM do you use?

Users and groups are synchronized via EntraID. If you query the user via https://api.atlassian.com/scim/directory/XXX/Users, the manager is also entered correctly, e.g.

{ "Resources": [ {

"urn:ietf:params:scim:schemas:extension:enterprise:2.0:User": {

"manager": {

"value": "d21f0db4-62a6-4af7-b1c4-e493ada60a9c"

} }, } ] }

What type of field is this in Confluence and Jira—a user selection?

Neither; it is a user property. This is also displayed graphically in the user profile as a reporting line.

There is no direct API specifically for the custom field, but rather for the issues: https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-issue-fields/#api-rest-api-3-field-get

This is the API endpoint for querying the fields of a work item. However, the manager is defined on the user, not on the work item.

Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Answer

Hello @Rainer Maximini

I do not see a standard Jira Cloud user REST endpoint that returns the Manager attribute.

Atlassian does support syncing manager through SCIM so it can appear on Atlassian profiles/Home, but the normal Jira user REST responses still only document the usual user fields like accountId, displayName, active, avatar URLs, emailAddress, and timeZone, not manager.

I also checked the Admin User management REST API (/users/{account_id}/manage/profile). That one exposes profile data and extended_profile, but Atlassian documents fields like job_title, organization, department, and location there, not manager.

Here something Interesting for you.

Sync the manager attribute into Atlassian Home | Platform experiences | Atlassian Support