Can I customize the descriptive (placeholder) text on the "Description" field in a Jira Form?

Question

I'd like to adjust the placeholder descriptive text in the "description" field in my Jira instance. I want to do this specifically for a Jira form so ideally, we are only adjusting there but I'm happy to make the change globally if thats the only option.

Monika Ambrozowicz_Seibert_ · Answer

Hi @Ash H_ I'm not sure if by a placeholder text you mean a greyed-out hint or a pre-populated structured content in the description field. If you mean the latter (or both solutions are ok for you) and if you are open to installing a marketplace app, Templating.app has Description Templates. They pre-populate the description field with structured content when a user creates an issue. You define a template (e.g., a bug report format or user story format), and it gets injected automatically based on the issue type or via a picker the user selects. It works per issue type and per project, so you're not stuck with a global setting. The result isn't a placeholder that disappears, but a filled-in scaffold the user edits, which in practice does a better job of actually guiding people than hint text does. Full disclosure: I am affiliated with the team that built the app.

You can explore the Description Templates feature specifically in the docs at https://docs.templating.app/description-templates/ if you want to see whether it fits your use case.

Ash H. · Answer

Hi @Sargun

Native Jira Cloud Forms (formerly ProForma) currently have some limitations when it comes to customizing the placeholder or descriptive text specifically for the "Description" field. While you can add "Help text" to a field within the Form builder to provide instructions that appear below the field, the actual placeholder text (the greyed-out text inside the box) is generally fixed by the system. A common workaround is to use the "Help text" or "Description" property in the Form builder to provide clear guidance, or to use a "Message" element above the field to highlight specific instructions for your users.

Hope you find a resolution soon,
Ash, Appfire Expert Services team

Trudy P Claspill · Answer

Hello  @Sargun

What type of Space does this concern? Click the ellipsis button next to the Space name in the navigation panel on the left. What do the last two lines in the pop-up say? It will be something like:

Software space
Company-managed

Do you already have placeholder text in the native Description field? If so, how have you managed adding the text? I ask because that will impact the answer we provide.