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How can we have email comments from non-participants add to an existing ticket?

Sean Nemes

If a user comments on an existing ticket via an email reply, but they're not the reporter or a request participant, their comment creates a new ticket. We would like comments like this to instead be added to the existing ticket. This article appears to describe a setting for this, but I'm having difficulty locating it with the provided directions: https://support.atlassian.com/jira-service-management-cloud/docs/allow-external-emails-to-be-added-as-comments-on-issues/

I fear I may be missing something obvious, but I haven't been able to find this setting anywhere I've looked.

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Matthew Sinclair

Your confusion is likely you are looking in the Space Settings - which is why you can't find them.

The controls detailed in the document are Jira-Admin level controls - you need to be a designated "Jira App Admin" by the Org Administrator to access them. (You can find them living in the clock work gear icon in the top right corner of the screen - next to the Profile Icon of your account - Jira apps under Jira Admin Settings - but this is hidden if you do not have permissions)

These controls are also a site-wide/global impact - potentially risky - so discuss with your Org Administrator prior as there could be consequences as detailed in the document.

The Caveat here in terms of middle ground is you can allow email comments - but all participants must have an account - a possible way to work around this is to designate all users in your Org with the "Jira Service Management Customer" role (non-billable - no cost) - this should be enough to allow the system work - as the latter requirement is bypassing customer account requirement (the risk). However this also mandates that only Atlassian Account holders with this role can be added.

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Sean Nemes

Welcome to the Atlassian community!

First let us confirm the type of space you are using. Click the … button next to the space name in the panel on the left. This will open a pop-up with several options. At the bottom of the pop-up will be two lines something like this:

Service space
Team-managed

What are those two lines in your space's pop-up? Both are important.

When you say you are having trouble locating the options, which specific step are you having trouble with?

The first pair of steps and the first step in the second trio of steps require that you have Jira/JSM App Admin access. If you don't then when you click the cog icon you won't see the other options specified..

Joseph Chung Yin

@Sean Nemes

I would follow what @Trudy P Claspill suggested and waiting for your additional information, so we can assist you further.

Best, Joseph

Trevan Householder_Isos-Tech-Consulting_

Hi @Sean Nemes, you're not missing anything obvious. That setting is global, not in Space settings, and @Trudy P Claspill and @Matthew Sinclair are right that you need Jira admin to see it. The path is Settings (cog) > Apps > Jira Service Management > Configuration, then under Email set "Allow all emails that contain a valid work item key to be added as a comment" to Yes.

One gotcha: that alone only works for senders who already have a customer account. To accept anyone, the doc also has you turn on customer self-signup on that same page and set Space settings > Access > Customer permissions > Channel access to Open.
Those comments get a "NOT A REQUEST PARTICIPANT" label, and I'd keep the blocklist handy for spam.

Tintu Paul

Yes @Sean Nemes, this setting exists, but it is easy to miss because it is located in global product settings rather than project-level email or request settings.

To enable external replies with a valid ticket key to append as comments (instead of opening a new ticket), follow these steps:

1. Requirements Before You Start

You must be a Jira Global Administrator. Project admins or JSM agents cannot see this global setting.

2. Location of the Global Setting

Click the Gear Icon (Settings) in the top-right corner of Jira.
Select Apps.
In the left-hand menu, scroll down to the Jira Service Management section and click Configuration.
"Allow all emails that contain a valid work item key to be added as a comment to the work item?"
Switch this toggle/option to Yes.

3. Required Customer Permission Settings

Enabling the global setting alone is not enough—your customer channel permissions must also allow external users to interact with Jira Service Management:

On the same Configuration page (Settings > Apps > Jira Service Management > Configuration), ensure "Can customers create their own accounts?" is set to Yes.
Go to your specific Service Project and navigate to Space settings (or Project settings) > Access > Customer permissions.
Under Channel access, select Open (so external email senders are allowed to interact with the project).

What to Expect Once Enabled

When an external email reply containing an issue key (e.g., SD-1234) is received, Jira will append it to the existing ticket as a comment instead of creating a duplicate ticket.
Comments added from these non-participant emails will be flagged in the ticket/portal UI with a "NOT A REQUEST PARTICIPANT" badge so agents know the commenter isn't officially listed on the ticket.

Sean Nemes

Hi Trudy, thank you for your reply.

The space is a service space. On Jira I'm an app admin and on JSM I'm a User (agent). These are the options I see when I click the cog:

I thought it could be under "Jira apps" instead of "Apps", and there is a subsection in that menu for Jira Service Management, but no Configuration menu. So I assume this isn't the right place.

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Sean Nemes

It looks like Atlassian has reorganized options and the documentation has not quite caught up, with the introduction of app "collections". The option you are looking for is under Jira Apps then in the Service Management Apps group.

Matthew Sinclair

You need to look under "Service Management Apps" - apparently the document needs an update - feel free to slap that feedback button. Then Configuration.

But the controls you are looking for are there - I see it on our org here.

For us is these main categories:

Jira
Plans
Service management apps ««««
Jira Sevrice Management
Operations
Jira Product Discovery
Integrations