Blocking Jira issue transitions when checklist items are not completed - step by step guide

[#1]

Using well-organized and properly maintained checklists in Jira issues can help your team tremendously in its struggles to manage and distribute tasks effectively. As with everything in this prone-to-forgetting universe, some crucial tasks that must be completed before marking a given issue as "Done" will be forgotten once in a while. As you probably know, even the most detailed and thought-out plan means little until it’s actually executed.

With this guide, you will hopefully avoid such a dark fate. It explains how to use the Jira issue transition validator, delivered with Multiple Checklists for Jira. Validator ensures that nobody will be able to move an issue to a selected status unless all the checklists' items are complete.

1. Go to the workflow configuration for the selected project

The solution described below is available only in company-managed projects. Moreover, only the Jira project administrators are able to change workflow configuration and therefore add issue transition validators. If your project is company-managed and you have the necessary permissions, you can find the workflow configuration page in the project settings on the left-hand menu. Go there and click the pencil icon next to the workflow scheme assigned to your project and issue types you want to configure validators for.

2. Select appropriate issue transition

Issue transitions are represented by arrows from one ticket status to another. For example, you can have a transition from the “To Do” status to “Done”, as well as a transition from the “In Progress” status to “Done”. Once you have clicked on the transition you want to add validation for, click on the “Validators”.

3. Select the checklists validator

From the list of all available validators, select the “All checklist items are checked”. Once you click “Add” you will be asked to enter the name of a checklist that you want this validator to be applied to. You can also leave this field empty - in that case the validator will be applied to all checklists.

4. Repeat for the remaining transitions

Make sure to repeat the above steps for all of the transitions that are meant to be protected. If there are multiple transitions that lead to the “Done” status, and you want to make sure that no issue is moved to “Done” if checklist items are not completed, you should configure the validation for each of those transitions.

5. Save the workflow scheme

Once you have added the checklist validators to all of the transitions you wanted to, one step that remains is to publish the workflow scheme. To do so, click on the “Publish Draft” above the workflow diagram.

6. Test it out

Once the adjusted workflow is published, the transitions that had the validator added will not be possible until all checklist items are marked as completed. This won’t affect issues that don’t have any checklists added or that don’t use checklists. Try it out yourself! Add a checklist with some items, and try to move an issue through a transition that is protected with a validator.

Multiple Checklists for Jira are available on the Atlassian Marketplace for both Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center. You can also consult our documentation in case of any problems.

[Maxim Filipchyk]

Hello,

For some reason "Validators" option is not shown when I click on any Status is Workflow Editor.

Please advice.

[Sebastian Brudziński]

Hello @Maxim Filipchyk 

do you have the complete administrative permissions for your Jira instance? If so, please note that depending on the Jira hosting (Cloud/Server/DC) and Jira version, the options might be placed or look different.

If you are having trouble setting this up, you can always reach our support team here - https://soldevelo.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/5

They will guide you through the set-up or may even schedule a call with you to set this up together.

[Maxim Filipchyk]

Hello, it's working. I've missed the part that it's shown for transitions and not statuses.

Thanks.

[antoine.de-fourcroy]

Hello there,

Thank you for the documentation here, however I have a little issue concerning the 3rd step:

It says that after hitting "Add" I should be able to enter the name of the specific list I want to be completed. However the option to add the checklist name is never shown on screen and the validator is always added with all the checklist to be completed.

Is there any specific setup I might  have omitted before starting the process ?