Tracking description changes for Jira issues

[#1]

If there is only one field you need the most when creating an issue in Jira, it has to be the description. It provides detailed information about the task's purpose, scope, and requirements. The description serves as a guide for team members to understand and complete their work. What if someone changes or deletes some details in the description? Who updated it, and what exactly was modified? 

Understanding the history of description changes can be invaluable for maintaining accountability and keeping all the essential information safe. Let’s explore how to track description history in Jira, from single-task updates to changes across multiple issues.

📃 Description history for a single task

Tracking the history of the description field for a single task in Jira is straightforward, thanks to Jira's built-in History tab. This feature logs all changes made to an issue, including updates to the description field. 

Here's how you can access it:  Open the issue, navigate to the "Activity" section at the bottom, select the "History" tab, and scroll through the updates to find entries showing the before-and-after versions of the description.

While the History tab provides visibility into changes, it has some limitations:

No Filtering: You can’t filter or search specifically for description updates, requiring you to scroll through all logged changes manually.

No Saved Formatting: The History tab doesn’t preserve the formatting of the description field, displaying changes as plain text, which can make it harder to interpret updates with complex formatting.

🗃️ Description history for multiple issues 

Tracking description changes across multiple issues in Jira can be challenging, as the built-in tools like the History tab only work on a per-issue basis. However, you can leverage Jira Automation to streamline this process and track updates across your projects.

Jira Automation

Automation allows you to create rules that trigger actions whenever a description field is updated. Here's how you can set it up.

Create the custom field in Jira before setting up the automation rule:

1. Go to Jira Settings: Navigate to Jira Settings > Issues > Custom Fields.

2. Create a New Custom Field: Click on Create custom field, select Text Field (single line) or Date/Time Picker (depending on your needs), and name it something like “Description Change Time.”

Now, create an automation rule: 

Go to Project Settings > Automation (or System Settings > Global Automation for site-wide rules).

• Set the Trigger: Choose the "Field Value Changed" trigger and specify the Description field.

• Add a Condition (Optional): Narrow down the rule to specific projects, issue types, or other criteria if needed.

• Define the Action: Log the change in a custom field to store historical updates.

Test the rule to ensure it captures description changes as expected.

Automation enables you to log changes consistently across multiple issues. By logging updates to a custom field or external system, you can generate reports for audit or analysis purposes.

Issue History for Jira app

For teams that need an efficient way to track description changes for one task or across multiple issues, the Issue History for Jira app offers a robust solution. This app provides an intuitive interface and advanced filtering options, making it easier to monitor changes at scale.

Issue History for Jira allows you to select a specific field and check its updates.

Description history for multiple issues:

Description history for a single issue:

Saved formatting for every detail in the description history:

🟦 Try Issue History for Jira 

✅ Bonus: Revert changes made to the description

Wrapping up

Whether you’re managing a single task or monitoring changes across projects, there’s a solution for every need. By leveraging the right tools, you can ensure your team stays informed. Start by exploring native features, enhance them with automation, and consider specialized tools like Issue History for Jira to take your tracking to the next level.