How to update the reporter field on a subtask created by automation rule

[Jing Wang]

Hello everyone,

I’ve created an automation rule triggered by an issue transition, which generates subtasks as part of the workflow. However, the Reporter on each subtask is automatically set to "Automation User," as that’s the Actor of the automation rule. To adjust this, I used an Edit Issue action to update the Reporter field to match the parent issue’s reporter, with the following JSON:

{ "fields": { "reporter": "{{triggerIssue.reporter}}" } }

Unfortunately, this returns an error:

"Unknown fields set during edit, they may be unavailable for the project/type. Fields ignored - Reporter (reporter)"

I’ve verified that the automation user has permission to update issues.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to resolve this?

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Jing Wang 

Welcome to the Atlassian community.

Can you share with us screen images that show your entire rule, please? I'd like to see that to confirm that the context of the Edit action is actually the subtask.

Besides that, are these issues in a Team Managed project or a Company Managed project? You can get that information from the View All Projects page under the Projects menu.

If you view the subtask in the UI is the Reporter field visible on the screen and can you edit it manually?

If this is for a Company Managed project review the Permissions Scheme associated with the Project to confirm that the Modify Reporter permission is allocated to the Project Role atlassian-addons-project-access.

Also review the View and Edit Operations screens for the subtask issue type for this project and confirm that the Reporter field is on them.

[Jing Wang]

Also I checked in the UI, it is said reporter can't be edited.

[Jing Wang]

Hello @Trudy Claspill 

Thanks for your reply, I am new here, replied my first message in the answer section. Hopefully you could see it

[Trudy Claspill]

Thank you for the additional information.

Please provide screen images that show the entire rule so that we can accurately assess the scope of the steps.

Also, were you able to review the other item I recommended?

Also review the View and Edit Operations screens for the subtask issue type for this project and confirm that the Reporter field is on them.

You may have to request assistance from a Jira Administrator if you don't have any administrator access yourself.

Also, on the Rule Details page for this rule, who is specified in the Actor field?

[Jing Wang]

Yes, The reporter field is on View and Edit screens, 

Automation User is the actor, which is in the Automation role of the project. Highlighted yellow box is to create the subtask. To edit the reporter field action box is after the subtask was created.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Jing Wang 

The second image you provided is again showing only a portion of the rule, and it does not overlap with the portion of the rule you showed in your first message. Can you please provide images that show your entire rule?

Based on what you have provided so far the step where you are trying to Edit the subtasks is separate from where you are creating the subtasks. The Edit operation may not have the correct context to be operating against the subtasks you created earlier in the rule.

We cannot assess this properly without seeing the entire rule.

Separate from that, having the Modify Reporter permission allocated to the Project Role atlassian-addons-project-access supports the automation rule only if the actor is set to "Automation for Jira".

If the field is set to any other user, such as it is in your rule, you would have to ensure that user is added to a user group or project role that has been granted the Modify Reporter permission.

[Jing Wang]

Thank you! I added Automation User in the Modfiy Reporter permission, that solved the problem!

[Trudy Claspill]

You're welcome.

If my responses helped you solve your problem, please consider clicking on the Accept Answer button to mark your Question as Solved.

[Jing Wang]

Yes, it is company managed project, I do have the following settings: