Automation to check if a field was previously empty

[David Washburn]

Is there a way using Jira Automation to check if a field was previously empty? For example we have a date field and we'd like to run an automation only when the date field was empty and is now having a value added.

I tried using the Field value changed trigger but it counts "value added" as any time the field is edited, even if a value was present before. I only want the rule to run if the field was previously empty. Is there not a way to determine this via automation?

I know I could create a complex setup with a label or something and then reference the label, but that seems like a lame workaround. I was hoping the trigger itself should be able to check if the field was previously null?

The rule: if Deployed to QA date field is not empty, and a value has been added, then transition the issue. If the field already has a value, do nothing. 

[Kalyan Sattaluri · Accepted solution]

Hello @David Washburn 

You could use {{fieldChange.fromString}} & {{fieldChange.toString}} to check if field was previously populated or not.

Below is a screenshot of Data center and cloud will look different but basic steps are the same.

• Trigger = Field Change, choose "Deployed to QA"
• If Condition -> smart values check:
  • {{fieldChange.fromString}}
  • equals
  • (leave empty)
• If Condition -< smart values check:
  • {{fieldChange.toString}}
  • does not equals
  • (leave empty)
• Do your steps.

[David Washburn]

Brilliant, I'll give that a test. I didn't realize the previous value would be accessible via a smart value.

[David Washburn]

Last question on this one @Kalyan Sattaluri. Is it possible to determine if an issue is capable of transitioning to a specific status via smart values? With this rule I'd like to use an If condition to only take an action if the issue type has a status "Development" available. Not all issues share the same workflow so the rule will error out on issues that are incapable of transitioning to the Development status, so I want to just bypass them altogether.

[Kalyan Sattaluri]

Determining if an issue can transition to this other one gets complex. May have to make an API call and even then, I havent looked in to it to definitively say.

OTOH, If you know which issues have this status as valid, you can do another If condition -> Issue Fields Condition - Field = Issue Type and select all these issue types you know can transition.. I think this gets you close. There can only be so many of these types..