Can I access and use pre-defined workflows without relying on project templates?

[Lance Waldrop]

I want to create blank projects with minimal initial features and then add elements, including workflows, as needed. While I can find some workflow elements within request type templates, I'm looking for a way to access these workflows as standalone components. Is this possible?

[Ste Wright · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lance Waldrop 

Yes, but JSM Projects have a few additional steps to activate all features.

I've assumed this is a Company-managed Project, as Team-managed Projects have all their Workflow settings in Project Settings - is that correct?

---

You'll create the base Workflow first. But some configuration items - like approvals - are not available until you associate a Workflow with a JSM Project.

To create the Workflow, you'll need to be a Jira Product Admin...

1. Go to Settings (cog icon in top-right) > Settings
2. Select Issues from the dropdown menu
3. Select Workflows from the left-hand menu
4. In the top-right, select Add workflow > Create new
5. Create your relevant Workflows(s)
6. Next, select Workflow schemes from the left-hand menu. These are used to group Workflows together (against Issue Types), and associate them with a Project
7. In the top-right, select Add workflow scheme
8. Within the Scheme, use the Add Workflow button to add Workflows to the scheme, and either assign them to a specific issue type, or make them the "default"
9. Next, go to your JSM Project > Project Settings
10. Select Workflows from the left-hand menu
11. Select Switch Scheme, and follow the steps to associate your new Workflow Scheme

You can also modify an existing Scheme, but it would modify the Workflow(s) for all Projects using that Scheme.

---

Once this is done, you can then re-edit the Workflow, and the additional JSM configuration items should be available:

1. From within the Workflows section in Project Settings, select the edit icon (pencil) next to a Workflow
2. Check for a JSM workflow property - eg. click a Status and see if you can include an approval step

---

See some more general information on this help page: https://support.atlassian.com/jira-work-management/docs/how-to-create-workflows/

Ste

[Lance Waldrop · Accepted solution]

@Zoey Wang @Ste Wright Hey guys thanks for your reply. I am aware of how to create new workflows from scratch. I'm more interested in the availability of prebuilt workflows that do not need associated with a request type or preconfigured project template. To give an example of what I mean, if I go to the projects view, select create project, and choose 'Blank Project for IT Teams' the only workflows available by default are:

• General request workflow for Jira Service Management
• Jira Service Management default workflow

This on its own is okay. But at some point, I may want to utilize this workflow:

• Change Management workflow for Jira Service Management

From what I can see that workflow is only available if I create an 'IT service management' template project or I associate the request type template 'Request a change' which is configured with that workflow. What I would like to do is choose a workflow without needing to choose a request type or project template. 

[Ste Wright]

Hi @Lance Waldrop 

These Workflows are generated and then added to the "Workflows" list once you create a Project which uses one for the first time.

They aren't there by default otherwise there would be a long list in every new instance.

So you could...

• Create a whole range of Projects, using different Templates
• Delete those Projects
• Rename the Workflows/Schemes to make them templates

---

Some of these Workflows are also available through the option...

• Add workflow > Import from marketplace

...I found a version of "Change Management workflow for Jira Service Management" in there.

Ste

[Lance Waldrop]

Thanks @Ste Wright_! I didn't see a way to accept your response as an answer, so I accepted the parent thread and liked this post up! Appreciate your time.

[Zoey Wang]

Hi @Lance Waldrop 

Yes. With Jira admin role or beyond, you can

Go to Settings, select Issues; under Workflows section, choose Workflow option, add workflow and finally create new. See below

Whenever you are happy to revisit the newly created workflow, just associate it with the desired project as needed. 

Or associate your projects with any of the existing Workflows. However, any changes to the workflow of one of the projects will impact the rest of the project.