I'd like to modify my workflow so that I can re-open a ticket if accidentally closed

[aline.bertrand]

Sometimes we close tickets by accident, and we'd like to have the ability to re-open issues and have an issue transition from Closed to In Progress if needed.

How can we do so?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

My guess is that you've run into a big bug in the workflow editor.

For reasons that are a long and complex essay that I don't quite understand, you cannot add a transition out of a status that does not already have at least one transition out already.

The bad news is that Atlassian are not going to fix this bug, because

• It's surprisingly difficult to fix (i.e. a lot of work, for no real gain.  No gain because of the next couple of reasons)
• There is a work-around
• The bug only affects a fraction of a fraction of users - specifically Admins who have inadvertently put themselves in this position, or inherited workflows from other Admins who have done it.  I usually point out the people who do this are simply inexperienced.  I've certainly done it several times before it sank in!
• Workflows are gradually moving in a direction where you won't need to do this any more

The good news is the work-around is not hard.

• Go to admin -> workflows and make a copy of the workflow you are trying to change
• You will be able to add the transition to that workflow
• Go to the workflow scheme and swap the old workflow for the new one with the transition

[aline.bertrand]

Hi @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- ,

Thank you so much ! That worked :) 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Glad to help out! 

I hate this bug, it's really frustrating when you run into it, and it's really hard to explain.  As that answer (which, unusually for me, is not a copy/paste/tweak) worked out, I think I might polish it up into a short article.

Thank you for letting me know it was useful!