change existing custom field type

[Nydia L Mejias]

Can I change a existing custom field type from "Checkbox" to "Select List" (multiple choices)

[Joseph Chung Yin · Accepted solution]

@Nydia L Mejias -

In addition to what mentioned by @Mayur Jadhav on the process, if you are moving a checkbox field values and mapping it to the new multi-select dropdown list field via CSV, you need to create multiple columns to transform your existing assigned checkbox field value(s) to individual columns.

Example - ABC-123 issue's checkbox field value(s) contains "One", "Two", and "Three".  In your CSV file for bulk update (via Systems > External System Import), the CSV file needs separate column for each one of those values 

Summary	Issue Key	Option1	Option2	Option4
This is a test	ABC-123	One	Two	Three

In the bulk update process, map Option1, Option2, and Option3 to your new multi-select dropdown list field.

Hope this helps.

Best, Joseph Chung Yin

Jira/JSM Functional Lead, Global Infrastructure Applications Team

Viasat Inc.

[Joseph Chung Yin]

@Nydia L Mejias -

Thanks for your vote on my suggestion.  Please click on "Accept answer" when you have a chance.

Best, Joseph

[Mayur Jadhav]

Hi @Nydia L Mejias 

No You can't change the field's type (for example, making a single-select field into a multi-select field). To change a field's type, recreate the field using the desired type.

But  You can follow these method to migrate data of custom field to another custom field.

Migrating Custom Field content to another field using CSV import:

1. Create the new Custom Field
2. Do a JQL search for all issues that are using the other custom field
3. Export as Excel file with those issues containing only these two columns:

•  The issue key
• The value in the custom field

     4. Open in an Excel editor

• Remove the first 3 lines and the last line after the data (so there’s only the header and the data)
• Add a ‘Summary’ column with no data in any issue (make sure not to add anything to this column other than name in the header, otherwise the summaries will be replaced for all issues it has a value)
• Edit the data to be added in the Custom Field, if needed (for example, if you're moving from a multi-line to a single-line text field, you may need to remove new lines, if it's from text to numeric, make sure there are only numbers, etc.)
• Save as CSV

      5. Import the CSV, mapping:

• The Summary to Summary (since it’s empty, it won’t do anything, but it’s required)
• The issue key to the issue key (so JIRA knows what issues to change)
• The value to the new custom field (changing the custom field)

Migrating Custom Field content to another field using bulk operation

This approach is done with the use of bulk edit operations to migrate content manually from one field to another:

1. Create a new Custom Field.
2. Using Advanced searching. Search for all the occurrences of the old field value.
3. Using a bulk edit operation, you can populate the new field with the value of the old field for all the issues found using the search in Step 2. If editing of closed issues is disabled, you'll need to Allow of editing close issues.
4. Repeat this process for all other values that you are migrating to a new field.
5. Delete the old field, or remove it from the screen scheme.

Regards,

Mayur

[Nydia L Mejias]

Thank you for the quick and detailed response!

[Mayur Jadhav]

If the answer is helpful, please hit the accept button.

[Roger Hughes]

Why not just reference the JIRA Knowledge Base article from where these words were taken? (dated as Last modified on Apr 30, 2021)
https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/how-to-change-custom-field-types-in-jira-158357.html#