Counting reopen times using Automation

[Yael Geffen]

Hi everyone,

I used this guide: https://confluence.atlassian.com/automationkb/how-to-count-the-number-of-times-an-issue-was-reopened-using-automation-for-jira-1183682960.html

to automate the reopen counter on Jira, and when I checked it, it seems to work only for the first time I reopen a ticket. When I move a ticket from "Done" to "To Do" the second time around, the rule doesn't execute and the number of times don't change to 1. Anyone knows why?

[Kian Stack Mumo Systems]

@Yael Geffen, 

Are you re-opening it the same way both times? Or is one of the times using an Automation rule?

Thanks,

Kian

[Yael Geffen]

Only the automation rule. I'm moving the tickets from "Done" to "To Do" or to "In Progress". First time it works, second time it doesn't.

[Kian Stack Mumo Systems]

Can you please share a screenshot of your rule configurations?

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Yael Geffen 

To ask Kian's question another way:

How are issues being re-opened from "Done" to another status?  Is a person always doing that or does another rule sometimes do it?

And showing images of your entire rule and the audit log details showing the rule execution may also explain this symptom.

Kind regards,
Bill

[Yael Geffen]

There isn't another rule that moves issues from Done to To Do or to In Progress, only this automation. Here are the screenshots of the rule configuration.

[Yael Geffen]

Hi @Bill Sheboy @Kian Stack Mumo Systems , did my screenshots provide any insight as to why this is not working after the first reopen?

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks for those images!

The most likely cause of this symptom is you have an incorrect smart value for your Reopen Count field.  And so the value in the edit is null + 1 which always yields 1.

Smart values are name, spacing, and case-sensitive; when an invalid one is used, it only returns null rather than showing an error...in most cases.

To correct your rule, please use this how-to article to identify the correct smart value for your field.  Essentially you identify an example issue with your field, call a REST API function with a browser tab, and then search for your field on the page.  Once you have it, update the edit action for your rule.

https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/find-the-smart-value-for-a-field/

[Yael Geffen]

Why do you think this is the incorrect rule? I copied it from the guide on how to count the number of times an issue has been reopened and this is the rule they specified.

Also, it's important to note that I'm not a developer, I'm a beginner product manager with no technical background, so I didn't completely understand your answer there :)

[Bill Sheboy]

No worries, as we are all learning all the time :^)

I was suggesting that the smart value is incorrect.  The smart value is name of a field the rule uses to access the information.  Every field has a displayed name (on the screen), a smart value, and a custom field id.  And sometimes the displayed name and smart value are different.

And...that guide is incorrect, as it shows two different names for the field, which certainly could lead to confusion.  I will give Atlassian feedback on the article to help them fix it.

If you use that how-to article it will help you find the correct smart value to use.  To paraphrase the article...

• Identify an example issue you have with the field, "Reopen Count"
• Note the issue key for that example
• Using a browser tab, enter this URL, substituting in your Jira URL and the issue key
  • https://<yourinstanceurl>/rest/api/2/issue/<issuekey>?expand=names
• Search on the page for Reopen Count; you can do that using Ctrl-F (or Find... from the browser ... menu)
• On the page, you will see something like this, with your field.  In this example the field is "Cascade List", but you are looking for "Reopen Count"

• Please note that the field also has a custom field identifier, written as something like customfield_yourNumber.  
• Now update that edit expression in the rule to use the custom field id instead of the field name.  That will now look like this

{{#=}}{{issue.customfield_yourNumber}} + 1{{/}}

• Save / publish, and test your rule again

[Yael Geffen]

Thank you for your detailed response. However, it looks like it didn't change anything, it counted the first reopen but not the following ones.

Here is the rule after the update:

Here is the history of the test ticket:

[Bill Sheboy]

Would you please also post the audit log for the rule, expanding the details for any time the rule was triggered?  That will help to compare that information to what you show in the issue history.

[Yael Geffen]

Sure, here it is.

[Yael Geffen]

Looks like I didn't copy the correct value.

[Bill Sheboy]

I was asking for the details of the rule's audit log, not from the issue view point.

You may find the details of the audit log by:

• navigate to the rule list
• select your rule
• select audit log at the top of the rule's structure
• where the log shows the rule executed, select Show more
• grab and post that image