Guest access to JIRA

[nils_grashorn]

Hello,

we have quite a large user base in our company's JIRA system and everything is set up in that way that a new user who is granted application access will be able to view all boards and their stories (the default user has these rights).

We now want to invite guest users on specific projects. These should be restricted to be able to view and edit only a certain project.

Can this be done without restructuring the whole access system?

[Cristian Rosas [Tecnofor] · Accepted solution]

Hi Nils,

I think that some aditional info can help:

Can you use only one role, or a small quantity of them for all your customers with the same permission scheme for all your projects? If not, would it be too difficult to achieve?

Have you a too large quantity of permission schemes that would take a lot of time to change them?

A basic approach would be to create a new permission scheme with the browse permission only for internal workers and guest users (role) and then change the permission schemes in your projects.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

You would find it better to remove the "application user can see everything", but there is a slightly higher maintenance way to do what you want.

Create a new group for "guests".  Give that group access to *only* the project(s) they should have.  Add that group into the "can use application" global permission, but not the old "can use" group.

This is higher maintenance because you're going to have to remove the guest users from the old "can use" group every time you create a new guest.

[Bruce Fint]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist-, does this add users? I would like to permit 'management' to see status of issues/projects via a custom dashboard, but they have no interest in doing any work in JIRA. It would be read-only for them.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Adding users is done in manage users, then you add them to the group.

[Bruce Fint]

Yes, I'm familiar with how to add a user. I wasn't sure if 'create a new group for guests' was somehow different. 

You're still burning user licenses and paying the JIRA fees and the add-on fees per user. 

[Doug Aliff]

Nils/Bruce - Did either of you find away to do this without burning licenses and paying the JIRA fees and the add-on fees per user?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

There is no way to do it without paying for your users.

[Cristian Rosas [Tecnofor]]

Well.. they should be able to see dashboards if the URL is sent directly to them, but they won't be able to edit.

Also, if people is going to access your tool and work there, it's obvious they will use licenses (ask Microsoft about this)

[Doug Aliff]

Unfortunately, It is not just the license cost; they are also charged for every add-on as well.

We are currently using Jira and another tool manage projects. Unfortunately, I've seen the number of projects increasing in the other tool and would like to stop it. I can get Jira to do everything the other tool does (. However, Smartsheet allows us to work with externals sources without adding a license.

Use Case:

We are a Manufacturing company who makes Pharmaceutical widgets. Our customer found a piece of metal in one of the 10,000 widgets we shipped them. As they start recalling the other 9,999 widgets, they ask us to audit our systems and processes to find the root cause and eliminate it.

I know this sounds like a Service Desk Issue but is actually a large undertaking that includes multiple businesses including the farmers that grew the widget dust that we make widgets out of so we create a project.

Our customer would not be doing any work but would like insights into the progress (think Kanban) we are making.

[Cristian Rosas [Tecnofor]]

If you want to offer only a view permission you do this:

• Project different to Service Desk (probably if you have in the same instance Jira Service Desk and Jira Core/Software you can't do it, don't know right now)
• Permission scheme in the project:
  Browse permission: anyone
• Create a filter and share with: anyone
• Put this filter in a gadget in your system Dashboard and anyone can view this issues without being logged
• Alternative: Create a Dashboard and put that filter on it, share it with: anyone
• Copy the URL of your Dashboard and set it in the System Dashboard in the introduction gadget or send it to anyone you want

I think this should be enough

[Doug Aliff]

That is were my head was as well. But, because anything dealing with pharma-company could turn into a PR nightmare allowing public access would not be allowed. 

But I like the idea and may use it for executives.   

[nils_grashorn]

Both answers helped actually. I set up a new group for guests, granted them application access and then edited the permission schemes for the previous projects as well as creating a new scheme for including guests to a project.

Thanks a lot for the help!