How do I set due date as a universal field on tasks in Jira Cloud?

[John Cherry]

Our PM's and Directors want to make Due Date a default field on all our tasks just like assignee, priority, story points, etc. They've been able to do so on an individual issues, but I'm looking for how to make this as a global change. All the videos seem to be either for Kanban and not Scrum and/or made prior to the blue sidebar being removed. I tried making it required, but that didn't actually show the field on the task or even in the task menu. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @John Cherry 

Are you working with Next Gen or Classic projects?

With Classic Projects, you need to ensure that the field is part of the Field Configuration for each type of issues, where those Field Configurations are part of the Field Configuration Scheme assigned to each project. You also need to make sure that the field Screens, Screen Schemes, and Issue Type Screen Scheme for the schemes assigned to each project.

[John Cherry]

Hi Trudy,

I am working with Classic projects only at this time. We have task, story, and bug all turned on, but assigning it to the task issues is really the goal. I've dug around in Screens, Screen Schemes, and Issue Schemes, but it feels like an endless circle compared to how easy permission schemes was. We know how to add to a due date to an individual issue, and I think I even found where to add for a specific project. However, I haven't been able to figure out what I need to edit or configure to make this happen for all existing issues and default for all new issues across all projects. Any advice or screenshots would be helpful. Thank you.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello John,

How are you adding the due date to an individual issue, exactly?

The updates you need to make depend a great deal on how you are managing your project configurations currently.

Are each of your projects using their own Schemes (for Field configuration, Issue types, and Screens), or are you using Schemes that are shared across projects?

If your projects are not sharing schemes, then you are going to have to make the updates in multiple schemes to get it active in all projects.

First, go to the project settings for your project, and then select Fields from the navigation pane on the left. This will show you the Field Configurations in use in the project. If you have different field configurations for different issue types in the project, that will show here. Expand the field configurations and confirm that Due Date is part of them. If it is not, then you will need to add it to each of the field configurations.

Next click on Screens in the nav pane. This will show you the different screens used by the issues in the project. Click the links for the screens and confirm that the Due Date field is included in the screens. If it is not, you'll have to update those Screens to include the field.

Once you have updated the Field Configurations and Screens, those changes will flow into and Schemes that use them.

If you want to make that field required to have an entry at all times, then that would be set as part of the Field Configuration.

Note that there are some preferences that can be set by individual users for what fields will display at a given time, and so some users may end up hiding the field in their own preferences. If you need to force it to display for all users, then that is something else that needs to be configured.

[John Cherry]

Hi Trudy,

We use the same default scheme for all projects. I followed your instructions and that did allow me to add the field for all issues on that one project, but I'm looking for a way to default that field on every project. Is there a way to do that without touching each one since they share one scheme? Also, is there a way to make due date display on the board and backlog the way priority, story points, and assignee do? Thank you.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello John,

If the field is showing in one project but not others, that suggests that the projects are not really sharing schemes.

Look at the Project Settings > Summary for that project. Compare it to the Project Settings > Summary for another project where the field doesn't display. Do they have the same information displayed for Issue Types, Screens, and Fields? If they do, can you provide screen images from each project demonstrating that the field shows in the one project but not in the other project for the same screens?