What field value controls whether an issue is in Backlog or on a project Board?

[Daniel Mellor]

I'm looking to move tickets automatically from Backlog to board in a next-gen Project based on issue status. From reading previous threads, it seems there isn't an easy solution with Jira Automation, but potentially through Script Runner or the Rest API if what I'm proposing below is correct.

I've done some testing and found that the 'Rank' customfield is updated when an issue is moved manually from backlog to Board - does that mean that the backlog designation is controlled by the Rank function, or is it updated because it is 're-ranked' when moved onto the Board?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

It depends on the board, if it's Scrum, Kanban or a plain project board, but generally, you'll be looking at the status.

As for the ranking, that makes sense when you look at what ranking is for.  The rank is the ordered list of what your team should be working on - the highest item on the list should be the next thing they pick up when they finish their current task.

If something is on the board, then it means it is in-progress, or at least definitely selected for work, unlike the items still in the backlog.  So logically, items on the board have to be ranked higher than everything in the backlog.

[Daniel Mellor]

Hey Nic, I'm referring to the Backlog feature with a Kanban board. Issues will not show up on the board until they are moved from "Backlog" to "Board" on the Backlog screen, regardless of their issue status. I would want to move a ticket from backlog to board based on issue status. To do this, I need to know what issue field to update that would reflect whether an issue is in "backlog" or on the "board". 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ah, a team-managed project then.

There is no field that directly controls it on issues, there's a set of markers in the background that just says "on board"

[Trudy Claspill]

As a follow up, this is the issue in Atlassian's backlog asking for the ability to use Automation to move issues in Team Managed projects from the Backlog to the Board.

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JSWCLOUD-21481