Why does the system set a priority automatically?

[Jana Schumann]

We are using the default priority scheme from Jira. We didn't have any problems, but at some point, Jira just started to set issues to "blocker" automatically, when you edited and saved an already existing issue.
We couldn't find the reason for that. Now it sets every issue created to the priority "blocker" automatically. And I can't even delete the priority. You can only replace it with a different priority. But most of our issues shouldn't have a priority at all.

How can we stop Jira from setting the priority automatically? And why does it set the priority "blocker", when you only edit an issue?

Thanks a lot for your help :) 

[Ganesh Babu · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jana Schumann 

There is actually no problem here. The priority field does not take null values. It always pre-selects the first value in the drop-down. So, if a user wants to keep Null values, they should remove the Priority field from the issue edit screen.

The defaults only apply on issue create.  Otherwise, they would overwrite a value incorrectly on most edits.

[Ganesh Babu]

And @Jana Schumann  

You can just remove the priority field from the edit screen.

Hope this answers your question

[Jana Schumann]

Hi Ganesh, 

Thank you for your help. I know I can remove priority fields, but I don't want to remove them completely. It should still be possible to set the priority, if it makes sense with some of the issues. But I don't want the system to set it automatically. Because there are many issues, that don't need a priority.
Maybe I didn't explain that clearly. Thanks for your time :)

[Ganesh Babu]

Hi @Jana Schumann 

And how is that you create an issue without priority set?

Jira by default  will have the priority set, when an issue is created.

What i could suggest you, With the help of automation for Jira based on certain conditions you can set the priority to none.

Like based on any other field value , you might provide an action to update the priority to none.

[Jack Brickey]

Hi Jana,

I suspect that someone has made some changes that are causing this behavior. It may be that an admin has modified the default workflow (really bad idea) while trying to make the desired priority setting for a given project. The side effect is that all other projects would receive the same treatment if they are using the same workflow. So I wold first edit the workflow and look for post functions that is making this happen. If nothing obvious there then I would next look at any form of automation you may have, likely some addon.

[Jana Schumann]

Hi Jack,

thanks a lot for your help. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything suspicious in the postfunctions. We are using one postfunction, that clears the priority field, with creating the issue. But the problem occurs in the middle of the workflow with editing an issue, not creating one. So I couldn't imagine this function being the reason for my problem. About the Add-Ons: we didn't change these in the important time period. So unfortunately these ideas didn't solve my problem.

But thanks a lot. It is always difficult to help, when you can't look into the system yourself. :)

[Jack Brickey]

I noted your additional details below (note for future reference consider editing the original post) and what I find strange is the fact that your issue has “no priority” initially. It is my understanding that issues will always have a priority when created. I am perplexed as to how you do not have a priority. Would you mind sending a screen shot from your priorities config - Jiran settings > Issues > priorities

[Christian S.]

Hi @Jana Schumann , Hi @Jack Brickey,

we have noticed the same problem in our Jira Software environment.

Not sure how to fix it, but maybe the cause is that the issues were originally created via the "Import" function and had no "Priority" value assigned to them.

We did an "Import" of issues without setting the Priority field value in the import .csv file, assuming that those issues would get the default Priority value. But it seems they were rather created with a "null" value for the Priority.

When editing those issues now, Jira sets the Priority to the first value in the Priority drop down instead of the default Priority value.

Just a guess...

[Dave Liao]

Anyone figure this out in 2022?

1. In Jira Data Center 8.22.x, I have a Priority Scheme where the default priority is empty. I'm working in a project where Priority is not a required field.

2. I created a Project Automation rule to clear the Priority field value for newly-created issues.

3. When creating new issues, the issues have a Priority value set. 🫤🫤🫤

[Kimberly Deal _Columbus ACE_]

@Dave Liao ,  Can you share what you did with Project Automation to clear the Priority field?

[Dave Liao]

Hi @Kimberly Deal _Columbus ACE_ !

For #2, I set the Action "Edit issue fields", then cleared the Priority value.

You can see "This field will be cleared" is shown. It doesn't actually do what it says. I confirmed Priority is not a Required field for this project. 😅

[Kimberly Deal _Columbus ACE_]

Ooph!  yeah, same.  I guess it just isn't possible for Priority to have a Null value.  
Wound up using Labels to do what we wanted to do with priority.  Not ideal, but a decent workaround. 

I used Automation to set the label and lowest priority on creation of issue, so as not to affect shared workflows or system defaults. 

[Graf Bishop]

I am having the same problem. I have used a post-function to clear the Priority field on Create for the same reason given above (I often do not want an entry in this field and I do not want it to appear on the main form view in such cases). The problem is that it does not show on the form view but when I go into the Edit screen it displays the first priority in the drop-down (in this case "Highest") and not the default. What is more odd is that it does NOT appear in the form view unless I edit it AND it shows as null when I filter on that ticket (in other words, if I search for items with priority = highest it does not appear??). Something very odd here...

[Jana Schumann]

Just to make my problem a bit clearer, here is a "use case":

I open an issue, that doesn't have a priority at all. I click on edit. Without changing anything, I click on save. Now it has the priority "Blocker". 
That means I didn't change the Status or anything else. It just sets it to Blocker automatically.

Are there any other ideas, that could help me solving this problem?

Thanks a lot! :)