How do you edit the NAME of a workflow in JIRA not the description?

[Jason Adams]

I am trying to change an existing workflow name, how is this done?

[Kai Becker · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jason Adams 

welcome to the community and thanks for your question.

When a workflow is actively used in a project you are not able to rename it, only the description can be modified.

Renaming can only be done on inactive workflows. Best idea would be to make a copy of the workflow, rename it to your liking and switch the workflow in the workflow scheme.

You might also take a look at this post which describes the whole process: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-questions/How-do-you-change-the-name-of-a-workflow/qaq-p/1346902#M607926

[George G]

That's a funny joke. Now how do we really do it?

[Charlie Misonne]

1. Copy the workflow
2. Change the name of the copy to the name you want to use
3. Assign the workflow to your workflow scheme(s) to replace the original workflow
4. Perform status mapping (straightforward because the statuses are the same in source and target)
5. Remove original workflow

Feature request JRASERVER-19813 

[Jerome F_]

Feature request is 15 years old. LOL. Not really a surprise unfortunately.

What your steps aren't considering tho, is that on step 2, is that the real workflow name you want to use IS STILL IN USE by the active workflow that you copied (and that cannot be modified because it's active).

So actually if you want to do things clean, you will need ANOTHER copy of the worfklow, or another worfklow with equivalent statuses, so that you use it as a temporary worfklow, while you delete the original worfklow and rename its newest version.



YES, it's a mess.  

[Charlie Misonne]

Hi @Jerome F_ 

Yes you are right I missed that step although I had to perform it a lot of times in the past already.