Who gets assigned when issue has multiple components?

[Mark Cassman]

There are several different answers to this question all over the internet but even here at Atlassian. 

On the cloud, if an issue has multiple components, and each component has someone different as the default assignee, who gets the assignment? One section of Atlassian says that it goes alphabetically, but another says it goes by the first component entered into the system. So which is it. Could someone please elaborate on this issue more? 

I'm studying for the ACP-620 certification and this is a small area that keeps giving me trouble. Thanks.

[Fabian Lim]

Hi @Mark Cassman

This is a tricky one for the exams. It's alphabetical if all components have a component lead assigned.

If you have component "a" which is set to unassigned and the component "b" with a component lead, it will assign it to the user in component b.

Best way is to try it yourself or take the cert prep course which explains in detail.

[Joanna Thurmann]

Jira uses the following rules when assigning issues during issue creation.

1. If the reporter selects an assignee, then the issue is assigned to that person regardless of the assignee settings at the project or component level.

2. If the reporter leaves the assignee as Automatic, then Jira checks if any components were added.

3. If no, then Jira assigns the issue to the default assignee at the project level; which is either Unassigned or Project Lead.

4. If only 1 component was added, then Jira assigns the issue to the default assignee at the component level; which is either Project lead, Component lead, Project default, or Unassigned.

5. If multiple components were added and one of those components has the default assignee set to Component lead, then Jira assigns the issue to that person. 

6. If multiple components were added and multiple components have their default assignee set to Component lead, then Jira figures which component is first (in terms of alphabetical order) and assigns the issue to that component lead. 

[Fabian Lim]

Thanks @Joanna Thurmann

It will be good as well to officially mention the alphabetical aspect when multiple components with component leads are selected, which I got wrong on the test exam and it was provided as one of the reasons.

[Joanna Thurmann]

@Fabian Lim Good point, I updated my response with #6 above.

[Mark Higgins]

Its also good to remember that the ASCII table is used, so API, comes before Active Directory, because AP, comes before Ac, in ASCII.

[Julian Matías Etcheverry]

Hi everyone, I´am testing the #6 and I get automatically assign the component lead of the component that was first created. Not the one that is first in terms of alphabetical order. Did you tested that?  Please let me know

[Leandro Azevedo]

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Service-Management/Auto-assignment-with-multiple-components/qaq-p/2132000

[Carolina Castro]

Hi all, to whoever is interested, I had a big headache with example 5 of the "How to Manage Components and Default Assignees in Jira Software Projects", but here is how it works:

1. Apparently, it doesn't matter who the "Project Default Assignee" is when Jira sets the assignee of an issue using multiple components as the "Project Default Assignee" is  overriden by the Component Default Assignee. At the top of the example you see "Default Assignee"...and this means that it's referring to the "Project Default Assignee"...so put that one aside.

2. If all the multiple components of the issue do not have their Deafult Assignee as "Component Lead", then Jira uses the "precedence rule", so on that example the selection will not be among "Component Leads".

3. Then, the precedence rule, in this example, will only pick between the Default Assignees.

In example 5, where Component Alpha had Default Assignee "Project Dafault" and Component Beta that had Default Assignee "Unassigned", this last one has precedence over "Project Default", so the issue is assigned to "Unassigned".

Please let me know if I didn't really get it ;)