Share your feedback on Jira's new workflow editor

[#1]

Hello Jira Cloud Admins, 

As you may have noticed there is a new workflow editor available in Jira. 

If you have used/ tested out the new editor when configuring workflows, we would love to hear your feedback, please comment below, or feel free to send me an email svanderpeet@atlassian.com 

We really appreciate all your feedback, as it helps ensure we are building the right products for your needs.

Old editor

New editor

Thank you so much, and look forward to talking soon, 

Saskia van der Peet, 

Product Manager, Jira 

[Shah_ Piyush]

First.... it is really really really very cool.  Love it !!

Few things:

• Old editor allowed me to create transition from "Any Status" to "Itself".  This is useful to mimic Jira DC "Edit" button functionality that is no longer there in Jira Cloud.  It'd be helpful if this can be done using new editor
• I want to be able to rename the title of "active" workflow name. This is helpful to avoid having to copy the workflow, edit inactive workflow then associate it with workflow scheme to replace old workflow.  A single edit is better than 3-step drills.
• Give a checkbox option "opsbar_sequence" (status display order) ..... simialr to "Show transition" check box and ability to do inline-edit to re-arrange the order.
• Agree with @Denise Prickett that:
  • Workflow (created using old editor) rendering is messed up when viewing/editing using new editor :-(  
  • Some workflow rules can't be configured.  Atlassian should be transparent about this list and their plan to port them to new editor.
  • Admins should not be forced into the only choice as new editor. 
• What additional improvements/feature are in the pipe-line for new editor?
• What are the known bugs?

• If something can't be or will not be ported, then we deserve to know that now.  Can you share the parity between the two?  Customers using Jira DC do not have room for surprise when moving to cloud.

Otherwise, many tasks are possible new workflow with fewer mouse clicks.  Even deleting status is possible using new editor.  Kudos to whoever is behind that.  

Piyush

[Rohit]

Hi,

We have been using the new workflow. So far, this is very good and much better than the old workflow. 

Validated for both Team-Managed and Company-Managed projects.

[Davide Giglioli]

Dear Saskia,

I plan to test the new editor once it fully supports all existing features (if that happens). I sincerely hope we won't be forced to switch to the new workflow editor in the future. At the very least, I hope an opt-out option will remain available.

Consideration for Atlassian:

We encountered a similar issue with the new transition screen experience, which, fortunately, allowed us to opt out. The lack of support for Assets fields in this update was a significant limitation.

Introducing new features or updates that don't align with previous functionality can disrupt workflows and create unnecessary challenges for customers. It might be worth reconsidering how such changes are rolled out to ensure they meet the needs of existing use cases.

[Denise Prickett]

Hi Saskia,

There is not enough change - or not the right change - for me to appreciate the new over the old.

• One drawback of the new is that my workflows, instead of being nicely-spaced flow charts, now look like bubbles on bubbles. 
• One feature I would really love is the ability to view the Conditions and Post Functions (aka Transition options) without having to edit the Workflow.

I agree with Davide - I sincerely hope we won't be forced to switch to the new workflow editor in the future.

[Michiel Schuijer]

Hi, I tried to book a time slot with you, but I guess you're in down-under and I'm in down-below, so that will not work ;) 

My initial experience with the new editor is that it often was buggy and prevented me from doing some change, or the change I required to do was not even possible. This keeps me using the old editor by default now, and I'm not even trying the new one anymore, because I would lose time every time I'd try it and had to switch back. 

I also agree with some of the comments already provided on this page, and I also hope we won't be forced to switch to the new workflow editor in the future.

There is not enough change - or not the right change - for me to appreciate the new over the old. 

• One drawback of the new is that my workflows, instead of being nicely-spaced flow charts, now look like bubbles on bubbles. 
• One feature I would really love is the ability to view the Conditions and Post Functions (aka Transition options) without having to edit the Workflow.
• Old editor allowed me to create transition from "Any Status" to "Itself".  This is useful to mimic Jira DC "Edit" button functionality that is no longer there in Jira Cloud.  It'd be helpful if this can be done using new editor
• I very much remember using the new editor to edit the "active" workflow name but that is no longer working.  This is helpful to avoid having to copy the workflow, edit inactive workflow then associate it with workflow scheme to replace old workflow. A single edit is better than 3-step drills.
• Give a checkbox option "opsbar_sequence" (status display order) ..... simialr to "Show transition" check box and ability to do inline-edit to re-arrange the order.

Cheers

[Shah_ Piyush]

@Michiel Schuijer : Thank you for re-iterating the 3 bullet points from my message.

Agree with @Denise Prickett about this:

> One drawback of the new is that my workflows, instead of being nicely-spaced flow charts, now look like bubbles on bubbles.

Workflow rendering is messed up when you switch between workflows.  Thankfully.... rendering setup in new editor is maintained once you clean it up.  And more importantly, the functionality is not broken.

In fact, all Atlassian feature functionalities with workflow portal, C2C, JCMA, etc do the same undesirable thing and that is mess up the rendering.  It seems they have not figured how to preserve the rendering :-(

Re: Rollout of this tool

It is already rolled out.  

• What additional improvements/feature are in the pipe-ine for new editor?
• What are the known bugs?

• And PLEASE do not cut the cord on old editor till all functionality is ported.  If something can't be or will not be ported, then we deserve to know that now.  Can you share the parity between the two?  Customers using Jira DC do not have room for surprise when moving to cloud.

@Saskia : Thanks for starting this thread and incrementally improving it.  Feedback is integral part of that journey.  

[Shah_ Piyush]

@Michiel Schuijer wrote:

> One feature I would really love is the ability to view the Conditions and Post Functions (aka Transition options) without having to edit the Workflow.

Maybe I am missing the point.

Above issue is there in old editor where you have to do more clicks that takes you to new page to see the rules.  In the new workflow, the rules are listed on the same screen.  Fewer clicks.  Same screen for both view/edit like modern UIs.

[Denise Prickett]

@Shah_ Piyush This is my original comment:

> One feature I would really love is the ability to view the Conditions and Post Functions (aka Transition options) without having to edit the Workflow.

Maybe I am missing the point.

Above issue is there in old editor where you have to do more clicks that takes you to new page to see the rules.  In the new workflow, the rules are listed on the same screen.  Fewer clicks.  Same screen for both view/edit like modern UIs.

I'm not talking about Rules. I'm talking about Transition Options including Conditions and Post-Functions. Even in the new workflow editor, the Workflow still must be edited in order to see these. 

 

[Shah_ Piyush]

@Denise Prickett wrote:

> I'm not talking about Rules. I'm talking about Transition Options including Conditions and Post-Functions. Even in the new workflow editor, the Workflow still must be edited in order to see these.

The screenshot in your message is for old editor (not new editor).

Here is the screenshot in new editor. The "Options" in old editor is now listed as "Rules" in the new editor.  In the old editor you have to click on it that spawns new page to view them.  In the new editor, you click on transition to see them. No back-and-forth.  I am learning everyday and contributing very little compared to what many many others have done.  Please clarify if I am still missing the point.  Thank you.

[Denise Prickett]

@Shah_ Piyush Those Rules do not display my Post Functions. I figure I'm running into what they mean with this message: 

[Shah_ Piyush]

HI @Denise Prickett :

Your message/screenshot is very clear.  Yes, you are right on that limitation in the new editor.  I have edited my first comment to include your 3 points with reference to your name.  Thank you.

I do sincerely think, that at some point in future (?) Atlassian is going to roll this out like everything else and this collaboration may help:

• Lower the risk
• Customer voice to express what is important to us
• Improve incrementally

Personally, I am using this new editor as default (not because it is great) but because it is reasonably good enough and I know sooner or later I will not have a choice.  (Hint: Serenity Prayer)

[Anne Saunders]

Looks like Post Functions are now "Perform Actions"? And I am pretty unhappy with these limitations.

I do not want to switch until I have more and clearer options for conditions, validators, and post functions. 

[Denise Prickett]

Good find @Anne Saunders. And I agree -- the current options are way too limited. 

[Steven Yong]

Why is the new editor being introduced if not all of the features from the old one being ported to the new one? ones I've noticed:

- When adding a transition, can't re-use transition

- Transition arrows look different vs the old one on the same Workflow.

[Matt Smith]

I like the new Editor however cannot understand why you cannot remove a status from an active workflow even if you are in "DRAFT" version of it - What is the point of having draft !!

It is dangerous (again standard tier does not have sandboxes to test), to have to re-associate every item to the NEW COPIED variant of the workflow - which is a non needed risk !

I concur with https://community.atlassian.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5453070 
Quote:

• I very much remember using the new editor to edit the "active" workflow name but that is no longer working.  This is helpful to avoid having to copy the workflow, edit inactive workflow then associate it with workflow scheme to replace old workflow.  A single edit is better than 3-step drills.

[Miriam Hopton]

I LOVE the new editor! I noticed the new editor experience has been pushed and is easily accessible—thank you SO MUCH!

Having used Atlassian/Jira for about 10 years now, I can say this is a huge upgrade for workflows and customization. Adding automation rules and making modifications is so much easier to configure and visually review. Thank you for listening to feedback and enhancing both the look and feel of the platform!

Additionally, the new visual design of "View Workflow" within a ticket is much cleaner, more modern, and easier to use when explaining workflows to service desk agents who may not be familiar with the toolset.

---

I do agree with some feedback I've seen, wishing there were a way to better space out statuses and labels so they don’t overlap when viewing the workflow.

Adding in the draft mode was handy to have if still working on a workflow and did not want to disrupt the current active workflow.

[Shah_ Piyush]

I can't add new comment so I'm editing this one in the hope that Atlassian Product Team can see it.

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• Need ability in the new editor to add a rule on multiple transition in one-go rather than having to edit/maintain each transition where same rule is needed.

========

It is debatable when product feature like "new workflow editor" is ready for "deploy-to-stage" and then "release-to-production".

Minus:

• See my very first comment in this thread .... each bullet speaks for what is not working etc.
• I do have use-cases.... that require to switch back to old editor to do things that is not ported

Plus

• If Atlassian waited to perfect this then we won't even have this thread where we have already voiced.  Thanks to many great comments.
• Atlassian did NOT cut the cord on old editor because I am guessing they know that this is NOT fully baked.  
• Yes, there are features in the old editor that are missing in new editor but I do NOT see anything broken in what is already ported and improved EXCEPT the diagram rendering needs one time cleanup (and that can be annoying).  
• The overall approach.... Build MVP, make it available as optional to use, gather feedback, inspect and improve..... that sounds Agile.