Copy a description when a delivery ticket is created, but not when a delivery ticked is linked

[Robby Keefer]

Requirement:   I want to copy the Idea description into the Epic description when a new delivery ticket is created, but not when I link an Idea to an existing Epic.   

Context:  We have existing Epics with detailed descriptions that cannot be lost when a new or existing Idea is linked.   

There are several posts for this topic, but I have not found a solution that works.  Does anyone have a suggestion for this use case?   FYI, I need to map several fields from the Idea to the Epic, I am aware that the create delivery ticket does have a checkbox to copy the description.   

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Robby Keefer 

For the case you describe, work item linking happens as a separate step after a create.  You may observe this by viewing the history for a work item as it shows both steps...even though they occur very close together in time.  The same thing happens when viewing an Idea and creating a "delivery ticket": it creates the Epic work item first and then adds the link.

There are no additional options for "delivery tickets" to select other fields to copy from the Idea. 

One possible workaround with an automation rule is to assume the Description is empty for those specific Epics, and create a rule triggered on the Epic create to check and then copy the fields from the Idea:

• trigger: Work Item Created
• action: Re-fetch Work Item Data (This is needed to prevent a timing problem where the link is added moments after the create.)
• condition: type is Epic
• condition: Description field is empty
• action: Lookup Work Items, with JQL to find the linked Idea by the link type, if it exists
• smart values condition
  • first value: {{lookupIssues.size|0}}
  • condition: equals
  • second value: 1
• action: edit work item, setting any fields needed from the lookup result, such as:
  • {{lookupIssues.first.description}}

This rule's scope will need to be global or multiple-project, so please discuss this with your Jira Site Admin as they will need to make that change to the rule so it can "see" both projects.

Kind regards,
Bill