Automatically add Jira users as watchers of the issue created and notify them of updates.

[Gregory Kremer]

I've got a request to automate JIRA issue creation via e-mail, with a list of users to be notified when issue has been created. Custom mail handler instructions state that if we check "CC Watchers" box it will automatically add Jira users as watchers of the issue created and notify them of updates. 

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-cloud-administration/docs/create-issues-and-comments-from-email/#Creatingissuesandcommentsfromemail-messagehandlers

That part is clear. What is not clear to me is where/how do we specify users that need to be notified. I'd appreciate help in this matter.

[Claudio Gonzalez · Accepted solution]

Hi Gregory.

May be is more easy, create a new automation just like that

After then, the email notification working with the "Notification Scheme" for Assignee, Reporter and Watchers.

[Gregory Kremer]

Claudio, this sounds like a great solution. I am not sure why I didn't think of it. Maybe because it is so simple :-). Thank you very much for pointing me to the right direction.

[Jeremy Taylor]

Is it possible to setup of this type of automation but only on specific service request types within a project? Example: Service Request A is submitted by an end-user but automation is established so their manager is made a "watcher" so they can be informed of all progress. 

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Gregory Kremer 

Welcome to the community.

Is the destination project where the issue will be created a Company Managed project or a Team Managed project? It will say which at the bottom of the navigation pane on the left.

The following applies to Company Managed projects. I'll have to do a bit of research to determine the behavior for Team Managed projects, if that is what you are using.

The email addresses of the users in the CC field of the email will try to be matched to users of your Jira instance. If there is a match found, and that user has permission to View the issues in the destination project, and you have the CC Watchers box checked, then those Jira users will be added to the issue as Watchers.

The notifications sent to the Watchers of an issue for a Company Managed project are managed through the Notification Scheme associated with the project. 

Once you let us know if you are working with Company or Team Managed projects, we can drill into more detail.

[Gregory Kremer]

It's a Company Managed project. I know that I can manage notification via Notification Scheme. I wasn't sure if there is some other way to notify specific users that a JIRA issue was created via e-mail without changing the existing notification scheme, as it is being used by multiple projects. Sure I can make a copy of it, but that's not the point. I just thought that if there was a CC option, I should have been able to add several e-mail addresses to some mailer configuration. But it doesn't look like it's possible. Or does it?

[Trudy Claspill]

I'm not sure that I understand the problem you are trying to solve.

If you want the Watchers of an issue notified when that issue is created, you would update the notification scheme so that the Issue Created event sends a notification to All Watchers. Yes, that would affect all projects that use the same Notification Scheme, but is that really a problem? 

In my environment it has been typical to set that notification as a default for all projects. Is that not the case for your environment?

Trying to discern what you are trying to solve...

- Is your list of users to be notified upon issue creation the same for every single issue created? Or does it vary per issue?

- Do you want these people to become watchers of the issue and receive all notifications a Watcher would receive, or do you just want them notified when the issue is created?

If the users to be notified is the same for every issue and you don't want to make them Watchers on every issue, then another solution is to create an Automation Rule to send an email to that list of users when a new issue is created in the specific project. Automation Rules is another way to send emails to users based on issue events like Create and Update, without updating the notification scheme. 

[Gregory Kremer]

Trudi, the problem with changing Notification scheme in my case is that this scheme supports over 40+ projects, thus it can't be changed. And I don't want to create another one for this specific project. But thank you for your reply.

[Trudy Claspill]

I guess I don't understand exactly what your difficulty is. Is the problem you are trying to solve...

1. Adding users to an issue as Watchers?

2. Managing the notifications that will be sent to Watchers of an issue?

The answer posted by @Claudio Gonzalez will add uses to an issue as Watchers but doesn't change the notifications that are sent to Watchers.

If the issue you are trying to solve is #1 only (adding issues as Watchers), then my next question would be are you...

1. ...trying to add the same, static set of users as Watchers on all issues that get created, or

2. ...trying to add a set of users that is unique for each issue?

If #1, then Claudio's answer and my answer are the same - Automation can be used to add a static set of users as Watchers to every issue created.

If you are trying to solve #2 in either of the above, then Claudio's answer does not solve those problems.