How do i bulk update update issues with a new epic?

[Shimeem]

I have uploaded a number of issues to Jira and cannot work out how to bulk update the cards with a new epic. any advice welcome. 

[Randy · Accepted solution]

1. Search for the issues
2. From the top right, click the ellipse and select bulk update (you'll need to have been granted bulk update privileges by your administrator)
3. Select Bulk Edit
4. Find the Epic Link field and assign the epic 
5. Continue through the bulk update screens until the bulk update is run

[Shimeem]

thank you!

[Shimeem]

Thank you for your answer. So, I have tried this and it doesn't work for me. This is a licensed product (Paid for) so not sure why this is the case. I will need to investigate further. 

The epics do not appear in the list and the message I get is that "Portfolio for Jira must be licensed for the parent link to be available".

[Shimeem]

[Randy]

You'll want to assign the epic link not the parent link.  parent link is a portfolio only field (as you discovered) for extending epics and other issue types with additional parent hierarchies. 

I think that epic link dropdown is auto complete so you'll want to start typing in the epic name and it'll start showing you options.

[Shimeem]

Hi Randy thank you. I tried typing but nothing comes up. I will keep investigating! 

[Charles Fortune]

In Step 1, Choose Issues, if you have any subtasks selected, you will not see the option to select an Epic Link in Step 4, Operation Details. Select only parent issues in Step 1, and you will see the option to select a new Epic link to update in Step 4. 

[Danielle Favreau]

This still doesn't work in 2023. Nothing appears in the Epic drop down. If you type an Epic's key that you know exists it refreshed the page when you hit submit, inserts the Summary of the Epic but still shows a warning that you must choose an epic. There is no way to do this automatically using bulk change option.

[Per Nilsson]

For me, there was a "Change Epic/Theme" in Step 3 which has an auto-complete for labels (?).

I had to "Change Parent" and set it to the Epic I wanted. Search by ticket number didn't work, it only autocompleted Epic Names.

The effect was what I wanted - the Epic Link was updated.

[rstimson]

Select multiple items from the backlog - ensure that none are sub-tasks or issues which have sub-tasks (denoted by an > arrow to the left of the checkbox).

Right click on one of the selected issues. 

From the drop down - choose Parent and set the Parent.

OR

From Step 3 of Bulk Change, select 'Change Parent'.

If these don't appear - check that you definitely have no sub-tasks.. 

[Usama]

It seems "Epic link" is referred to as "Parent Link" within the Bulk interface...

This worked for me too👍