Learn Jira Workflows and Automation: statuses, transitions, conditions, validators, post functions, Resolution setup, team-managed rules and smart values.

Every point below comes from Atlassian's official documentation; each section lists its sources.

What this domain covers

1. Topic 1 of 3 · 10 steps + check · 6 minConfigure company-managed workflowsStatuses and transitions · Five parts of a transition · Post function order · Statuses and boards · and 3 more
2. Topic 2 of 3 · 10 steps + check · 6 minConfigure team-managed workflowsWorkflows belong to work types · Adding statuses · Changing and deleting statuses · The Any status transition · and 3 more
3. Topic 3 of 3 · 10 steps + check · 7 minConfigure automation rulesThe parts of a flow · Conditions and If/else · Branching on related work items · Reaching linked and related items · and 3 more

Think first Which part of a transition would you use to block, check or automate a move between statuses?

Why it matters: Questions describe a workflow requirement and ask which transition part, board mapping or Resolution setup meets it.

A workflow is statuses joined by one-way transitions. Each transition can be shaped by triggers, conditions, validators, post functions and properties. Setting Resolution on the way to Done is what tells reports the work is complete.

Term	Meaning
Transition	A one-way link that moves a work item from one status to another.
Global transition	A transition that lets any status in the workflow move to one particular status.
Post function	Extra processing that runs after a transition is performed.
Resolution	The field reports use to mark work complete; filling it sets the resolved date.

Transitions are one-way, so a round trip needs two. Statuses fall into the To do, In Progress and Done categories. Only Jira admins can edit a company-managed space's workflows.

Exam trap One transition between two statuses does not let work go back. Moving back and forth needs a second transition.

Admins control triggers, conditions, validators, post functions and properties. Conditions and validators fail differently. A failed condition hides the transition button, while a failed validator keeps the work item in its current status.

What each part of a transition does

Part	What it does	Watch out
Triggers	Transition work items on events in a connected development tool	Need an integration such as Bitbucket, GitHub, Bamboo or Crucible
Conditions	Check that this user should perform the transition	If one fails, the user does not see the transition button
Validators	Check that input, such as screen input, is valid first	If one fails, the work item stays put and post functions do not run
Post functions	Carry out extra processing after the transition	Essential ones cannot be deleted or reordered
Properties	Key-value pairs that further customize the transition	To change one, delete it and add an updated property

Notifications fire only at the end of the post functions. Jira calls notification listeners after the whole sequence finishes. You can insert your own post functions between the essential ones.

Board configuration maps workflow statuses to columns. When a board is grouped by status, the column a work item sits in shows its status. Board settings also cover columns, swimlanes and quick filters.

Reports treat a work item as complete once Resolution is set. Jira sets the resolved date when Resolution changes from Unresolved to a value. Resolved work items also show their key in strikethrough.

Exam trap A Done status alone does not mark work complete for reports. Set Resolution on every transition into Done or another end state, such as Won't do.

Set it automatically, or prompt people when work moves to Done. To prompt, show a screen containing Resolution, such as the Resolve work item screen. To set it automatically, add an Update Work Item Field post function that picks a resolution.

Exam trap Adding the post function alone is not the whole setup. The transition must also use no screen, or a screen without the Resolution field.

A transition property can hide chosen resolutions. Use the key jira.field.resolution.exclude with resolution IDs separated by commas and no spaces. To set Resolution at creation, place Update Work Item Field after Create the work item, then add Store Work Item.

• Transitions are one-way; a back-and-forth move needs two transitions.
• A failed condition hides the transition button; a failed validator stops the move and skips post functions.
• Set Resolution on every move into Done or another end state, because reports rely on it.
• Notifications from a transition fire only after all its post functions finish.

Sources: Workflows and statuses for boards in business spaces | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Configure advanced work item workflows | Atlassian Support · Configure resolutions in a Jira workflow | Atlassian Support · Use workflow triggers for company-managed spaces | Atlassian Support · Configure a company-managed board | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · What are work item statuses, priorities, and resolutions? | Atlassian Support

Think first How do work types, statuses, board columns and rules fit together when you change a team-managed workflow?

Why it matters: Questions describe a team-managed workflow change and ask what Jira does, what limit applies or which rule to use.

In a team-managed space, each workflow belongs to one or more work types. Statuses live in the workflow editor, and the board shows them only through columns. Rules add control to transitions from the workflow toolbar.

Term	Meaning
Workflow editor	Where you create and manage statuses, and add rules to a workflow's transitions.
Status category	One of To do, In progress or Done; every status belongs to one.
Any status transition	The global transition a new status gets, letting work in any status move into it.
Workflow rule	A rule on a transition that restricts it, checks details first or acts afterward.

Open a work type to edit the workflow it uses. Go to Space settings, then Work types, pick the work type and choose Edit workflow. One workflow can serve a single work type or several. Every team-managed space starts with the Jira default workflow, and space admins can create, edit or delete workflows.

Pick a status category in the toolbar, then add the status. A space can hold up to 100 statuses across all workflows and 50 in any one workflow. A space policy may block new statuses, leaving only statuses shared across the site. Keep the workflow lean: each status adds complexity.

Exam trap A new status is not on the board yet. It has no column by default, so its work items stay hidden from the board and backlog.

Renaming a shared status changes it in every workflow that uses it. Deleting a status works differently: it only leaves the workflow you are editing. Its transitions and their rules go with it. Jira also asks you to move work items out of it into a valid status.

Exam trap Deleting a status does not keep its transition rules. They are deleted together with the transitions attached to that status.

New statuses accept work from any other status by default. The Any status label marks this global transition. Keeping it lets people move work freely. Teams with strict compliance rules might remove it.

Add rules from Rules in the workflow toolbar, per transition. Rules can restrict a transition, validate details first or perform actions afterward. Each transition allows up to 10 restrict groups of 50 rules, 50 validate rules and 50 action rules.

What common team-managed workflow rules do

Rule	What it does	Detail to remember
Restrict who can move a work item	Limits who can use the transition	Assignee, reporter, a user, a role, a group or a permission
Update a work item field	Changes a field during the transition	Text is added to existing text, not replaced
Restrict to when it has been through a status	Allows the move only after a given status	Can ignore status updates from looped transitions

In a new space, creating a column also creates a status. That link breaks when a column holds several statuses or the names differ. The column then shows each status as a drop zone. In Columns and statuses settings, a new column creates no status, and you can delete only columns.

Exam trap To manage columns and statuses from the board again, go back to one status per column with matching names.

Board rules act when work items move between columns. Currently 2 exist: change a work item's assignee and update a work item field. Add one from the board's more icon, then Manage rules, then Add rule.

• Limits: 100 statuses per space and 50 per workflow.
• A status with no column hides its work items from the board and backlog.
• Deleting a status removes its transitions and their rules, only in the workflow you edit.
• Update a work item field appends to existing text instead of replacing it.

Sources: Set up a workflow in a team-managed software space | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Create and edit multiple workflows in team-managed projects | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Assign statuses and edit columns in a team-managed space | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Add or remove workflow rules in team-managed spaces | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Create, edit and delete statuses in team-managed spaces | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · What are Jira workflows? | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Available workflow rules in team-managed spaces | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support · Manage columns and statuses in team-managed software spaces | Jira Cloud | Atlassian Support

Think first When an automation flow must act on linked or related work items, how do scope, branches and permissions decide whether it works?

Why it matters: Questions describe a flow that misbehaves and ask which part, scope, smart value or permission fixes it.

Every flow is a chain: a trigger starts it, conditions act as checkpoints, and actions make the changes. Branches open separate paths, such as one for each related work item. Scope decides which spaces the flow runs in, and permissions decide who may build it.

Term	Meaning
Trigger	The event that starts a flow, such as a comment being added.
Condition	A checkpoint that tests criteria; if the test fails, the flow stops.
Branch	A separate execution path, often run once for each related work item.
Smart value	A placeholder in double curly braces, such as {{issue.summary}}, filled in when the flow runs.
Flow actor	The account whose permissions the flow uses when it runs.

A flow is built from triggers, conditions, actions and branches. Each part has one job. Learn which part to change when a flow runs too often, does the wrong thing or touches the wrong work item.

What each part of an automation flow does

Part	Job	Example
Trigger	Starts the flow when an event happens	A comment is added
Condition	Tests criteria and stops the flow if the test fails	Priority is High
Action	Makes a change or performs a task	Edit a work item or send a notification
Branch	Runs a separate path, such as on each subtask	Act on subtasks when a work item is Done

A failed condition stops every action after it, except in an If/else block. Conditions can sit anywhere in the chain, or on the trigger to filter the whole flow. Combine them with logical operators such as AND, OR and XOR. In an If/else block, the if part runs only when all its conditions pass; otherwise the else blocks are checked. You can nest If/else 2 levels deep.

Exam trap If/else blocks do not work inside branches. Branches cannot be nested either.

Inside a branch, {{issue}} means the related work item, not the trigger. Use {{triggerIssue}} to reach the trigger work item from inside a branch. Branches on many work items run in parallel with no set order. The main branch keeps going before the sub-branch starts, and a variable made in a branch stays in that branch.

Exam trap A Comment on work item action placed after Create work item comments on the trigger work item. To act on the new item, add a branch for All created work items.

Linked work has its own trigger, condition and smart values. The Work item linked trigger fires for any link type you pick and offers {{destinationIssue}} and {{linkType}}. The Related work items condition checks subtasks, parent, Epic, created or linked items. {{issue.parent}} works only when the active work item is a subtask.

Exam trap A single-project flow cannot act on a work item in another project. The flow must be multi-project or global and run in that item's project.

Smart values use dot notation inside double curly braces. Multiword properties use camelCase. Functions always end in parentheses, as in {{now.plusDays(5)}}. A missing value prints empty unless you add a default after a pipe. Start a list with # to loop over it, and close it with {{/}}. The Create variable action makes your own smart values.

Exam trap {{comment}} works only with the Issue commented trigger. It stays empty with Issue transitioned, even when a comment was added.

Scope decides which spaces a flow runs in. A Space type scope covers all spaces of one chosen type: software, service or business. Global scope covers every Jira space in the instance. Users with the Administer Jira global permission can create flows of any scope, including Global.

Exam trap Some steps exist only at one level. Form steps work only in project automation, and the Assets Object trigger works only in global flows.

Who can build a flow depends on the space type. Company-managed spaces need Administer spaces and Browse spaces. Team-managed spaces need Administrator access. Holders of Administer Jira can also view Jira-wide automation data, such as executions used. In Global automation's Global configuration, admins can stop space admins from managing space flows.

Exam trap Validate query checks JQL with your own permissions, but the running flow uses the flow actor's permissions. The two can find different work items.

• A failed condition stops the flow, unless it is an If/else block.
• In a branch, {{issue}} is the related work item; use {{triggerIssue}} for the trigger.
• Acting on work in another project needs a multi-project or global flow.
• Validate query uses your permissions; the running flow uses the flow actor's.

Sources: Use automation steps in a flow | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · Add conditions to an automation flow | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · Branch automation flows to perform actions on related work items | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · What are flow details and settings? | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · Permissions required to manage automation flows | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · What are smart values? | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · Jira automation conditions | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support · What is flow branching? | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support