Jira notifications: map events to recipients in notification schemes, set up team-managed space emails, adjust personal settings, and configure mail handlers.
Every point below comes from Atlassian's official documentation; each section lists its sources.
Think first When a work item changes in a company-managed space, how does Jira decide who gets an email?
Why it matters: Questions describe a change to a work item and ask which event fires, who is notified, or why someone got no email.
A notification scheme maps each event to the recipients who should get an email. The scheme is assigned to a space. Even then, a person only gets the email if they can see the work item.
Step 2 of 10
Term
Meaning
Notification scheme
Maps events to email recipients and is assigned to one or more spaces.
Event
A named change to a work item, such as resolved, closed or updated, that can trigger email.
Post function
A step on a workflow transition that can be set to fire an event, such as a custom event.
Custom event
An event you add yourself and fire from a workflow transition's post function.
Space role
A recipient type covering the members of one role in the space; preferred over groups.
Step 3 of 10
A notification scheme maps events to email recipients. You assign the scheme to a space, and several spaces can share one scheme. Jira ships with the Default Notification Scheme, and every new space uses it by default.
Exam trap A space admin without the Administer Jira global permission can view the space's notification scheme but cannot select or edit it.
Step 4 of 10
Change the scheme from the space's Notifications settings. Open Space settings, then Notifications. Choose Actions, then Use a different scheme, pick the scheme and select Associate. To stop all email, choose None in the Schemes dropdown, or edit the scheme so it sends nothing.
Exam trap Editing a shared scheme so it sends nothing silences every space that uses that scheme, not only the one you meant.
Step 5 of 10
Each event can notify people, roles, groups and watchers. Recipient types include Current assignee, Reporter, Current user, Space owner and Component lead. You can also choose a Single user, a Group, a Space role or All watchers. Prefer space roles over groups, because roles help keep the number of schemes down.
Step 6 of 10
Resolved and closed are two separate events. A work item can be closed without being resolved, so the two fire separately. Deleting a comment has no event of its own; Jira sends that email as a Work item updated event.
Three events that are easy to mix up
Event
Fires when
Watch out for
Work item resolved
A work item is resolved, usually after it is fixed
Not the same event as closed
Work item closed
A work item is closed
Can fire without the item being resolved
Work item updated
Jira sends a deleted comment's email as this event
There is no separate comment-deleted event
Exam trap Looking for a comment-deleted event in the scheme. There is none; Jira sends that email as a Work item updated event.
Step 7 of 10
A custom event lets one transition send its own email. Setting one up takes 3 steps: add the event, set the scheme to email on it, and make the transition's post function fire it. Add it under Settings, System, Events, with the Generic event template.
Exam trap A new custom event marked inactive is not broken. It stays inactive until a notification scheme or a post function uses it.
Step 8 of 10
Only people who can see the work item get the email. Each recipient needs the Browse Spaces permission and membership in any security level on the item. Someone on 2 or more recipient lists gets only the first email Jira encounters. By default, users are not told about their own changes.
Exam trap A user who is both the reporter and in a notified role does not get two emails. Jira sends only the first one it encounters.
Step 9 of 10
Each user can turn off some emails in personal settings. By default, users get email for activity on items they watch, report or are assigned, and when someone mentions them. They can uncheck the cases they do not want. They can also choose to be told about their own changes in their profile.
Step 10 of 10
A notification scheme maps events to recipients, and one scheme can serve several spaces.
New spaces use the Default Notification Scheme until an admin associates a different one.
Use space roles rather than groups as recipients to keep the number of schemes low.
A custom event needs 3 steps: add it, map it in the scheme, and fire it from a post function.
No one gets an email about a work item they are not allowed to see.
Think first How would you set up a team-managed space so the right people hear about each work item event?
Why it matters: Questions describe a team-managed space and ask how to add, change or remove a notification, or who will receive it.
Each team-managed space keeps its own list of notifications, managed by its admins. Every entry pairs a work item event with the people or roles to email. You add, edit or delete entries to change who hears what.
Step 2 of 9
Term
Meaning
Space admin
A person who configures and customizes the email notifications of one team-managed space.
Space role
A role unique to one team-managed space. You assign people and groups to it to control their access.
Work item event
An action, such as creating, assigning or commenting on a work item, that can trigger an email.
Space lead
The person who leads the space. It is one of the recipients a notification can target.
Step 3 of 9
Each team-managed space has its own notifications. Space admins configure and customize email for one space at a time. You need the Administer spaces permission. You can also set the email address that notifications are sent from.
Exam trap Changing notifications in one team-managed space does not change any other team-managed space. Each space is configured on its own.
Step 4 of 9
By default, watchers, assignees and reporters get emails. A team-managed space already emails these three groups about work item events. You change the list only when your team needs something different.
Exam trap The space lead is not a default recipient. Out of the box, only watchers, assignees and reporters are notified.
Step 5 of 9
Work item, comment and worklog actions can trigger email. You can tell people when someone creates, assigns, updates, comments on, moves or deletes a work item. Editing or deleting a comment counts too, as does logging, updating or deleting work.
Step 6 of 9
Pick from six recipient types, including a space role. Recipients can be all watchers, the reporter, the space lead, the current assignee, the current user or a space role. Choosing a role reaches the people and groups assigned to it.
Exam trap The current assignee and the current user are separate options. Picking one does not include the other.
Step 7 of 9
All three changes start in Space settings > Notifications. Open it from More actions (•••) next to the space name in the sidebar. Then use Add notification, or the menu in the Actions column to edit or delete.
The three ways to change team-managed notifications
Feature
Add
Edit
Delete
Where you start
The Add notification button
Actions column, then More actions (•••)
Actions column, then More actions (•••)
What you choose
The event, then the users and roles
The users or roles
No recipients; just the Delete option
Final button
Add
Save
Delete
Use it to
Tell people about a key event
Change who gets an existing email
Stop emails that would spam users
Exam trap To stop all emails for an event, delete its notification. Editing only changes who receives it.
Step 8 of 9
Notifications tied to a deleted role stop working. They are not cleaned up for you, so remove them manually. The people and agents who had the role stay in the space.
Exam trap Deleting a role does not delete its notifications. They stay behind, broken, until you remove them yourself.
Step 9 of 9
Space admins with the Administer spaces permission set notifications for each team-managed space on its own.
By default, a work item's watchers, assignees and reporters receive its event emails.
A notification can target a space role, reaching the people and groups assigned to it.
Deleting a role breaks its notifications; you must remove them by hand.
Think first If a user turns a notification on in their settings, why might they still never receive it?
Why it matters: Questions describe a user's notification complaint and ask whether personal settings or the admin's setup explains it.
The Jira admin decides which notifications exist. Each user's personal settings then filter what reaches them. A personal setting can narrow what you get, but it cannot bring back a notification the admin turned off.
Step 2 of 10
Term
Meaning
Personal settings
Per-user choices such as language, timezone, watch settings and email type.
Default user preferences
Admin-set defaults applied to new accounts, which each user can change later.
Watcher
A user who follows a work item and gets email when it is updated or commented on.
Step 3 of 10
Open Settings at the top right, then Notification settings. It sits under Personal Jira settings. You need to be logged in to change it. Visitors who are not logged in get the site's default preferences.
Step 4 of 10
Watchers, reporters, assignees and mentioned users get activity emails. Users can switch off the Send me emails for work item activity toggle. They can also tick only the cases they want, including changes they make themselves.
Step 5 of 10
Several personal settings change which emails you get and how they look. Admins set the defaults; each user can then change them.
Common personal notification settings
Setting
What it controls
Watch out
Email format
Text or HTML for outgoing emails
An admin can force one with Apply, and users then cannot edit it
Notify users of their own changes
Email about your own updates too, or about others only
Jira's default is not to notify you of your own changes
Watch your work items
Auto-watching items you create or comment on
You then get email when they are updated or commented on
Customize space notifications
Specific notifications for chosen spaces
Works for up to 50 spaces
Step 6 of 10
Personal settings act as a filter over the admin's configuration. If the admin turned a notification off, you may not get it, even when your settings ask for it. Clearing every checkbox may still leave admin-configured emails coming.
Exam trap Turning a notification on in personal settings does not override the admin. A notification the admin switched off may still never arrive.
Step 7 of 10
To get email only for mentions, keep only Someone mentions you ticked. Untick every other work item activity checkbox. Settings can mix freely, such as email for mentions but none as the reporter.
Step 8 of 10
Personal Slack notifications are on once you connect your account. With /jira notify you choose Essentials, which is recommended, or All. Then switch off activity emails to avoid duplicate messages.
Exam trap Connecting Slack does not stop Jira emails. Turn off the Send me emails for work item activity toggle yourself to avoid duplicates.
Step 9 of 10
Jira emails only people who can view the work item. They need Browse Spaces and membership of any security level on it. Jira also sends email notifications only when SMTP email is enabled.
Step 10 of 10
Personal notification settings filter the admin's configuration; they cannot add back a notification the admin turned off.
By default, watchers, reporters, assignees and mentioned users get work item activity emails.
Jira does not email you about your own changes by default.
An admin can force an email format with Apply, locking that setting for users.
Think first How would you set up a mail handler so incoming email becomes the right work item, assigned to the right person?
Why it matters: Questions describe incoming email and ask which handler option, default or setting explains what Jira created or assigned.
A mail handler scans a mail server on a schedule and turns each message into a work item or a comment. Its options decide the reporter and the assignee. When assignment goes wrong, check the CC Assignee order and the space's assignee setting.
Step 2 of 11
Term
Meaning
Mail handler
A scheduled job that scans a mail server and turns emails into new work items or comments.
Default Reporter
The user Jira names as reporter when the sender's address matches no existing user.
CC Assignee
An option that assigns the work item to the first CCed user, then tries the To and BCC fields.
Bulk email
Automated mail whose Precedence header is bulk, or whose Auto-Submitted header is not set to no.
Step 3 of 11
Pick a mail server, a scan delay and a handler type. For IMAP you can also name a folder other than the inbox. The default handler uses createusers=false, stripquotes=true and bulk=ignore.
Step 4 of 11
One handler type adds a comment when the subject has a work item key. That handler is called Create a new work item or add a comment. With no key in the subject, it creates a new work item in the default space. The subject becomes that work item's summary.
Exam trap An email with an empty subject is not turned into a work item at all. Jira needs the subject to fill the summary.
Step 5 of 11
Jira skips emails sent more than 7 days ago. Size matters too. Message data and attachments together can reach 25 MB at most.
Step 6 of 11
Leave the port blank to use the protocol's default. The timeout defaults to 10000 ms. A timeout of 0 or less makes Jira wait for the server forever.
Default incoming mail server ports
Setting
POP
IMAP
Default port
110
143
Secure default port
995 (SECURE_POP)
993 (SECURE_IMAP)
Step 7 of 11
The Default Reporter covers senders who match no Jira user. It needs permission to create work items in the handler's space. To accept mail from people without accounts, make a dummy Jira user and set it as Default Reporter.
Exam trap A mail handler cannot spread mail across several work types: each handler takes only one work type. For unknown senders, use the Default Reporter option.
Step 8 of 11
The Bulk option decides what happens to automated mail. It can ignore, forward, delete or accept the email. Forwarding is the advised choice, because it helps prevent mail loops with other automated services.
Exam trap Setting the mail loop detection threshold to 0 does not tighten it. It turns detection off completely, which is not recommended.
Step 9 of 11
CC Assignee tries the first CCed user, then To, then BCC. Each field is checked for an address that belongs to a valid user. If no field has one, the handler sets no assignee.
Exam trap CC Assignee does not give up after the CC field. With no valid CCed user, it checks To and then BCC.
Step 10 of 11
With Allow unassigned work items off, every work item needs an assignee. In that case the assignee defaults to the space owner. With the setting on, the space's default assignee is Unassigned.
Step 11 of 11
The Create a new work item or add a comment handler comments on a keyed subject; with no key, it creates a work item.
Jira processes an email only if it has a subject and was sent within the last 7 days.
The Default Reporter handles unknown senders and needs permission to create work items in the space.
CC Assignee checks CC, then To, then BCC; if none matches a user, no assignee is set.
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