Customizing Fields in Jira

Introduction

Customizing fields in Jira allows you to tailor the issue tracking system to better match your workflow and the specific needs of your team. By adding custom fields, you can collect and display additional information that is not captured by the default fields in Jira.

Creating Custom Fields

To create a custom field in Jira, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Jira administration area by clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner and selecting Issues.
2. Under the Fields section, click on Custom fields.
3. Click on the Add custom field button.
4. Choose the type of field you want to create (e.g., Text Field, Select List) and click Next.
5. Enter the details for your custom field, such as the name and description, and then click Create.
6. Associate the new custom field with the relevant screens by selecting the appropriate checkboxes and clicking Update.

Configuring Custom Fields

Once your custom field is created, you can configure it further to suit your needs. This includes setting default values, configuring context and default, and managing options for fields like select lists.

Setting Default Values

To set a default value for a custom field:

1. Go to Issues in the Jira administration area.
2. Click on Custom fields.
3. Find your custom field in the list and click on the cog icon next to it, then select Configure.
4. Click on Edit Default Value and enter the value you want to set as the default.
5. Click Set Default to save your changes.

Managing Field Configurations

Field configurations allow you to specify how fields should behave, such as making fields required, setting field descriptions, and specifying field renderers.

Creating a Field Configuration

To create a new field configuration:

1. Go to Issues in the Jira administration area.
2. Click on Field configurations.
3. Click on the Add Field Configuration button.
4. Enter a name and description for your field configuration and click Add.

Associating Field Configurations with Field Configuration Schemes

After creating field configurations, you need to associate them with field configuration schemes in order to apply them to specific projects.

Creating a Field Configuration Scheme

To create a field configuration scheme:

1. Go to Issues in the Jira administration area.
2. Click on Field configuration schemes.
3. Click on the Add Field Configuration Scheme button.
4. Enter a name and description for your scheme and click Add.
5. Associate your field configurations with the scheme by clicking Associate and selecting the appropriate field configuration.

Applying Field Configuration Schemes to Projects

Finally, you need to apply the field configuration scheme to the relevant projects in order for the custom field settings to take effect.

1. Navigate to the project settings for the project you want to configure.
2. Click on Fields in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on Actions and select Use a different scheme.
4. Choose the field configuration scheme you created and click Associate.

Conclusion

Customizing fields in Jira is a powerful way to adapt the system to your team's specific needs. By creating custom fields, configuring them, and associating them with field configuration schemes, you can ensure that all necessary information is captured and displayed in a way that supports your workflow.