JSU Rule Builder - Validators

JSU Rule Builder - Validators is a new way to configure validators for workflow transitions. You can build, preview, and edit one or more validators from one place without navigating back to the workflow editor in Jira. The rule builder includes 11 JSU validators to help you deliver better control and compliance to your project workflows. See Workflow validators for the complete list.

On this page: 1.1 Feature overview video 2 When to use validators 3 How to open the rule builder 4 How to add a validator with the rule builder 4.1 Validator expressions 4.2 Expensive operations 5 How to add complex rules 5.1 Add multiple validators 5.2 Add duplicate validators 5.3 THEN IF and ELSE blocks

On this page: 1.1 Feature overview video 2 When to use validators 3 How to open the rule builder 4 How to add a validator with the rule builder 4.1 Validator expressions 4.2 Expensive operations 5 How to add complex rules 5.1 Add multiple validators 5.2 Add duplicate validators 5.3 THEN IF and ELSE blocks

Feature overview video

Watch the video below for a quick introduction to our validation rule builder.

When to use validators

You can use validators in your workflows to determine if a workflow transition can be completed by checking field values, selections, and statuses. For example, they could require that an input follows a specific format, that an attachment is added, or that the Resolution field is not empty. If a validation check fails, JSU blocks the transition.

How to open the rule builder

Jira offers two versions of the workflow editor for company-managed projects in Jira Cloud: the old editor and the new workflow editor experience. Currently, you can choose between editors according to your preference. Follow the steps below for your version of the workflow editor in Jira.

Old workflow editor in Jira	New workflow editor in Jira

Old workflow editor in Jira

New workflow editor in Jira

Step-by-step:

Open a draft workflow.
Select the transition where you want to apply the check.
Select Validators.
Click Add validator.
Select JSU Rule Builder - Validators from the list of available validators.
Click Add at the bottom of the page. The JSU Rule Builder opens.

Step-by-step:

Select the transition where you want to apply the check.
Click Add Rule.
Select JSU Rule Builder - Validators from the list of available validators.
Click Select. The JSU Rule Builder opens.

How to add a validator with the rule builder

The rule builder is the same whether you use the old workflow editor or the new workflow experience in Jira Cloud.

In the General section of the rule, provide a name for the validation rule.
Add an optional description or summary for the rule. This is helpful if you configure multiple rules for your workflows.
Add an optional error message to show the user if the transition is blocked, for example, The Assignee field can’t be empty. If you don’t add a custom error message, JSU displays a default error message instead. See How to add dynamic custom error messages to learn more.
In the left panel, click Add validator.
In the right panel, select the validator you want to apply to the transition, for example, Fields required.
Select the required parameters for the validator. In the example below, the Fields required validator is set so the Assignee field can’t be empty.
To add an optional note to help with workflow rule management, click the Add note icon next to the branch header on the left side of the rule builder.
Click Add at the bottom of the page to save the rule. With this validator, the user must assign the work item to complete the transition.

Validator expressions

By default, validators and conditions are set to IS. For a single validator, you can change the expression to IS NOT so that the validator result must be false to pass. For additional validators, you can set their relation to the first using AND, AND NOT, OR, and OR NOT.

Expensive operations

Atlassian considers some validators expensive when they require large amounts of data to be checked. For example, User in group might involve checking against thousands of users and multiple groups. The additional resource needed for these checks can slow down the system. Atlassian limits expensive operations to 10 per rule. Expensive operations are indicated in the app with a brain icon.

User in group validator with the Expensive operation icon shown.

Refer to Atlassian’s developer documentation to learn more about how they identify expensive operations.

How to add complex rules

You can use the rule builder to build complex rules to meet a variety of use cases in a single rule.

Add multiple validators

You can add multiple validators under a single IF block using different expressions. For example, you can create a validator that checks if a user is in a selected group and then another to check that the parent work item is a particular status using the AND expression.
JSU checks both validators before moving to the next check. In the example below, the user must be in the Approvers group, and the Parent work item (issue) must be in the approved status for the check to pass.

Add duplicate validators

If you want to add multiple validators of the same type, you can duplicate a validator and then update the configuration. The duplicate is added under the original validator. To create a duplicate, click the Duplicate icon in the validator configuration panel.

Screenshot of the highlighted duplicate icon in validators rule builder.

THEN IF and ELSE blocks

If the check doesn’t pass, JSU blocks the transition and displays an error message to the user. You can add additional or alternative checks using a nested THEN IF block or an ELSE branch.

THEN IF blocks: Validators added to a THEN IF block are checked only when the previous check passes. To add a THEN IF block, click the plus icon (+) next to the IF header, then select Add nested IF block.
ELSE branches: Else branches are checked when the previous check fails. To add an ELSE branch, click the plus icon (+) next to the ELSE header, then select Add nested IF block.