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Error During Workflow Import Using Project Configurator

Error During Workflow Import Using Project Configurator

When attempting to import a project configuration using the Project Configurator for Jira (version 4.0.2) on Jira Software 9.12.10 (Data Center edition), users may encounter the following JSON parsing error:

com.atlassian.jira.util.json.JSONException: A JSONArray text must start with '[' at character 0 of

This error typically occurs during workflow imports and is caused by improperly formatted XML, specifically in fields that expect a JSON array structure.

Root Cause

The XML export of the workflow contains empty fields where a JSON array is expected. One known reason is the <arg name="FIELD_LINKED_ISSUE_RESOLUTION"></arg> tag, which must explicitly contain an empty array ([]) instead of being left blank.

Step-by-step Fix

  1. Open the XML Export File

    • Locate the export file, such as ZITEST_Configuration_export.xml.

  2. Search for Problematic Tag

    • Search for any instance of the following in the XML:

<arg name="FIELD_LINKED_ISSUE_RESOLUTION"></arg>

  1. Replace With Correct Format

    • Update it to include an empty JSON array:

<arg name="FIELD_LINKED_ISSUE_RESOLUTION">[]</arg>

  1. Backup the File

    • Always make a backup of your XML file before making changes.

  2. Retry the Import

    • After the correction, re-export and import using Project Configurator.

Example

Before:

<arg name="FIELD_LINKED_ISSUE_RESOLUTION"></arg>

After:

<arg name="FIELD_LINKED_ISSUE_RESOLUTION">[]</arg>

Make sure you take the XML backup before making any changes