Skip to main content
The Jira Edit issue action updates an existing Jira issue so agents can modify multiple fields in a single step instead of making several separate calls or manual edits. Use this write action when you need to update status, description, assignee, priority, or other fields on a specific ticket identified by its ID or key. The action runs using the connected user’s Jira account and permissions, so it can only edit issues and fields that the user is allowed to modify directly in Jira.

​
Limitations

  • Jira actions are designed for Jira Cloud and do not support Jira Server or Jira Data Center deployments.
  • If administrators update the Jira actions pack configuration such as allowed tools or OAuth settings, existing connected accounts can be invalidated, and users might be asked to reauthenticate before the action works again.

​
Prerequisites

  • An admin must complete Jira setup and enable the Jira actions pack so that Jira actions are available in Agent Builder.
  • Each user is prompted to connect their Jira account in Glean before running agents that use Jira Edit issue.
  • If your Jira organization uses centralized OAuth approval, a Jira administrator must authorize the Jira OAuth app for the site before users can run Jira actions.

​
Supported parameters

The underlying action defines the following parameters for Jira Edit issue.
NameTypeDescription
Issue ID or keyStringIdentifier of the Jira issue to edit, such as an issue key like ENG-1234.
AssigneeStringNew assignee for the issue. The exact format (for example, account ID vs. display name) is defined by the toolkit schema and Jira configuration.
DescriptionStringNew description for the issue. For some projects, this may be a rich text field that expects structured content.
Due dateStringOptional due date for the issue, if your Jira project uses due dates.
FieldsStringGeneric field map for advanced updates. Use this to set or update fields by their Jira field keys (including custom fields) when direct parameters are not enough.
LabelsArrayLabels to set on the issue. Behavior (replace vs. merge) depends on the toolkit’s mapping to Jira.
Notify usersBooleanFlag that controls whether Jira notifies watchers and stakeholders about the edit.
Override editable flagBooleanAdvanced flag that can bypass some “editable” constraints in Jira when allowed. Use only in trusted admin workflows.
Override screen securityBooleanAdvanced flag that can bypass some screen or field-visibility rules when permitted. Use with caution.
Priority ID or nameStringNew priority for the issue, provided by either priority ID or human-readable name, depending on configuration.
Return issueBooleanControls whether the updated issue payload is returned in the response.
Sprint ID or nameStringSprint to associate the issue with, where applicable.
SummaryStringNew summary for the issue. Many Jira projects require a non-empty summary.
UpdateStringLow-level field operations object for advanced scenarios where you need fine-grained control beyond simple field replacement.

​
Usage example

You want to update a feature request ticket with new information from customer feedback, including changing the priority and updating the description. Instruction to an agent: “Update Jira issue ENG-1234 with the following changes: change the summary to Improve batch API performance for large datasets, update the description to include the latest customer feedback about timeout issues with requests over 10,000 records, set the priority to High, and assign it to ABC from the API team.” Resulting behavior:
  • Identifies the Jira issue ENG-1234.
  • Calls the Edit issue action with:
    • Issue ID or key set to ENG-1234.
    • Summary set to “Improve batch API performance for large datasets”.
    • Description updated with the new customer feedback about timeout issues.
    • Priority ID or name set to High.
    • Assignee set to ABC’s account ID.
  • Updates all specified fields in a single API call to Jira.
  • Other fields like labels, sprint, and watchers remain unchanged.
Workflow tip: Use Edit issue when you need to update multiple fields at once. For single-field updates like only changing the assignee, consider using Assign issue instead. You can also combine Edit issue with Get issue to first retrieve current values, then update specific fields based on conditions.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Possible cause: The underlying Jira API may be returning a 400 Bad request error, for example, due to empty required fields or invalid field structures, which can surface as timeouts or generic failures in some environments.
  • Fix: Start with simple edits like summary and description only to confirm the action works. Then add additional fields gradually. Avoid sending empty strings for required fields like summary, and remove fields from the payload rather than sending empty values.
  • Possible cause: Jira rejected the payload, often because one or more fields are not formatted the way that Jira expects especially complex custom fields or status-like fields sent via the generic fields map.
  • Fix: Narrow the payload to a small set of simple fields like summary, description, priority and confirm they work. For custom fields, compare against how Jira stores that field, for example, export a sample issue via Jira’s UI or API) and align the structure of the fields payload accordingly.
  • Possible cause: Updates to the Jira actions pack configuration such as changes to allowed tools or OAuth credentials invalidate existing connected accounts, which can require users to reauthenticate even if they did not change the Jira Edit issue step itself.
  • Fix: Reauthenticate the Jira actions pack when prompted. If prompts continue to appear after every agent change, ask your Glean admin to confirm whether there are ongoing changes to the Jira actions configuration.
  • Possible cause: The Jira OAuth application has not been authorized at the site level in your Jira organization.
  • Fix: Ask your Jira administrator to complete the required OAuth app authorization for your Jira site, then retry the action.
  • Possible cause: The tools backend or Glean action runtime cannot reach the Jira action server, or there is no valid connected Jira account for the current user.
  • Fix: Confirm that Jira actions are enabled and healthy in the Admin Console, that the appropriate Jira action pack is deployed, and that you have an active Jira OAuth connection. If errors persist, your admin may need to review backend logs for the Jira actions runtime.

​
FAQs

  • Use Jira Get issue when you only need to retrieve an issue’s current state.
  • Use Jira Assign issue when you only need to change who owns an issue.
  • Use Jira Edit issue when you want to update several fields together in a single call (for example, summary, description, assignee, and priority).
Yes, as long as the payload matches the structure that Jira expects for that field.