I’m working with JIRA in Agile mode and can only create User Stories as the main issue type. I have subtasks enabled so I can add Tasks under each User Story as children.
I want to track bugs using User Stories that have a FeedBack story type. The goal is to automatically update the parent User Story status based on what’s happening with its subtasks:
- When any subtask is In Progress, the parent User Story should become Started
- When all subtasks are Completed, the parent User Story should also be Completed
I tried using JQL filters like project = MYPROJ AND issuetype = "User Story" AND "Story Type" = FeedBack but I can’t figure out how to check subtask statuses in the query.
I found a plugin that has a hasSubtaskStatus() function but it’s not free. Is there any built-in way to achieve this workflow or any free alternatives you know about?
Any suggestions would be really helpful!
Had this exact issue a few months ago with our team’s parent-child sync. JIRA’s built-in automation handles this - no plugins needed. Go to Project Settings > Automation and create a rule triggered by “Issue transitioned.” Set it to fire when subtasks hit In Progress or Completed. Add conditions to check if the parent’s a User Story with FeedBack story type. For actions, transition the parent based on subtask status changes. The “all subtasks completed” logic’s the tricky part - use smart values like {{issue.subtasks.size}} and compare against completed subtask count. Took some tweaking to nail the conditions, but now it runs automatically. Way better than buying another plugin when native automation does the job.
You don’t need plugins for this - JIRA’s workflow post functions and conditions handle it perfectly. I’ve set up parent-child status sync this way before by tweaking the workflow transitions directly. Add post functions to your subtask workflows that trigger parent transitions (use “Update Issue Custom Field” or “Update Issue” post functions). Then set up conditions on your User Story transitions using “Sub-Task Blocking Condition” and “All Sub-Tasks Condition” validators. Configure “Started” to trigger when any subtask hits In Progress, and “Completed” when all subtasks reach Done. It’s native JIRA, so no licensing headaches. Takes more upfront setup than automation rules, but it’s bulletproof once you’ve got it dialed in.
if u have scriptrunner, it’s a great tool! set up a groovy script listener that monitors your subtasks. it’ll auto-update the parent stories when their subtasks change status. I did this for feedback stories before and it works like a charm without touching any workflows!