Templates for the description, summary, labels, priority, components and sub-tasks of an issue. They apply when an issue is created, by any route, or from the issue view. The app runs entirely on Atlassian.
Why "native"?
It works beyond the Create button. A template is applied just after Jira creates the issue, so it doesn't matter how the issue was created.
It never overwrites what people typed. Only empty fields are filled, and a summary is only wrapped, never replaced, on create.
Runs on Atlassian. The app is built on Atlassian Forge and is eligible for the Runs on Atlassian programme. Your data never leaves your Atlassian site, and the app asks for four permissions only.
Features
What a template can add. A description, a summary pattern, labels, a priority, components and sub-tasks.
Where it applies. One or more issue types, or all of them; all projects, or the ones you pick. You can have any number of templates per issue type.
Auto-apply on create. Tick one box on a template and it is applied to matching new issues.
Apply from the issue. Anyone who can edit an issue can pick a matching template, preview the changes and apply it.
Live preview. The editor shows the resulting issue as you type, with sample values for variables.
Variables.{{reporter}}, {{date}}, {{project}}, {{projectKey}}, {{issueType}}, {{key}} and {{summary}}.
Version history. The last 5 versions of each template are kept and can be restored. A save is refused if someone else changed the template since you opened it.
Import and export. Back up templates as a JSON file, or copy them to another site.
Getting started
Install Native Issue Templates for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace.
A Jira admin opens Jira settings → Apps → Native Issue Templates and clicks New template.
Give the template a name and some content, choose the issue types and projects it is for, and save. Tick Apply automatically when an issue is created if you want it applied to new issues.
Create an issue of that type. The template's content appears a few seconds later; reload the issue if it is already open.
On an existing issue, open Templates in the issue view, pick a template and click Apply template.
How it works
Auto-apply on create
Right after an issue is created, the app:
fills the description, only if it was left empty;
sets labels and components, only if none were set. Component names are matched against the project's components, and names that don't exist there are skipped;
sets the priority, only if the issue still has Jira's default priority;
wraps the summary, if the pattern contains {{summary}}. For example, [Bug] {{summary}};
creates the template's sub-tasks under the new issue.
Because this runs after creation, the template text is not shown inside Jira's Create dialog. Jira always gives an issue a priority, so if someone deliberately picks the default priority, a template's priority still replaces it.
Which create routes are covered
How the issue was created
Template applied
Create button and the "c" shortcut
Yes
Inline create on boards, backlogs, lists and timelines
Yes
"Create child issue" and "Add sub-task"
Yes
Jira Automation, the REST API and other apps
Yes
Cloned issues
No. A clone already carries the original's content.
When several templates match
The most specific auto-apply template is used: project and issue type beats project only, which beats issue type only, which beats all projects and types. If two or more are equally specific, none is applied automatically, and people pick one on the issue. The admin page warns about such overlaps.
Applying from the issue view
Fill empty fields (the default): an empty description is filled; otherwise the template is added below the existing description. Labels, priority and components are only set where empty.
Replace description: the description is replaced, and a summary pattern without {{summary}} replaces the summary.
Applying a template again does not create the same sub-tasks twice.
Description formatting
You type
You get
# Heading to ###### Heading
Headings
- item or * item
Bullet list
1. item
Numbered list
[ ] item or [x] item
Checkbox (a Jira action item)
**bold**
Bold
---
Divider
Who can do what
Anyone who can edit an issue can apply a template to it. The change is made with their own Jira permissions.
Only Jira admins can create, change, import or delete templates.
FAQ
Does the template show inside the Create dialog?
No. The template is applied a few seconds after the issue is created. This is what lets it work for inline create and automation as well.
Are there limits?
Up to 200 templates, and up to 50 sub-tasks per template. A summary is capped at Jira's 255 characters.
Where is our data stored?
Templates and their history are stored on Atlassian's Forge platform. The app stores no issue content and no personal data. See the privacy policy.
What happens if our licence lapses?
Templates can't be applied or changed until a Jira admin renews the licence. Nothing is deleted.