Attribute to Issue Field Effector

The Attribute to Issue Field Effector allows you to write the values from Structure attributes (formulas, structure-specific columns, Structure.Gantt attributes, etc.) to Jira issue fields. It can also copy values from one Jira field to another.

Structure with Effector

In the above example, we've added an Effector that will pull the aggregate value from the Structure-specific ∑ Story Points column and write it to each Epic's Story Point field. You can see exactly how we set it up in our Using Effectors to Add Story Points for Epics article.

Adding Effectors to a Structure

To add an Attrubute to Issue Field Effector to a structure, open the Automation menu and select Effectors.

Selecting Effectors in the Automation Menu

Choose Attribute to issue field...

On the Effector settings screen, you can assign the following:

Name: Give the Effector a name that can be easily recognized
Get value from: Select the Structure column with the data you want to write to Jira
Set value to: Choose the Jira issue field where the data should be written to
JQL Query: This filter allows you to limit which issues will be written to. Only those issues that pass the JQL query will be updated.

Effector settings screen

Once you click Save, the Effector will be added to the top of the Structure.

Running an Effector

Now that you've created an Effector, you need to run it for any changes to take effect. To do that, locate the Effector at the top of the structure and click the Action button (the three dots to the right of its row). Select Run.

Run an Effector from the Structure Board

Preview Option

By default, Effectors initially do a Preview run, which allows you to view and approve every change that will be made by the Effector, without making any changes to Jira data. If you prefer to simply apply changes without reviewing them, switch the Preview effects before applying toggle off. When you're ready to run the Effector (in Preview mode or not), click Run to begin.

Run Effector Dialogue

Effectors update live Jira data. We highly recommend using the preview option.

Preview Changes

If you selected Preview effects before applying, once the preview finishes you will see a list of changes that will be made by the Effector. You can select specific changes you want made, or click Select All to apply all changes.

Preview changes that will be made by the Effector

Once you click Apply selected or Apply, the Effector will begin processing your changes and updating values in Jira. Once complete, you will see a confirmation letting you know that all changes were made. If the Effector is unable to make some or all changes, that information will be displayed here as well.

Effectors Completed Confirmation

Review Changes Made by an Effector

To review the changes made by an Effector, click View history on the Completed dialogue screen.

Review Effector history

If you've already closed the Completed dialogue, you can also reach this information from the Effector Processes screen.

Revert Changes

If you need to revert any changes made by the Effector, click the Revert link next to the change. To revert multiple changes, select each and click Revert Selected, or click Revert All.

Example Use Cases for the Attribute to Issue Field Effector

Some popular uses for Effectors include:

Using Effectors to Add Story Points for Epics
Using Effectors to Update Assignee Based on Parent Issue
If the Structure.Gantt extension is installed, write Gantt attributes (such as the Gantt Start Date/Gantt Finish Date) to custom Jira fields (Start Date/Finish Date).

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