# Jira Edit Issue

> Updates fields (summary, description, labels, assignee, priority, components) on an existing Jira issue or subtask. Use for "rename PAY-123", "reassign PAY-123 to John", "add the Backend label to PAY-101". This is a write operation gated behind explicit user confirmation. For moving an issue between statuses, use jira-status instead.

- Skill: `arfar-x/jira-edit-issue` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add arfar-x/jira-edit-issue`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/arfar-x/jira-edit-issue/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: arfar-x (https://skillmd.com/u/arfar-x)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/arfar-x/jira-edit-issue

---


# Jira: Edit Issue

**Write, gated.** Run from this skill's directory:

```bash
python3 ../jira/scripts/jira_tool.py edit_issue --issue_key PAYKAN-123 \
  --summary "New title" --confirm
```

Works the same way on a subtask -- just pass the subtask's own
`--issue_key`.

(First-time setup, once per environment: `pip install -r ../jira/requirements.txt`.)

`--issue_key` is required; at least one of `--summary`, `--description`,
`--labels` (comma-separated, replaces the existing list), `--assignee_account_id`,
`--priority`, `--components` (comma-separated, replaces the existing list),
`--custom_fields` (a JSON object of `customfield_NNNNN -> value` -- resolve
ids/shapes via `python3 ../jira/scripts/jira_tool.py list_fields` first,
never guess either) must be given. Omitted fields are left unchanged.

## Assignee

`--assignee_account_id` needs a Jira `account_id`, not a display name --
resolve one via `jira-search-users` first rather than guessing.

Also requires `JIRA_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE` (`cloud` or `server`) to be set:
Jira Cloud identifies users by `accountId`, Server/Data Center by
username, and the tool won't guess which one this instance is. If the
result is an `"error"` naming `JIRA_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE`, tell the user to
set that environment variable once -- it isn't something to retry
around.

## Confirmation

This refuses to execute unless run with `--confirm` (enforced in code, not
just prompted). Unless `JIRA_AUTO_CONFIRM_WRITES=true` is set:

1. State exactly which fields you're about to change and to what value,
   and wait for the user's explicit yes.
2. Only then re-run the same command with `--confirm` appended.
3. If the result has `"requires_confirmation": true`, treat that as the
   tool declining to act -- relay `pending_action` to the user and ask,
   don't retry with `--confirm` on your own.

If the result contains `"error"`, tell the user what went wrong in plain
language instead of retrying silently or fabricating a result.

See `../jira/README.md` for architecture details and the full
environment-variable table.