Jira Automation

Jira Automation Skill

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

Issue Management:

• Create single or multiple Jira issues from specifications
• Update existing issues (fields, status, assignee, etc.)
• Search and filter issues using JQL (Jira Query Language)
• Get detailed issue information
• Delete issues (with caution)

Workflow & Status:

• Transition issues through workflow states (To Do → In Progress → Done)
• Get available transitions for an issue
• Track issue status across projects

Collaboration:

• Add comments to issues
• Mention users in comments with @username
• Update issue descriptions with findings

Agile & Sprint Management:

• Create and update sprints
• Link issues to epics
• Get board and sprint information
• Manage sprint issues and backlog

Issue Relationships:

• Link related issues (blocks, relates to, duplicates, etc.)
• Remove issue links
• Create parent-child relationships

Project & Version Management:

• Get all projects and their details
• Create and manage project versions
• Get project-specific issues

Time Tracking:

• Add work logs to issues
• Track time spent on tasks

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, ensure you have:

• ✅ Jira API token generated (https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens)
• ✅ Jira email/username for authentication
• ✅ Epic keys that exist in Jira
• ✅ Task definitions structured with required fields (summary, description)
• ✅ Python 3 and requests library installed

Skill Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Task Definitions

Structure your tasks as a Python dictionary with this format:

EPIC_TASKS = {
    "EPIC-KEY": [
        {
            "summary": "Task title (required)",
            "description": "Task description (required)",
            "labels": ["label1", "label2"],  # optional
            "priority": "Major",  # optional: Highest, High, Medium, Low, Lowest
            "timeEstimate": "2h"  # optional: e.g., "30m", "2h", "1d"
        },
        # ... more tasks
    ]
}

Required fields:

• summary: Short task title
• description: Detailed task description (supports markdown)

Optional fields:

• labels: Array of label strings
• priority: Jira priority name (default: "Major")
• timeEstimate: Time estimate in Jira format (e.g., "30m", "2h", "1d")

Step 2: Create the Python Script

Use this template as the base for your bulk creation script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Bulk create Jira tasks for epics.

Usage:
    python create-jira-tasks.py --email YOUR_EMAIL --api-token YOUR_API_TOKEN
"""

import argparse
import sys
import requests
from requests.auth import HTTPBasicAuth

# Jira configuration
JIRA_BASE_URL = "https://your-company.atlassian.net"
JIRA_API_URL = f"{JIRA_BASE_URL}/rest/api/3"
PROJECT_KEY = "YOUR_PROJECT_KEY"

# Task definitions
EPIC_TASKS = {
    # Add your epic tasks here
}

def create_jira_task(auth, epic_key, task):
    """Create a single Jira task under the specified epic."""
    payload = {
        "fields": {
            "project": {"key": PROJECT_KEY},
            "summary": task["summary"],
            "description": {
                "type": "doc",
                "version": 1,
                "content": [{
                    "type": "paragraph",
                    "content": [{"type": "text", "text": task["description"]}]
                }]
            },
            "issuetype": {"name": "Task"},
            "parent": {"key": epic_key},
            "labels": task.get("labels", []),
            "priority": {"name": task.get("priority", "Major")}
        }
    }

    if "timeEstimate" in task:
        payload["fields"]["timetracking"] = {
            "originalEstimate": task["timeEstimate"]
        }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        result = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Created {result['key']}: {task['summary']}")
        return result
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to create task: {task['summary']}")
        print(f"   Status: {response.status_code}")
        print(f"   Response: {response.text}")
        return None

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Bulk create Jira tasks")
    parser.add_argument("--email", required=True, help="Your Atlassian account email")
    parser.add_argument("--api-token", required=True, help="Your Atlassian API token")
    parser.add_argument("--epic", help="Specific epic to create tasks for")
    parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true", help="Print tasks without creating them")

    args = parser.parse_args()
    auth = HTTPBasicAuth(args.email, args.api_token)

    # Verify authentication
    response = requests.get(f"{JIRA_API_URL}/myself", auth=auth)
    if response.status_code != 200:
        print(f"[ERROR] Authentication failed: {response.status_code}")
        sys.exit(1)

    user_info = response.json()
    print(f"[OK] Authenticated as: {user_info['displayName']} ({user_info['emailAddress']})")
    print()

    # Determine which epics to process
    epics_to_process = [args.epic] if args.epic else EPIC_TASKS.keys()

    total_created = 0
    total_failed = 0

    for epic_key in epics_to_process:
        if epic_key not in EPIC_TASKS:
            print(f"[WARN] Unknown epic: {epic_key}")
            continue

        tasks = EPIC_TASKS[epic_key]
        print(f"[EPIC] {epic_key}: {len(tasks)} tasks")
        print()

        if args.dry_run:
            for task in tasks:
                print(f"   - {task['summary']}")
            print()
            continue

        for task in tasks:
            result = create_jira_task(auth, epic_key, task)
            if result:
                total_created += 1
            else:
                total_failed += 1

        print()

    if args.dry_run:
        print(f"[DRY-RUN] Complete - no tasks created")
    else:
        print(f"[SUMMARY] Created {total_created} tasks")
        if total_failed > 0:
            print(f"[SUMMARY] Failed to create {total_failed} tasks")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Step 3: Windows Encoding Fix

IMPORTANT FOR WINDOWS: Remove emoji characters from print statements to avoid encoding errors.

Replace emojis with ASCII prefixes:

• ✅ → [OK]
• ❌ → [ERROR]
• ⚠️ → [WARN]
• 📋 → [EPIC]
• 🔍 → [DRY-RUN]

Step 4: Execute the Script

Dry run (preview only):

python create-jira-tasks.py --email your.email@company.com --api-token YOUR_TOKEN --dry-run

Create tasks for specific epic:

python create-jira-tasks.py --email your.email@company.com --api-token YOUR_TOKEN --epic DP01-21

Create all tasks:

python create-jira-tasks.py --email your.email@company.com --api-token YOUR_TOKEN

Best Practices

1. Always Dry Run First

Run with --dry-run to verify task definitions before creating them in Jira.

2. Test with One Epic

Use --epic EPIC-KEY to test with a single epic before bulk creating all tasks.

3. Validate Epic Keys Exist

Ensure all parent epic keys exist in Jira before running the script. The script will fail if parent epic doesn't exist.

4. Use Meaningful Labels

Add labels for filtering and organization:

• Track-1, Track-2, Track-3 for project tracks
• frontend, backend, database for component types
• Day-1-90, Day-91-180 for MVP phasing

5. Set Realistic Time Estimates

Use Jira time format:

• Minutes: 30m, 45m
• Hours: 1h, 2h, 4h
• Days: 1d, 2d (1 day = 8 hours by default)

6. Structure Task Descriptions

Include in each task description:

• Autonomy Level: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW (for Claude Code execution)
• Claude Code Prompt: Ready-to-use prompt for implementation
• Deliverables: Specific files or features to create
• Validation: How to verify the task is complete

7. Handle Errors Gracefully

The script continues even if individual tasks fail. Review the summary to identify failed tasks.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Authentication Failed (401)

Cause: Wrong email or expired API token Solution:

• Verify email matches your Atlassian account
• Generate new API token at https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens
• For organization accounts (e.g., vividcg.atlassian.net), use your organization email

Issue: Epic Not Found (404)

Cause: Parent epic key doesn't exist Solution: Create the epic in Jira first, or verify the epic key is correct

Issue: Unicode Encoding Error (Windows)

Cause: Emoji characters in print statements Solution: Replace all emojis with ASCII equivalents (see Step 3)

Issue: Time Estimate Not Set

Cause: Invalid time format Solution: Use Jira format: 30m, 2h, 1d (not 30 minutes, 2 hours)

Issue: Tasks Created in Wrong Project

Cause: Incorrect PROJECT_KEY Solution: Update PROJECT_KEY constant to match your Jira project

Example: Epic Tasking Guide to Jira Tasks

This skill was used to create 74 tasks from the Epic Tasking Guide:

python scripts/create-jira-tasks.py \
  --email clay.campbell@vividcg.com \
  --api-token YOUR_TOKEN

# Output:
# [OK] Authenticated as: Clay Campbell (clay.campbell@vividcg.com)
#
# [EPIC] DP01-21: 11 tasks
# [OK] Created DP01-74: Configure AWS Organizations and account structure
# [OK] Created DP01-75: Setup IAM roles for CI/CD pipeline
# ...
#
# [SUMMARY] Created 74 tasks

Customization Options

Add Custom Fields

To add custom Jira fields, update the payload["fields"] dictionary:

payload["fields"]["customfield_10001"] = "Custom value"
payload["fields"]["assignee"] = {"accountId": "user-account-id"}
payload["fields"]["duedate"] = "2025-12-31"

Filter by Labels

Create tasks only for specific labels:

if args.label_filter:
    tasks = [t for t in tasks if args.label_filter in t.get("labels", [])]

Batch Creation with Rate Limiting

Add rate limiting for large batches:

import time

for task in tasks:
    result = create_jira_task(auth, epic_key, task)
    time.sleep(0.5)  # 500ms delay between tasks

Integration with Claude Code

When breaking down epics for Claude Code execution:

1. Use this skill to create the task structure
2. Add autonomy levels to descriptions (HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW)
3. Include Claude Code prompts in each task description
4. Link related tasks using Jira issue links
5. Track progress as Claude Code completes tasks

Security Notes

• ⚠️ Never commit API tokens to version control
• ⚠️ Use environment variables for sensitive data
• ⚠️ Rotate tokens regularly (every 90 days recommended)
• ⚠️ Restrict token permissions to minimum required scope

Success Criteria

You've successfully used this skill when:

• ✅ All tasks are created in Jira under correct epics
• ✅ Task descriptions include autonomy levels and prompts
• ✅ Labels and priorities are set correctly
• ✅ Time estimates are realistic and useful for planning
• ✅ No duplicate tasks were created
• ✅ Error handling caught and reported any failures

Advanced Jira Operations

Beyond bulk task creation, this skill covers all Jira REST API operations. Here are code examples for common workflows:

1. Search Issues with JQL

def search_issues(auth, jql, max_results=50):
    """Search Jira issues using JQL (Jira Query Language)."""
    params = {
        "jql": jql,
        "maxResults": max_results,
        "fields": "summary,status,assignee,priority,created"
    }

    response = requests.get(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/search",
        auth=auth,
        params=params
    )

    if response.status_code == 200:
        data = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Found {data['total']} issues")
        for issue in data['issues']:
            print(f"  {issue['key']}: {issue['fields']['summary']}")
        return data['issues']
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Search failed: {response.status_code}")
        return []

# Example usage:
# search_issues(auth, "project = DP01 AND status = 'In Progress'")
# search_issues(auth, "assignee = currentUser() AND status != Done")
# search_issues(auth, "created >= -7d AND labels = Track-3-Platform")

2. Get Issue Details

def get_issue(auth, issue_key):
    """Get complete details of a specific issue."""
    response = requests.get(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}",
        auth=auth
    )

    if response.status_code == 200:
        issue = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] {issue_key}: {issue['fields']['summary']}")
        print(f"     Status: {issue['fields']['status']['name']}")
        print(f"     Assignee: {issue['fields']['assignee']['displayName'] if issue['fields']['assignee'] else 'Unassigned'}")
        return issue
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to get issue: {response.status_code}")
        return None

3. Update Issue Fields

def update_issue(auth, issue_key, fields):
    """Update fields on an existing issue."""
    payload = {"fields": fields}

    response = requests.put(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 204:
        print(f"[OK] Updated {issue_key}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to update: {response.status_code}")
        print(f"   Response: {response.text}")
        return False

# Example usage:
# update_issue(auth, "DP01-74", {
#     "summary": "New task title",
#     "description": {...},  # ADF format
#     "priority": {"name": "High"},
#     "labels": ["urgent", "backend"]
# })

4. Transition Issue (Change Status)

def get_transitions(auth, issue_key):
    """Get available transitions for an issue."""
    response = requests.get(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}/transitions",
        auth=auth
    )

    if response.status_code == 200:
        transitions = response.json()['transitions']
        print(f"[OK] Available transitions for {issue_key}:")
        for t in transitions:
            print(f"     {t['id']}: {t['name']}")
        return transitions
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to get transitions: {response.status_code}")
        return []

def transition_issue(auth, issue_key, transition_id):
    """Transition an issue to a new status."""
    payload = {
        "transition": {"id": transition_id}
    }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}/transitions",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 204:
        print(f"[OK] Transitioned {issue_key}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to transition: {response.status_code}")
        return False

# Example workflow:
# transitions = get_transitions(auth, "DP01-74")
# # Find "In Progress" transition ID from the list
# transition_issue(auth, "DP01-74", "21")  # ID for "In Progress"

5. Add Comments

def add_comment(auth, issue_key, comment_text):
    """Add a comment to an issue."""
    payload = {
        "body": {
            "type": "doc",
            "version": 1,
            "content": [{
                "type": "paragraph",
                "content": [{
                    "type": "text",
                    "text": comment_text
                }]
            }]
        }
    }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}/comment",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        print(f"[OK] Added comment to {issue_key}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to add comment: {response.status_code}")
        return False

# Example usage:
# add_comment(auth, "DP01-74", "Implementation started. Setting up AWS Organizations.")

6. Link Issues

def link_issues(auth, inward_issue, outward_issue, link_type="Relates"):
    """Create a link between two issues."""
    payload = {
        "type": {"name": link_type},  # "Relates", "Blocks", "Duplicate", etc.
        "inwardIssue": {"key": inward_issue},
        "outwardIssue": {"key": outward_issue}
    }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issueLink",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        print(f"[OK] Linked {inward_issue} {link_type} {outward_issue}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to link issues: {response.status_code}")
        return False

# Example usage:
# link_issues(auth, "DP01-74", "DP01-75", "Blocks")  # DP01-74 blocks DP01-75
# link_issues(auth, "DP01-85", "DP01-86", "Relates")  # DP01-85 relates to DP01-86

7. Link Issue to Epic

def link_to_epic(auth, issue_key, epic_key):
    """Link an issue to an epic (parent)."""
    payload = {
        "fields": {
            "parent": {"key": epic_key}
        }
    }

    response = requests.put(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 204:
        print(f"[OK] Linked {issue_key} to epic {epic_key}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to link to epic: {response.status_code}")
        return False

8. Add Work Log (Time Tracking)

def add_worklog(auth, issue_key, time_spent, comment=""):
    """Log time spent on an issue."""
    payload = {
        "timeSpent": time_spent,  # e.g., "3h 30m", "1d", "45m"
        "comment": {
            "type": "doc",
            "version": 1,
            "content": [{
                "type": "paragraph",
                "content": [{
                    "type": "text",
                    "text": comment
                }]
            }]
        } if comment else None
    }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/{issue_key}/worklog",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        print(f"[OK] Logged {time_spent} on {issue_key}")
        return True
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to log work: {response.status_code}")
        return False

# Example usage:
# add_worklog(auth, "DP01-74", "2h 30m", "Configured AWS Organizations")

9. Get All Projects

def get_all_projects(auth):
    """Get list of all accessible Jira projects."""
    response = requests.get(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/project",
        auth=auth
    )

    if response.status_code == 200:
        projects = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Found {len(projects)} projects:")
        for project in projects:
            print(f"     {project['key']}: {project['name']}")
        return projects
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to get projects: {response.status_code}")
        return []

10. Batch Create Issues

def batch_create_issues(auth, issues):
    """Create multiple issues in a single API call."""
    payload = {
        "issueUpdates": [
            {"fields": issue} for issue in issues
        ]
    }

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_API_URL}/issue/bulk",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        results = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Created {len(results['issues'])} issues")
        for issue in results['issues']:
            print(f"     {issue['key']}")
        return results
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Batch creation failed: {response.status_code}")
        return None

# Example usage:
# batch_create_issues(auth, [
#     {
#         "project": {"key": "DP01"},
#         "summary": "Task 1",
#         "issuetype": {"name": "Task"},
#         "parent": {"key": "DP01-21"}
#     },
#     {
#         "project": {"key": "DP01"},
#         "summary": "Task 2",
#         "issuetype": {"name": "Task"},
#         "parent": {"key": "DP01-21"}
#     }
# ])

11. Create Sprint

def create_sprint(auth, board_id, sprint_name, start_date=None, end_date=None):
    """Create a new sprint for an agile board."""
    payload = {
        "name": sprint_name,
        "originBoardId": board_id,
    }

    if start_date:
        payload["startDate"] = start_date  # ISO 8601 format: "2025-01-20T10:00:00.000Z"
    if end_date:
        payload["endDate"] = end_date

    response = requests.post(
        f"{JIRA_BASE_URL}/rest/agile/1.0/sprint",
        auth=auth,
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
        json=payload
    )

    if response.status_code == 201:
        sprint = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Created sprint: {sprint['name']} (ID: {sprint['id']})")
        return sprint
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to create sprint: {response.status_code}")
        return None

12. Get Board Issues

def get_board_issues(auth, board_id, jql_filter=""):
    """Get issues from a specific agile board."""
    params = {"maxResults": 100}
    if jql_filter:
        params["jql"] = jql_filter

    response = requests.get(
        f"{JIRA_BASE_URL}/rest/agile/1.0/board/{board_id}/issue",
        auth=auth,
        params=params
    )

    if response.status_code == 200:
        data = response.json()
        print(f"[OK] Found {data['total']} issues on board")
        return data['issues']
    else:
        print(f"[ERROR] Failed to get board issues: {response.status_code}")
        return []

Common JQL Query Examples

Jira Query Language (JQL) is powerful for filtering issues. Here are common queries:

# Issues in specific project
"project = DP01"

# Issues assigned to you
"assignee = currentUser()"

# Issues in progress
"project = DP01 AND status = 'In Progress'"

# Recent issues (last 7 days)
"created >= -7d"

# High priority bugs
"project = DP01 AND issuetype = Bug AND priority in (High, Highest)"

# Issues with specific label
"labels = Track-3-Platform"

# Overdue issues
"duedate < now() AND status != Done"

# Issues updated recently
"updated >= -1d"

# Complex query with multiple conditions
"project = DP01 AND assignee = currentUser() AND status in ('To Do', 'In Progress') AND labels = urgent ORDER BY priority DESC"

# Epic and its children
"'Epic Link' = DP01-21"

# Unassigned issues in current sprint
"sprint in openSprints() AND assignee is EMPTY"

# Issues blocking others
"issueFunction in linkedIssuesOf('project = DP01', 'blocks')"

Integration with Claude Code Workflows

Automated Task Status Updates

When Claude Code completes a task, automatically update Jira:

def complete_claude_task(auth, issue_key, time_spent, implementation_notes):
    """Mark a Claude Code task as complete in Jira."""
    # 1. Add work log
    add_worklog(auth, issue_key, time_spent, "Implementation completed by Claude Code")

    # 2. Add comment with results
    add_comment(auth, issue_key, f"Implementation complete.\n\n{implementation_notes}")

    # 3. Get available transitions
    transitions = get_transitions(auth, issue_key)
    done_transition = next((t for t in transitions if t['name'].lower() == 'done'), None)

    # 4. Transition to Done
    if done_transition:
        transition_issue(auth, issue_key, done_transition['id'])
        print(f"[OK] Task {issue_key} marked as complete")
    else:
        print(f"[WARN] Could not find 'Done' transition for {issue_key}")

Sprint Planning Automation

Automate sprint creation and issue assignment:

def setup_sprint(auth, board_id, sprint_name, epic_key, num_days=14):
    """Create sprint and add epic issues to it."""
    from datetime import datetime, timedelta

    # 1. Create sprint
    start_date = datetime.now().isoformat() + "Z"
    end_date = (datetime.now() + timedelta(days=num_days)).isoformat() + "Z"
    sprint = create_sprint(auth, board_id, sprint_name, start_date, end_date)

    if not sprint:
        return

    # 2. Get issues from epic
    jql = f"'Epic Link' = {epic_key} AND status = 'To Do'"
    issues = search_issues(auth, jql)

    # 3. Move issues to sprint
    for issue in issues:
        move_to_sprint(auth, issue['key'], sprint['id'])

    print(f"[OK] Sprint '{sprint_name}' created with {len(issues)} issues")

Related Skills

• brainstorming - Use before this skill to refine epic breakdown
• test-driven-development - Use after task creation for implementation
• finishing-a-development-branch - Use when completing tasks

Version History

• v2.0 (2025-01-14): Expanded to full Jira automation toolkit

  • Added all MCP-equivalent operations (search, update, transition, comments, links)
  • Sprint and board management
  • Work logging and time tracking
  • Issue relationships and linking
  • JQL query examples
  • Claude Code workflow integration patterns

• v1.0 (2025-01-14): Initial skill creation

  • Basic task creation workflow
  • Windows encoding fixes
  • Dry-run and single-epic modes
  • Error handling and validation