Skip to main content

Key Features

Dynamic Screen Rules brings sophisticated field behavior to Jira screens without requiring custom development. Here's what you can do with the app.

Rule-Based Field Behavior

Control how fields appear and behave on your Jira screens using conditional rules that execute in real-time as users interact with forms.

Display fields only when relevant

Show or hide fields based on context, keeping forms clean and focused.

What you can do:

  • Show "Root Cause Analysis" field only for high-priority bugs
  • Display "Customer Impact" section only when issue affects external users
  • Hide internal fields from external contributors
  • Reveal additional detail fields based on initial selections

Business value: Shorter, cleaner forms that don't overwhelm users with irrelevant fields. Users see only what they need, when they need it.

info

Example: A support team shows "Escalation Contact" field only when Priority is set to Critical, keeping the form simple for routine tickets while ensuring critical issues get proper attention.


Multiple Condition Types

Rules trigger based on comprehensive conditions - not just field values, but also context and user identity.

Field-Based ConditionsTrigger rules based on values in other fields on the form. Supports operators like equals, contains, greater than, is empty, and more. Works with text, select, number, date, checkbox, and custom fields.defining-rule-conditions.md
Context-Based ConditionsTrigger based on project, issue type, or status - the context of the issue itself. Apply rules only in specific projects, different behavior for different issue types, or lock fields based on workflow stage.defining-rule-conditions.md
User-Based ConditionsTrigger based on who is filling out the form - their groups, roles, or permissions. Show sensitive fields only to authorized users or provide role-appropriate forms.defining-rule-conditions.md
tip

Competitive advantage: Unlike competitors that focus only on field values, Dynamic Screen Rules offers field-based AND context-based AND user-based conditions, giving you complete control over when rules apply.

Examples by Condition Type

Show "Database Schema" when Component contains "Backend"

  • Condition: Component contains "Backend" AND Issue Type equals "Technical Task"
  • Action: Show "Database Schema" field
  • Use case: Technical fields appear only for backend work

Supported operators:

  • Equals, not equals
  • Contains, doesn't contain
  • Is empty, is not empty
  • Greater than, less than
  • In list, not in list

Supported field types: Text, select, multi-select, number, date, checkbox, user picker, and most custom fields.


Field Validation Rules - Data Quality at the Source

Enforce data quality, consistency, and business rules automatically with 15+ validation types that provide immediate feedback. Validate field values in real-time as users type, preventing invalid data from entering your Jira instance.

What you can validate:

  • Presence - Required/empty fields based on context
  • Dates - SLA deadlines, date consistency, future/past constraints
  • Numbers - Thresholds, ranges, positive values, quality gates
  • Text - Length requirements, content quality, format validation
  • Cross-field - Field comparisons, date sequencing, consistency checks

Key capabilities:

  • Smart filtering - Only see validations compatible with field type
  • Custom error messages - Guide users with specific, actionable feedback
  • Real-time validation - Immediate feedback as users type, not on submit
  • Conditional validation - Enforce rules only when relevant based on conditions
  • Validation Gate Field - Track validation status for reporting and automation

[SCREENSHOT: Validation types grid showing smart filtering]

tip

Competitive advantage: Unlike Jira's basic required fields or workflow validators, Dynamic Screen Rules provides 15+ validation types with conditional logic, custom error messages, and real-time feedback—all without writing Groovy scripts or purchasing ScriptRunner.

Examples by Validation Type

Enforce SLA deadlines automatically

Control when dates can be set based on business rules and SLA requirements.

What you can do:

  • Set Due Date minimum 2 hours from now for Critical tickets
  • Ensure End Date is after Start Date
  • Validate dates are within acceptable planning horizon
  • Prevent past dates for future-oriented fields
  • Require dates at least X days in the future

Business value: SLA compliance without manual oversight. Date consistency across linked fields. Prevent impossible date combinations before they're saved.

info

Example: Support team enforces 2-hour minimum lead time on Critical tickets. Users see validation error immediately if they try to set Due Date too soon, ensuring adequate time for triage and assignment.

Validation vs. Required Fields

FeatureValidation RulesNative Required Fields
Conditional logic✅ Yes - based on any condition❌ No - always required
Multiple checks✅ 15+ validation types❌ Only "has value"
Custom messages✅ Specific, actionable guidance❌ Generic "required" message
Real-time feedback✅ As user types❌ On submit only
Cross-field checks✅ Yes - validate against other fields❌ No
Threshold validation✅ Yes - dates, numbers, text length❌ No
Format validation✅ Yes - text contains/not contains patterns❌ No
Validation Gate tracking✅ Yes - track status in dashboards/workflows❌ No
No coding required✅ Yes - visual configuration✅ Yes - checkbox in screen config
Best forContext-aware data quality, thresholds, consistencySimple always-required fields
info

Learn more: See Defining Field Validations for complete documentation of all 15 validation types, practical examples, and configuration guides.


Smart Values - Computed Field Values

Go beyond static values with expressions that calculate field values automatically.

Date Math - Set dates relative to today or other date fields

Automatically calculate dates without manual input. Perfect for SLAs and deadlines.

Examples:

  • Set Due Date = next business day
  • Set Start Date = next Monday
  • Set Review Date = today + 7 days
  • Set Deadline = Due Date - 2 business days

Business value: Consistent SLA handling. No manual date calculations. Dates automatically adjust based on when the issue is created.

info

Date math respects business days and weekends, ensuring realistic deadlines.

Field References - Copy or derive values from other fields

Keep related fields in sync automatically. Reduce manual data entry and copy-paste errors.

Examples:

  • Set Summary = copy from Parent issue
  • Set Component = same as Linked Issue component
  • Set Custom Field A = value from Custom Field B

Business value: Ensure related fields stay in sync. Reduce errors from manual copying.

Common use cases:

  • Copy epic details to child stories
  • Inherit team assignments from parent tasks
  • Sync related custom fields across linked issues
Conditional Expressions - Calculate values based on logic

Implement business rules directly in forms. Make smart decisions based on field values.

Examples:

  • If Priority = High, set Assignee = Team Lead, otherwise leave empty
  • If Story Points > 5, set flag = 'Needs Breakdown'
  • Set label based on combination of project and issue type

Business value: Implement business logic directly in forms. Complex decision trees become simple automated rules.

Advanced patterns:

  • Multi-level conditionals (if-then-else chains)
  • Calculations based on multiple fields
  • Dynamic assignments based on workload
info

Smart Values use an expression language similar to Jira Automation's smart values. Learn more in Using Smart Values.


Multiple Screens Support

Rules work across three key areas of Jira where users interact with fields.

Global Issue CreateAll actions supported

The dialog that appears when creating new issues. Perfect for progressive disclosure, pre-filling values, dynamic required fields, and cleaning up dropdown options.
screens-and-contexts.md
Issue ViewMost actions supported

The issue detail page for viewing and editing existing issues. Ideal for locking fields based on status, role-based visibility, and context-aware labels.
screens-and-contexts.md
Issue TransitionMost actions supported

Status transition dialogs when moving issues through workflow. Best for transition-specific validation and ensuring data completeness at workflow gates.
screens-and-contexts.md

Common Use Cases by Screen

Perfect for guiding users during issue creation

Supported actions: Show/hide, required, lock, set value, change labels/descriptions, limit options

Best use cases:

  • Progressive disclosure - Show fields only when relevant selections are made
  • Pre-filling values - Auto-populate Component based on issue type
  • Dynamic required fields - Require "Affected Versions" only for Bugs
  • Cleaning dropdowns - Show only P1/P2 priorities for critical issue types

Example: When a user selects Issue Type = "Bug" and Priority = "Critical", automatically show and require the "Root Cause Analysis" field while pre-filling Due Date to next business day.

warning

Some field types have limited support on certain screens due to Atlassian's UI Modifications API limitations. See Field Support & Limitations for details.


Scoping and Targeting

Control exactly where rules apply for precise field behavior.

Per-Project Scoping

Each rule is configured for a specific project, giving you complete control over field behavior without affecting other projects.

What you can do:

  • Configure rules that match each project's unique workflow
  • Experiment in one project before rolling out
  • Maintain different validation rules for different teams
  • Keep project configurations independent
tip

Project isolation: Changes in one project never break another. Each team gets exactly the form behavior they need.

Per-Issue-Type Scoping

Rules can target specific issue types (Bug, Story, Epic, custom types).

What you can do:

  • Different field behavior for Bugs vs Features vs Tasks
  • Issue-type-specific validation and required fields
  • Tailored forms for different work types
info

One size doesn't fit all: Bugs need different fields than feature requests. Configure accordingly.

Combined Scoping - Maximum Precision

Combine project and issue type scoping with field, context, and user conditions for highly targeted rules.

Example rule with combined scoping:

Project: "Customer Platform"
Issue Type: Bug
Condition: Priority = Critical AND User in group "Developers"
Action: Require "Root Cause Analysis" field

Result: Only developers in the Customer Platform project will be required to fill Root Cause Analysis, and only for critical bugs. All other combinations are unaffected.

tip

Surgical precision: Target exactly the scenarios that need special handling without affecting normal workflows.


Real-Time Execution

Rules evaluate instantly as users interact with forms, providing immediate feedback.

  1. Screen Loads

    Rules evaluate initial conditions and apply actions immediately. Fields appear, disappear, or pre-fill based on default values.

  2. User Makes Changes

    As users fill the form and change field values, rules continuously re-evaluate in the background.

  3. Actions Update Instantly

    When conditions are met or no longer met, actions apply or reverse immediately - no page refresh needed.

Business value:

tip

Smooth user experience - No page refreshes or delays. Forms respond instantly to user input.

info

Immediate feedback - Users know instantly if they need to fill additional fields. Context-aware forms adapt as users provide information.

Example in action: User creates a Bug issue. Initially only Summary and Description are visible. When they select Priority = "Critical", the Root Cause field appears instantly. When they change Priority to "Low", the field disappears just as quickly. No waiting, no confusion.


Next Steps

Now that you understand what Dynamic Screen Rules can do, choose your path:

See How It ComparesUnderstand what you can't do with standard Jira configuration and how Dynamic Screen Rules goes beyond native capabilities.going-beyond-native-jira.md
Quick Start GuideCreate your first rule in under 10 minutes with our step-by-step tutorial. Perfect for hands-on learners.quick-start-guide.md
Use Cases & ExamplesBrowse ready-to-use configurations for common scenarios like progressive disclosure, dynamic required fields, and role-based visibility.progressive-disclosure.md
Installation & SetupNot installed yet? Start here to add Dynamic Screen Rules to your Jira instance.installation-and-setup.md