Create and configure custom fields in Jira
10 min
Advanced
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:
- Create a custom field
- Configure custom field behavior
What are custom fields?
While system fields are the core of Jira, custom fields enable your teams to capture data that is most relevant to them and use it in filters, automation, dashboards, and reporting.
Jira admins create custom fields for all company-managed projects. Team-managed project admins create custom fields for their individual projects, though they can also use the custom fields created by Jira admins.
While system-wide custom fields are very useful, Jira admins should be careful not to create too many. Custom fields with duplicative or overlapping purposes can quickly clutter a Jira site and impact performance.
The field type controls how users enter data in the field. Some examples include:
- Paragraph
- Short text
- Number field
- Date picker
- Radio buttons
- Checkboxes
- Labels
Some custom field types, like radio buttons, checkboxes, and select lists, allow you to set options and defaults.
When you first create a custom field, it will be optional. This means that it won’t impact existing work and configurations. If you add the new field to a screen that existing work uses, they’ll show the new field, but it won’t have a value, even if you chose a default value.
If you delete a custom field, that will delete all existing data for that field.
Create a custom field for company-managed projects
Only Jira admins can create and configure fields for company-managed projects. You’ll manage custom fields in Jira administration pages, then associate them with projects using work type screen schemes.
Custom fields for company-managed projects have a field context, which is the list of work types and projects the field applies to. You can add multiple field contexts for a field, but you can’t have separate field contexts for different work types in the same project.
By default, new fields are globally available to all work types and projects.
To create a custom field for company-managed projects:
- In the upper-right corner of Jira, click Settings (represented by a gear icon).
- Under Jira admin settings, select Work items.
- In the sidebar, under Fields, select Custom fields.
- Select Create custom field.
- Select a field type from the list. You can select a standard or advanced field type.
- Select Next.
- Enter a name and description. Users will see these throughout Jira, so be clear and descriptive.
- Select Create.
- Next to any screen, select the checkbox to add the field to that screen. You don’t have to do this now, but it’s convenient.
- Select Update.
- Locate your field in the list. Next to the screen, select More actions (represented by ···), then Edit details. On this page, you can edit the name and description and configure some field behavior, depending on the field type. Select Update to save your changes.
- Locate your field in the list. Next to the screen, select More actions (represented by ···), then Contexts and default value. On this page, you can add a field context, edit existing field contexts, and set a default field value.
Create a custom field for team-managed projects
Project admins create their own custom fields that only apply to an individual project. You can also use the custom fields created by Jira admins for company-managed projects in team-managed projects.
Each work type can have its own fields. You can select different default values for different work types, but the list of options must be the same.
Team-managed projects don’t use field contexts, because their custom fields are unique to that project.
To create a custom field for team-managed projects:
- Open the project in Jira.
- In the sidebar, next to the project name, select More actions (represented by ···), then Project settings.
- In the sidebar, under Work types, select the work type you’d like to add a custom field to.
- If you want to add an existing custom field, in the Fields panel, use the search bar.
- If you want to create a new field, in the Fields panel, select Create a field to expand the section.
- Select a field type. Depending on the field type you select, you’ll enter different information.
- After you add the fields you need, at the bottom of the page, select Save changes.
👇The Fields panel enables you to add custom fields to a work type in a team-managed project.
Let’s explore an example!
Mary, a Jira admin, has a request from three project admins for company-managed projects. They all want to add a Color field to their projects. However, they have slightly different needs.
To meet their requirements:
- Create a custom field called Color, if there isn’t a field for this already. Use the Select List (single choice) field type.
- Add the field to the relevant screens for those projects.
- Add three field contexts to this field:
- For the ALPHA project, add the field to the Story work type. Add Gray, Yellow, and Purple as options. Set Gray as the default.
- For the BETA project, add the field to the Bug work type. Add Blue, Yellow, and Orange as options. Set Yellow as the default.
- For the OMEGA project, add the field to the Task work type. Add Gray, Orange, White, Purple, and Blue as options. Set None as the default.
How was this lesson?
next lesson
Define field configuration for company-managed projects with schemes
- Create a field configuration
- Create a field configuration scheme
- Associate a field configuration scheme with a project
- Let’s explore an example!