Configure a custom field
You can set a default value for a custom field. You can also limit the number of users that appear in a user picker field.
Set the default value for a custom field
You can choose to automatically fill each custom field with a default value. Note that certain types of custom fields may not allow for default values. For fields that do, you can set a default value with these steps:
Select > Work items.
Under FIELDS, click Custom fields.
Find the custom field you want to configure, click > Contexts and default value. Alternatively, you can click a field's screens or contexts link and then click Contexts > Create, edit or delete contexts.
In the configuration scheme section, select Edit Default Value.
Enter a default value (e.g. for a custom Story Points field, set the value to 4) and click Set Default.
For a select list or multi-select list custom field, you can clear the default value by clicking on the current default so it's no longer highlighted.
Limit users included in user picker fields
You can restrict User picker (single user) and User picker (multiple user) custom fields to specific groups or project roles. To filter users:
Select > Work items, then under Fields, choose Custom fields.
Open the More () menu of the field you want to change, and select Contexts and default value.
On the next screen, select the Edit User Filtering option, and make sure that Enable group or project role filtering is turned on. This setting prohibits inactive users from being used in this field.
Choose whether you’d like to restrict this field based on groups or project roles, then select who you want to be able to use this field.
The user picker only shows users that are in the selected groups and roles. If you enable this feature then select no groups or project roles, no users will show in your fields.
Select Add to save. Repeat this process as many times as you need.
Troubleshoot work item configuration and context
Why aren’t some fields visible in the work item?
Some fields have configurations and contexts that make these fields unavailable in the work item, even if you drag the field to one of the sections in the layout. Learn more about the work item.
You must be a Jira admin to see the field context and configurations. Learn more about global permissions.
Field contexts
When you create a custom field, a custom field context or custom field configuration scheme is automatically created. This lets you select the custom field’s language, default value, and which work types or projects the field appears in. You can create a new custom field context if you need to associate different default values and options with different projects or work types. Learn more about field contexts.
To see the context of a field:
Select > Work items > Custom fields.
Select > Contexts and default value for the field you’re searching.
See the below table to find out why you can’t see the field in the work item in company-managed projects:
Field context | Is the field visible in the work item? | Description |
|---|---|---|
Default custom field context | Yes | Users can see the field in the work item as this context applies to all work types of the project. If you’ve edited the content and removed a work type, you can’t see the field in the work item for that work type. |
Custom field context that is applied only to some work types of the project but not all | Depends on the work type | Users can see the field in the work item if the context is applicable to the selected work type. |
Custom field has multiple contexts for work types of the project | Depends on the work type | Users can see the field in the work item if the contexts are associated to the selected work type of the project. |
Custom field context that is applied to other project(s) and not the current project | No | Users can’t see the field in the work item if the context is associated to other projects and not the current project. |
Custom field has no context | No | Users can’t see the field in the work item if there is no context that is associated to the current project. |
See the below table to find out why you can’t see the field in the work item in team-managed projects:
Field context | Is the field visible in the work item? | Description |
|---|---|---|
Global custom field context that applies to all work types in all projects | Yes | This is the only context that allows a field from company-managed project to appear in team-Managed projects. Global context also allows the field to appear in all company-managed projects too. |
Any other context apart from global context | No | As the field doesn’t have a global context set, the field will not be visible in team-managed projects. Jira admins can go to (Settings) > Work items > Custom fields, and select Contexts and default value for the field to edit or add a global context to the field. |
For a field to be visible in team-managed projects, you’ll have to apply the global context to it.
Field configuration
A field configuration lets you define the behavior of all fields in the work item, including custom fields, that are available in your Jira products. Learn more about field configurations.
For each field, a field configuration lets you set:
The description that appears under the field when a work item is edited
Whether the field is hidden or visible
Whether the field is required or optional
Which renderer to use for text fields
To see field configurations for a field:
Select > Work items > Field configurations.
Select Configure for the field configuration you want to see.
If a field is hidden in the field configuration, users can’t see it in the work item. Learn more about field behaviors.
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