Create and Sync Work Items Across Jira Cloud Instances : Jira Automation vs Backbone Work Sync

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In today's interconnected business world, effective Jira collaboration often extends beyond individual teams and even organizations. How do you efficiently share work items and ensure alignment when work spans across multiple Jira projects or instances?

Two Ways to Bridge the Gap: Jira Automation vs Backbone Work Sync

What option makes more sense when you want to get your Jira projects or sites talking to each other?

Here’s a quick snapshot of the comparison:

Feature	Jira Automation	Backbone Work Item Sync
Cross-project sync	⚠️ Needs maintenance	✅ Out-of-the-box
Cross-instance sync	⚠️ Limited Need to work with web requests/webhooks rules for both sides for which there is no step-by-step guide	✅ Out-of-the-box
Work item creation	✅ Specify which work items you want to create (based on rules) In creation, you can flexibly create work items, e.g., also combining values of fields into one field	✅ Specify which work items you want to create (based on rules)
Sync direction	✅ One-way (by default) ⚠️ Two-way possible (complicated to set up and maintain)	✅ Both two-way and one-way
Connect Synced Work Items	✅ Can create a rule to link in either the linked work items (if same instance) or text/url field	✅ Auto links the work items Creates a work item sync panel to see the link and more information
Update/Sync Work Items	✅ You need to add the key of the synced work item to the original work item so that, in the rule setup, you can update the synced work item.	✅ As work items are linked by Backbone, updates are automatically synced to the linked work item
Ease of setup	❌ Technical, time-consuming	✅ UI-based, fast
Permissions/security	✅ Instance-based security setup ✅ Data stays in Jira	✅ Built-in controls, GDPR and ISO compliant
Audit logs	✅ Basic logging and performance insights	❌ Currently not available
Troubleshooting	⚠️ Available via Atlassian support (Depends on your license type)	✅ In-built troubleshooting and dedicated support available
Cost	⚠️ Included in Jira (dependent on the license type)	⚠️ Paid app
Scalability constraints	⚠️ There are limits to how many rules can be run, e.g. 1700 rule runs per month for a standard Jira software license. These limits can mean you would need to update your plan to e.g. premium/enterprise, resulting in more costs.	✅ No limit on how many projects or work items get synchronized

For a more in-depth feature comparison and troubleshooting details, check out our help center article.

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How To Set Up Seamless Collaboration on Jira

Now that you’re more aware of the two possible solutions, let’s dive deeper into how to set up each option.

How to Create Jira Automation

With Jira automation, users can configure rule-based workflows that trigger actions based on events (e.g., work item creation). For syncing, this can be extended using webhooks and Jira REST API calls to create work items.

Jira Automation Example: Setting Up A Cross-Project Work Item Clone

1. Create a New Jira Automation Rule

• In your source project (where the original work item will be created), go to Project Settings > Project automation > Create rule.

2. Set the Trigger

• Choose Work item created as your trigger.

3. Add the Clone Action

• Click New action and select clone work item.

• Choose the target project (Project B in our example)

• Map the Jira fields you want to copy from the original work item (summary, description, etc.).

6. (Optional) Link Work Items

• Add another action: Link work items.

• Set the link type (e.g., “clones,” “relates to”) to connect the original and cloned work item.

7. Name, Save, and Turn On the Rule

• Give your rule a clear name.

• Click Turn on rule to activate.
  
  

Result

This automation creates a new, cloned work item in the target project whenever a work item is created in the source project, keeping relevant details consistent and allowing independent tracking.

Important to Know

• This is a one-time clone; subsequent updates to either work items won't automatically sync.

• Two-way syncing and cross-instance automation require significantly more complex setups and maintenance.

How To Set Up Backbone Work Sync for Jira

As mentioned above, Backbone Work Sync is a dedicated app on the Atlassian Marketplace that simplifies work item syncing across Jira instances.

Backbone Work Sync Example: Setting Up A Cross-Project Work Item Sync

You can find the step-by-step guide for creating a cross-project work item sync in this help article.

Result

After setting up the configuration, every time a work item is created in the source project, it will be automatically copied to the target project, including all field data that was synced.

Optionally, work items, comments, attachments, statuses, worklogs, and project versions would also be synced and kept updated in real time.

This ensures both teams or projects stay in sync, with linked work items that can be tracked and managed independently as work progresses.

Important to Know

• Backbone clones the work item from the source to the target project and also keeps the work item updated and in sync in case any changes are made on either side.

Conclusion: Which One Should You Choose?

• Syncing Complexity: Do you need to sync across different Jira instances or organizations?

  • Jira Automation: Limited, requires complex webhooks. Suitable for simple work cloning.

  • Backbone Work Sync: Out-of-the-box, seamless. Suitable for creating, cloning, and keep work items in sync.

• Sync Direction:

  • Jira Automation: Primarily one-way, two-way is complex.

  • Backbone Work Sync: Both two-way and one-way, easy to set up.

• Ease of Setup:

  • Jira Automation: Technical, time-consuming.

  • Backbone Work Sync: UI-based, fast.

• Scalability:

  • Jira Automation: Rate limits can throttle operations.

  • Backbone Work Sync: No limit on the number of created and synced projects and work items.

• Cost:

  • Jira Automation: Included in Jira (license dependent).

  • Backbone Work Sync: Paid app.

Try Backbone Work Sync Yourself

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Need help getting started? Reach out for a personalized demo or support - our team is happy to help you set up a sync tailored to your needs.

[Kamal Deep Pareek]

To sync work items across Jira Cloud instances, Jira Automation and Backbone Work Sync offer two distinct approaches. Jira Automation is built-in, flexible, and ideal for simple, rule-based cross-project tasks but lacks robust cross-instance support. Backbone Work Sync, a third-party app, excels at bi-directional, real-time syncing across instances and organizations, with customizable field mapping and permission control. Choose Jira Automation for lightweight internal automation and Backbone Work Sync for advanced, enterprise-grade integration. Ultimately, Backbone is better suited for seamless collaboration across multiple Jira Cloud sites, especially when working with external teams or managing distributed workflows.

[Patricia Modispacher _K15t_]

Love that article, @Umer Sohail _K15t_ !

I especially like the feature comparison table. It makes it simple to spot the strengths and trade-offs at a glance.

Your step-by-step walkthrough for setting up a basic Automation clone rule gave me exactly the practical direction I needed.

Thanks for cutting through the noise and offering real-world guidance!

[Umer Sohail _K15t_]

Spot on @Kamal Deep Pareek ! Thanks for summarizing the article so perfectly! 

[Umer Sohail _K15t_]

You're welcome @Patricia Modispacher _K15t_
Thanks for the kind words!