How do I copy information from a parent issue into a sub-task?

[wwalser]

Most automations work with individual issues but it is sometimes useful to copy information into a sub-task from it's parent issue.

How do I copy information from a parent issue into a sub-task?

[wwalser · Accepted solution]

First things first, a quick explination of how smart values work in Automation:

As a chain of components execute in an Automation. As each step executes, it writes any relevant details into what we call the “context object”. This is the object from which smart values are pulled.

Most automations trigger on some manipulation of an issue, so it is often the case that {{issue}} exists within this context object. Lots of actions implicitly read this {{issue}} value to understand what issue to operate on.

Now to answer the actual question, How do I copy information from a parent issue into a sub-task?

Given the above information about the context object, let's assume that `{{issue}}` currently refers to a Jira sub-task. In that case, accessing the parent is as simple as using the `{{issue.parent}}` smart value. 

Details about this and other smart values can be found in our docs here: https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/smart-values-general/