How to automate recurring Epics and tasks in Jira without duplication?

[Renee Canlas]

Our current Jira setup has:

• Monthly Epics (for month-end work)
• Tasks inside those Epics
• Other recurring tasks outside of month-end (annual, biweekly, weekly, adhoc)

The issues we’re running into:

•  Automation keeps duplicating tasks multiple times, so we have to delete extras every week.
• If I create a monthly Epic for October, the next one (November) doesn’t auto-generate, I’d like it to copy all the tasks under it.
• Some weekly tasks keep getting cloned into the Epic that existed when the automation was first created, instead of attaching to the new month’s Epic.

Is there a way to configure Jira so that:

• Monthly Epics are automatically created for each new month with their tasks copied under them, and
• Recurring tasks (weekly, biweekly, annual, adhoc) generate independently and always link to the correct Epic, without duplication?

Plz drop some tips and lmk if my question was clear or not! Have a nice day!

[Olga Cheban _TitanApps_]

Hi @Renee Canlas !

Indeed, native automation rules can run with errors that can be tricky to pinpoint and resolve. if you are open to considering a more straightforward third-party tool, I would recommend trying our solution, Smart Templates for Jira.

The app allows you to save any work item hierarchy as a template and then generate work items from this template. Issue creation can be triggered manually or occur fully automatically on a schedule. 

So, the solution for your current Jira setup would be:

• Monthly Epics + Tasks inside those Epics - save this epic as a template and set a schedule to auto-generate it with all its child tasks on a monthly basis
• Other recurring tasks outside of month-end - save them as separate templates with separate schedules (annual, biweekly, or weekly auto-generation)

The app is very easy to use - it enables you to achieve your goal without having to set up any confusing rules. Here's an example of a template consisting of an epic with tasks and checklists:



And this is how scheduling looks (in this case, for bi-weekly auto-generation):




Smart Templates also allow you to view and manage all your templates from one tab and use variables for dynamic parameters, such as month or deadline.

I hope this helps!
Please let me know if you have any questions

[Marlene Kegel - codefortynine]

Welcome to the community, @Renee Canlas.

I am Marlene, the product manager of Deep Clone for Jira. 

If Deep Clone for Jira is installed on your instance, you can simplify your automations. This approach offers two major benefits: it’s less error-prone and more cost-efficient, since you’ll need far fewer automation rules.

You can achieve this by combining the Deep Clone Post-Function with looping transitions in your workflow.

1. Set up the Post-Function:
   Add the Deep Clone Post-Function to a looping transition in your workflow. Configure which fields to clone, how often to clone the epic, and whether certain field values should be edited or updated.

2. Add the time trigger:
   Use Jira Automation to trigger the looping transition at a specific time or date. This, in turn, triggers the Deep Clone Post-Function.

With this setup, you only need to focus on the timing. Deep Clone takes care of which work items and fields are cloned.

Because a looping transition doesn’t require a status change, the hierarchy can be cloned without moving issues between statuses. Of course, you can also trigger cloning on a status change, either automatically or manually.

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Renee Canlas 

For the symptoms you describe, the rules likely have errors in the scheduled trigger, rule branches, and condition checks.

To provide context for the community to offer better suggestions, please post the following:

• what version of Jira are you using: Cloud, Server, or Data Center
• for Cloud, what type of project(s) are you using: company-managed, team-managed, JPD, etc.
• for one example rule...
  • what is the purpose of the rule
  • an image of the complete rule
  • an image of the audit log details showing the rule execution
  • explain what is not working as expected

After we resolve the challenge with the first rule, you may discover how to fix the others.  If not, we can examine the others.  Thank you!

Kind regards,
Bill

[Akhand Pratap Singh]

Hello @Renee Canlas ,

Good day Welcome to Atlassian Community

For 

1. Monthly Epics are automatically created for each new month with their tasks copied under them

• Use Automation rule, with Trigger to run on the 1st day of every month.
• First Action Create Epic, in summary add Monthly Epic for {{now.format("MMM/yyyy")}} and in labels add Monthly_Epic (create this label first)
• Add Branch rule / related work items and select Most Recently created work items.
• Within Branch add all your tasks for that Epic, make sure you fill all the fields and select Parent in which select Current work item.
  

This way it will automatically create these Epic with tasks every month

2. Recurring tasks (weekly, biweekly, annual, adhoc) generate independently and always link to the correct Epic, without duplication?

• Assuming these monthly Epics are closed every month, at the time of creation, use trigger as Scheduled once every week or twice every week.
• Select Branch rule / related work items and the in it select JQL, give JQL as type = Epic and labels = Monthly_Epic and status is not Resolved 
• with Branch add action create task and select parent as current work item similar to what you did in first case.

Try, and let me know if you face any issue.

Best Regards,
Akhand