Jira Automation - Checking if initiator is Jira automate

[Sunny Liao]

Hi everyone,

I need assistance with setting up a Jira automation rule. Specifically, I want to use the Lookup Value feature to check if an issue was updated 2 weeks ago, but not by the Jira automation user. Is there a way to write a JQL query to filter for this?

Here’s the scenario I’m working with:

• If an issue was updated 2 weeks ago, I want to send an email to the assignee and update a field called "Email Sent" to 1.
• If an issue has not been updated for 4 weeks, I want to send another email.

The problem I’m encountering is that when the automation updates the "Email Sent" field to 1, it counts as an update by Jira automation. This skews our records, making it appear as though the issue was updated by someone else, which is not our intention.

Therefore, I need to write an Automation Rule that ensures emails are only sent for issues that were not updated by Jira automation and were updated 2 weeks ago.

Does anyone know how to achieve this?

Thank you for your help!

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Sunny Liao -- Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

I believe may be possible by including JQL checks with the updatedBy() function: https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/jql-functions/#updatedBy--

Please note well: there is a known defect with this function that once the user has made more than 32000 updates across all issues in the site, the results become inaccurate.  Over time, that is likely to be the case for the Automation for Jira user.  https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRACLOUD-79113

If you want to try the function, an example JQL would be:

project = myProject
 AND issue NOT IN updatedBY("Automation for Jira", -14d, 1m)
 ORDER BY Key ASC

Please add your additional checks on the updated field to complete your scenario.

Kind regards,
Bill

[Sunny Liao]

That's perfect @Bill Sheboy  it works now! Thank you

[John Funk · Accepted solution]

Hi Sunny - Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

You should be able to use a condition to check for the initiator being the Automation for Jira user. 

[Sunny Liao]

Looks like that works too! Thank you @John Funk