Why can't my automation set two user fields to the values of two other user fields?

[Phil Bustin]

My automation (below) is unsuccessful in trying to set Business Analyst from Development Manager ({ssue.Development Manager.displayName}} and QA Resource from reporter ((issue.reporter.displayName}} in edit actions.  A log action prior to the actions shows values for both source fields.

Perhaps not coincidentally, there is an exclamation point displayed after the rule, that I think indicates an undefined issue.  I tried adding a couple of refresh actions, but there was no change in the result.

Rule

Rule log

[The page couldn't load, suddenly]

The log actions showed no values for the two fields, after the field edit actions.  I'll post the log after the page load problem is resolved.

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Phil Bustin 

I believe to set a user field you need either the entire user object or the accountId attribute in the edit.  For example:

{{issue.reporter}} or {{issue.reporter.accountId}}

Kind regards,
Bill

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Phil Bustin 

Are you work with issues in a Team Managed project or a Company Managed project?

Are all the fields you are referencing Single User Picker fields?

Can you show us the details of the Edit actions?

(The Automation Rules screens have been having issues, as reported by Atlassian, apparently due to an AWS Lambda performance degradation issue.)

[Phil Bustin]

It's a Company Managed project, and all the fields I'm referencing are Single User Picker fields.

The log and edit actions:

Automation log

Edit Business Analyst

Edit QA Resource

[Trudy Claspill]

Then, as @Bill Sheboy  said, you should just reference the source field without the .displayName attribute.

[Phil Bustin]

Thanks.  I did that (thought I had done it before), but I also remembered to check the Create transition, and sure enough, I had added two post actions--setting the QA Resource from User, and setting the Development Manager (from which I was setting the BA in the automation).  Once I deleted those actions, the automation worked.  Hopefully, I'll think to check transitions when I'm debugging automations.