Why the project was created without passing lead id?

[Santhosh Ramasamy]

In my scenario, I use a REST API to retrieve the account ID by providing the user's email. Then, I pass this account ID to create a project on Jira using RESR API.

The issue is that if I don't provide any email in the field, Jira creates a user named 'System' and generates it as the lead. Sometimes, it's created with an ID like '102085dd---b***-23dc1877****' as the lead ID.

The problem arises when I try to delete or suspend this user. I encountered an error saying 'Cannot remove a system user.' I would like to understand why this is happening.

[Aswin Raj D · Accepted solution]

Dear @Santhosh Ramasamy ,

Welcome to the community!

In Jira, every project must have a project lead. If you're creating a project through the REST API and do not specify a project lead (by passing the lead's account ID), Jira will default to using a fallback account. This is often a system account, which could be represented by 'System' or a system-generated ID. This behavior ensures that every project has a lead, adhering to Jira's data integrity rules. System accounts have special permissions and restrictions to ensure the integrity and security of the Jira instance. This is why you're encountering issues when trying to delete or suspend such a user; Jira protects these accounts to avoid potential system issues.

When creating projects via the REST API, always ensure that a valid account ID is provided for the project lead. If you inadvertently create projects with a 'System' user as the lead, it's best to manually reassign the project lead to an appropriate user through the Jira UI or via the API if possible. Avoid trying to delete or suspend system accounts.

[Santhosh Ramasamy]

Thanks for the clarification @Aswin Raj D