Setup Conditions and Validators

How to setup Jira workflow conditions and validators

Condition vs. Validator: What’s the Difference?

Before diving in, let’s clarify the difference between a Condition and a Validator:

• Condition: Prevents users from seeing or executing a transition unless the required conditions are met. If the condition is not satisfied, the transition button won’t even appear.

• Validator: Allows the transition button to be clicked, but blocks the transition after submission if the criteria aren’t met.

👉 In short: Conditions hide transitions, while Validators block them after submission.

What is a Jira Workflow Validator

Validators are executed when someone tries to transition an issue. A validator makes sure details are correct when transitioning an issue, and stops the transition if they aren’t. When there are incorrect details, the person transitioning the issue will be prompted to fix them.

How to add a validator?

1. Edit the workflow that contains the transition.

2. In diagram mode, select the transition arrow and click Validators in the properties panel. or In text mode, select the transition's name from the Transitions (id) column.

3. Select the Validators tab and click on Add validator button

4. Choose from the available validators and set any necessary parameters for the validator.

5. Remember to Publish Draft

Validators available after installing Workflow Building Blocks for Jira app (WBB)

Learn more about adding validators in Atlassian's documentation

What is a Jira Workflow Condition

Conditions control whether the user can execute a transition. If a condition fails, the user won't be able to execute the transition. For example, the user won't see the transition button on the View issue page.

How to add a condition?

1. Edit the workflow that contains the transition.

2. In diagram mode, select the transition arrow and click Conditions in the properties panel. or In text mode, select the transition's name from the Transitions (id) column.

3. Select the Conditions tab and click on Add condition button

4. Choose from the available conditions, and set any necessary parameters for the condition

5. Remember to Publish Draft

Conditions available after installing Workflow Building Blocks for Jira app (WBB)

Learn more about adding conditions in Atlassian's documentation

New workflow editor vs old editor

Recently, in Jira, you may have noticed the new workflow editor, which lacks support for conditions and validators provided by apps. Switch to the old editor to use the app.