Issue Link Guard for Jira¶
Issue Link Guard lets you decide who can link issues in a Jira project, with which link types, and to which projects. It adds a link window to the issue view and two custom field types to Jira Cloud, and it can create links on behalf of users who don't have Jira's own "Link Issues" permission.
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What you can do with it¶
- Limit link types per project. Choose which link types (Blocks, Relates, Duplicate and so on) can be used in a project. Link rules
- Limit who can use each type. Allow a link type for everyone, or only for selected project roles, groups or individual users. Link rules
- Set different rules per issue type. For example, allow "Duplicate" only on bugs. Rules per issue type
- Limit target projects. Allow linking only to issues from selected projects. Project restriction
- Make the rules binding. Take Jira's "Link Issues" away from users and let the app's account create the links they are allowed to make. Technical account
- Link from the issue view. A section in the issue's side panel opens a window with all links of the issue; users add and remove links and save the changes together. Side panel and link window
- Manage links from a field, also on the create screen. Links field
- Offer pickers with one link type. A picker field links with one fixed link type and offers only the issues that match a JQL filter. It can hold one issue or many. Picker fields
- See who linked what. Links created or removed through the app are listed on the issue, in the Issue Link Guard tab of the Activity section. Activity log
- Keep personal data under control. Choose how long the log is kept, anonymize entries, or turn the log off. Data and privacy
How it fits with Jira¶
Issue Link Guard works next to Jira's built-in linking; it does not change or hide it. As long as users have Jira's "Link Issues" permission, they can still link through Jira's own "Linked work items" section, where the app's rules do not apply.
To make the rules binding, a Jira administrator removes "Link Issues" from regular users in the project's permission scheme and turns on the app's technical account for that project. From then on:
- Jira's built-in link section becomes read-only for those users.
- Users link through Issue Link Guard: the panel on the issue view or the app's fields. The app checks the project's rules first.
- The link is created by the app's account. The issue's activity log shows who requested it.
Who does what¶
| Role | What they set up | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Jira administrator | Installs the app, creates the custom fields and adds them to screens, configures picker fields, turns the technical account on or off, sets data and privacy options | Jira admin settings → Marketplace apps → Issue Link Guard |
| Project administrator | Turns control on for the project, sets the rules, turns the side panel on | Project settings (Space settings) → Apps → Issue Link Guard |
| User | Links issues from the panel on the issue view or from the app's fields | Issue view, create screen |
Requirements¶
- Jira Cloud.
- The interface is available in English and Polish. It follows the language set in each user's Jira profile; any other language shows English.
- An active license. Without one the app works read-only: links, the activity log and the settings stay available, but the app doesn't add or remove links.