A simple guide to set up Dynamic Forms in Jira Service Management
Updated on May 30, 2022
When it comes to raising a service desk request, time and details count. However, users value the simplicity of the request forms, which they don’t always get. Especially when it comes to issues that require in-depth details, “simple” isn’t the word that describes the form. Such requests usually mean plenty of ‘important’ fields to fill, making the questionnaire longish and over-detailed, which in turn makes it hard to tell which questions are really important and which we can skip. That also relates to Jira Service Management where default request forms are static. To make simplicity and detailed go together in terms of its request forms, we can turn to apps like Extension for Jira Service Management featuring Dynamic Forms which provide a quantum boost for Jira Service Management user experience.
Dynamic Forms configuration in Jira Service Management
Data Center
To build a dynamic request form, we use two kinds of fields: master and related fields. The former is the main dynamic field with various options to choose from. The latter one is the one we link to a specific option of the master field so that when the user chooses this option, the appropriate field will show up, expanding the form. Remember that for a master field, we can only choose from Single Select, Multi Select, Cascading Select, Dynamic Select, Checkboxes, and Radio Buttons.
Just like filling in the request form shouldn’t be that complicated, setting up Dynamic Forms is also quite easy. We only need to:
- Go to Issues in Jira Administration menu and in Custom fields, click on Add custom field, select the field type and create necessary fields.
- Remember that for a master field, we can only choose from Single Select, Multi Select, Cascading Select, Dynamic Select, Checkboxes, and Radio Buttons.
- To go to the global configuration, move to Manage apps and click on Dynamic Forms in Extension for Jira Service Management section. For project configuration, go to Dynamic Forms in Extension section of Project Settings.
- Add the field to configure and select Related fields for each option.
- Go to Request Types in a service project’s Project Settings, click Edit fields by the specific request type, then Add a field and select both master and related fields.
For example, we have a Hardware field where the user can choose if they want to order a laptop, monitor or something else. To the laptop option, we link the Operating system field. There, we relate Brand and Screen resolution fields with Windows option. This way, each time a user wants to order a laptop, the question about the operating system will show up. And once they choose Windows, the form will extend by additional questions about a laptop brand and screen resolution.
Cloud
Extension for Jira Service Management is available on Cloud instances as well. The Cloud version of the app also involves only 3-step setup of Dynamic Forms, though it’s slightly different from the Data Center one because we need to define validators and conditions for the fields instead of choosing a master field and assigning related fields to the options.
Extension for Jira Service Management vs Dynamic Forms for Jira
Frequently, we receive questions about the difference between Dynamic Forms featured in Extension for Jira Service Management and our other app, Dynamic Forms for Jira (available only for Server and Data Center). In both cases, the aim is the same – improving the user’s experience with Jira Service Management and Jira respectively. And even though Dynamic Forms for Jira is based on the Extension app feature, there are more differences than similarities.
Starting with the most obvious one, Extension app is dedicated to Jira Service Management, while Dynamic Forms is for Jira Software. Also, there’s a Cloud version of the former.
Then we have fields supported by the apps. Dynamic Forms for Jira and Extension for Jira Service Management vary when it comes to what kind of fields we can use for either master or related fields. When it comes to master fields:
- in Jira Software, we use custom fields provided by Dynamic Forms app;
- in Jira Service Management, we can use Priority and Components Jira field, standard custom fields mentioned before (Single Select, Multi Select, Cascading Select, Radio Buttons, and Checkboxes), as well as Dynamic Select, Dynamic Cascading Select, Dynamic Checkboxes, Dynamic Multiselect, and Dynamic Radio Buttons from Dynamic Forms for Jira.
As for the related fields:
- in Jira Software, we can use all Jira fields, standard custom fields, custom fields provided by Dynamic Forms app, and Bundled Fields from Extension;
- in Jira Service Management, we can use the same fields as in case of Jira, adding to that the ones provided by Elements Connect (nFeed, nFeed – Date, nFeed – DateTime’).
Another major difference is that Dynamic Forms for Jira provide visualization of the field relations, as well as tooltips and required validation messages with translations for related fields. Remember to associate the all fields used in Dynamic Forms to the appropriate screens.
Adding dynamics to the request form
Even though Dynamic Forms are quite different depending on the app, they still serve one purpose – to make the experience as seamless and trouble-free as possible for the customers. This means that they will spend less time and fewer nerves figuring out which fields they should focus on because the appropriate ones will show up according to their answers. By adding dynamic fields to the request form, we replace longish and overdetailed forms with general-to-specific ones.
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