A Guide to Forms & Dynamic Forms in Jira Service Management

Updated on February 16, 2024

Are you tired of long, overly detailed forms with questions unrelated to your situation?

If you were to honestly answer this question from your customer’s perspective, what would you say?

More importantly, could you say you do everything to reduce your Jira Service Management forms’ length and improve their readability?

If not, don’t worry. That’s what this article is here to do. Learn everything you need to know about dynamic forms in Jira Service Management and how they can transform your service request process.

This article will guide you through creating more efficient, user-friendly forms that not only enhance the user experience but also streamline the information collection process for your team. Get ready to simplify your forms, boost customer satisfaction, and improve your service management workflow with dynamic forms.

Forms in Jira Service Management are customizable interfaces you can use to collect data from users. They help with the creation and management of service requests, incident reports, and more.

They serve as a structured way to gather necessary information from requestors. That way you can make sure that service teams have all the details they need to resolve requests.

We can categorize Forms in Jira Service Management into two main types: static forms and dynamic forms. Each type serves a different purpose and offers different levels of interactivity and customization.

Static forms are the most basic type of forms used in Jira Service Management. They consist of a predetermined set of fields that collect specific information from users. These fields don’t change based on user input; they remain constant regardless of how the form is filled out.

The layout and the fields of the form are predefined and don’t adapt based on the user’s responses.

These forms are straightforward to create and fill out. They’re suitable for straightforward requests that don’t require conditional logic.

Static forms are useful for collecting standardized information where the requirements are clear and unchanging. Examples include contact details, simple service requests, or basic incident reporting.

Dynamic forms, on the other hand, are more advanced and interactive. They can change in real-time based on the inputs or selections made by the user. This adaptability is made possible through conditional logic. Using it, we can show or hide fields, change field options, or even alter the form’s flow based on the user’s responses.

Fields can appear or disappear based on previous selections. It makes the form more relevant and less overwhelming for the user.

By only presenting relevant fields, dynamic forms streamline the submission process. It improves user satisfaction and the quality of submitted data.

Ideal for complex service requests or incidents that require a more nuanced understanding or varying information, based on the situation.

They can be customized. It enables organizations to tailor the form precisely to their process requirements.

Static forms

Best suited for straightforward, routine requests where the information needed is always the same. Examples include basic helpdesk requests, employee onboarding forms, or vacation requests.

Dynamic forms

Ideal for situations where the information required may vary significantly depending on the context of the request. Examples include:

What’s worth mentioning, native JSM forms can be quite limited. Depending on the complexity of your project, you may want to integrate apps from the Atlassian Marketplace. Let’s see an example and learn how these apps may differ from native forms.

In Jira Service Management, there are three places where you can use forms.

Creating new issues

You can use forms to create new issues in Jira Service Management. Using links to forms, team members can submit information even outside the customer portal. This feature is particularly useful for internal processes or when collecting information from users who might not have access to the customer portal.

This option is limited to admins, agents, and collaborators in a Service Desk Team role.

Adding to existing issues

You can add forms to the issues that are already created. Agents or admins can add them to collect additional information or to follow up on specific details. This is useful for situations where you need more data during the issue resolution process.

Request forms for customers

You can also integrate forms into the service request process. When customers go to raise a request in the portal, the form will appear as part of the request form for them to fill out. This method helps in gathering detailed information right when the request is made. It ensures clarity and completeness of the request details.

It depends if you want to create static or dynamic forms. We prepared instructions for both of these scenarios.

To create a static request form native to Jira Service Management, follow these steps:

Step 1: Access project settings

Step 2: Configure request types

Step 3: Add, arrange and configure fields

Step 4: Save changes

Step 5: Preview and adjust

Creating dynamic forms natively within Jira Service Management involves using the built-in capabilities of Jira’s Forms feature (formerly known as ProForma), which allows for conditional logic and more interactive forms. Here’s how to create a dynamic form.

Extension for Jira Service Management is available on Cloud and Data Center. 

The Cloud version of the app also involves only 3-step setup of Dynamic Forms. It goes as follows:

Let’s go through the process step-by-step.

Firstly, go to Project settings and then the Customer form extension. Choose a request type from the list available there.

In the second step, you need to choose the dynamic field and then click on Add a new field. Once clicked, the field is automatically added.

Next, click on Manage fields.

When the new dialog box shows up, you can either manually pick the appropriate field or click on Select all.

Next, you can name the dynamic field and add Field help to it. The latter helps users understand what they need to input in the field.

Lastly, you can use drag and drop to arrange the dynamic fields you created.

Learn more in the app’s documentation.

Firstly, click on Conditions. 

Once the dialog box shows up, choose the field which value you want to compare.

Then, add a condition and type its value in the box to the right. Click Save.

You can see an example below:

Repeat the process to add more conditions.

See the list of all available conditions here.

Click on Validators.

Once the dialog box pops up, select Rule name.

Next, type the validator value in the box to the right (if necessary) and click Save.

See the list of all available validators here.

Let’s dive into real-life examples to show you how standard Jira Service Management forms differ from the dynamic forms. We use the Extension for Jira Service Management app as an example.

An employee needs to report a software issue. They select “Software Issue” from a dropdown menu and fill in a general description field. However, the form doesn’t prompt for specific information like software version or error codes, which are crucial for troubleshooting. The IT team often needs to follow up for more details, delaying the resolution process.

When the employee selects “Software Issue,” additional fields appear, asking for the software name, version, and to attach any error screenshots. This targeted information allows the IT team to immediately start diagnosing the problem without back-and-forth emails. It leads to quicker resolutions and a better user experience.

A new hire fills out a form to request their onboarding equipment. The form includes a long list of all possible equipment and access needs, many of which are not relevant to their role. The new hire has to sift through all options, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming.

The form initially asks the new hire to select their department. Based on the selection, only relevant equipment options and access rights for that department are displayed. For instance, a developer sees options for a high-spec laptop and access to coding tools, whereas a salesperson sees options for a standard laptop and CRM access. This tailored approach streamlines the entire onboarding process. It improves the experience for new hires and ensures they receive exactly what they need for their role.

An employee wants to report a maintenance issue in their office. The form they fill out is generic, asking for a description of the issue without specifying the type of problem or location details. The facilities team often has to contact the employee for additional information, such as the exact location and nature of the issue, delaying the maintenance work.

Upon selecting “Maintenance Issue,” the employee is prompted to specify the type of issue (e.g., electrical, plumbing) and the affected office location through dynamic dropdowns. For electrical issues, they’re also asked to describe the appliance and attach photos if possible. This precise information enables the facilities team to quickly assign the right technician and ensure they come prepared with the necessary tools. It significantly speeds up the repair process.

A software development company uses Jira Service Management to manage bug reports from its users. The company has several software products, each with its own set of versions and known issues.

When a user wants to report a bug, they are presented with a form where they select the product from a dropdown menu. Based on this single selection, they might see a field to input the version number. However, the form cannot adapt further based on both the product and version selected, which limits the ability to collect precise information relevant to specific product-version combinations.

In this improved scenario, when a user selects a software product, the form dynamically updates to not only ask for the version but also adjusts subsequent fields based on the combination of product and version selected. 

For example:

1. Product selection: The user selects “Product A” from a dropdown.

2. Version selection: Based on “Product A,” another dropdown asks for the version, and the user selects “Version 2.0.”

3. Conditional fields displayed: 

This approach uses multiple conditions (the specific product and its version) to tailor the form dynamically. That way we make sure that the information collected is as relevant and detailed as possible for the support team. It reduces the need for follow-up questions, accelerates the troubleshooting process, and enhances the overall efficiency of the bug resolution workflow.

In conclusion, Jira Service Management offers versatile form solutions tailored to diverse needs. For simple use cases, its static forms provide a simple and efficient way to collect essential information.  On the other hand, dynamic forms are ideal for more complex scenarios. They adapt in real-time to user responses and streamline the data collection process. Whether your needs are basic or complex, Jira Service Management has the tools to create a seamless form experience for your users.