Last updated Feb 23, 2023

Migration from Server to Cloud

Learn about migrating templates from Jira Server to Jira Cloud

Background

You’ll find most of the basic functionalities in both Issue Templates for Jira Server/Data Center and Issue Templates for Jira Cloud. They deliver the same business value, which is to save time by using templates for quick issue creation.

Two separate app versions were developed to meet the particular needs of our Clients and to overcome specific limitations of both Jira hostings. That’s why they differ from each other in terms of particular features and the overall application design. The Server version offers more advanced functionalities and customization options, while the Cloud version has been simplified and adjusted to the Jira Cloud experience.

Because of these differences, there is no dedicated migration tool that would allow the migration of settings between the two hosting options. We recommend carrying out the export and import process natively, using standard Jira features.

Migration process

Info

To perform the migration you’ll need two separate licenses, one for the Server version and one for the Cloud.

In both versions, templates are stored in a dedicated project called the repository. This project can be migrated, just as any other project, using Jira’s native importing tools.

In Jira Cloud, a template is just an issue with additional issue properties. Unfortunately, at the moment there is no easy way to migrate issue properties. After importing the repository project, all the issues should be visible in issue navigator, however they may not be visible as templates on the Manage templates page yet.

Templates' activation

After the migration, the template issues are available in the repository project but they still need to be activated as templates for Jira Cloud. In order to do so, you need to use the Use as a template setting in each template issue.

Info

We are working on a solution for an automated activation.

Warning

If you migrate templates to a Jira Cloud instance where Issue Templates is already installed, and you are experiencing problems with app permissions, we recommend to reinstall the app. It should fix the problems with permissions automatically.

After the activation, all the templates will be available on the Manage templates page in Jira Cloud:

Issue Templates for Jira - Migration from Server to Cloud

You can either activate the templates one by one manually using the toggle:

Or you can activate them all in bulk using automation:

Go to Project settings > Automation
Create a rule:

When - Scheduled trigger

Info

It’s not relevant how you configure the date. You just need this option to unlock the Run rule, but don’t click it yet.
Component - For each > Branch rule/related issues > JQL > In JQL type in issuetype in (subTaskIssueTypes())
Then: Add an action > Set entity property > Entity type: Issue > Property key: template > Property value:

{
    "scope": null,
    "enabled": true
}

Add a new component - For each > Branch rule/related issues > JQL > In JQL type in issuetype not in subTaskIssueTypes() AND issue.property["com.deviniti.issue-templates__template"].enabled is empty
Then: Add an action - > Set entity property > Entity type: Issue > Property key: com.deviniti.issue-templates__template

{
"templateName": "{{issue.summary}}",
"scopeId": null,
"copySubtasks": true,
"isTemplateSelectable": true,
"isTemplateAvailableInAllProject": true,
"projectsIdsThatTemplateAvailableIn": [],
"enable": true
"targetProject": null
}

Click Run rule to start.

Result

Templates have been activated.

Template details' configuration

An activated template is practically ready to use on the Cloud. Fields and their contents are preserved in each template. You might want to additionally configure the following:

Template name. By default, the template’s summary becomes its name. You can change the name at any time if you want it to be different from the summary.
Scope (set of fields). After the migration, the template’s scope is set to inherit. This means that you only need to set the scope in an epic and it will be applied to the entire issue structure. The default scope is set to All fields except Reporter which means that even if you don’t configure the scope, all the template’s fields (apart from Reporter) will be copied to the target issue.
Availability. The availability settings are not inherited from the Server version but you can use the Create from template button instead. It suggests matching templates for the chosen issue type and is a good alternative for setting availability per issue type.

Similarities and differences

Feature	Server/Data Center	Cloud
Template repository project	The repository project called Templates (TEMP) is created automatically during the app installation. It contains two predefined issue types (Template and Sub-template). It can also contain sample templates if you chose to add the samples during the onboarding. The repository project can be changed in the configuration.	The repository project is not created automatically unless you follow the onboarding. During the first steps you can choose an existing project or create a new one. The repository project can be changed in the configuration.
Template details configuration	Available on the template’s issue view, as well as in the Template Navigator. The panel includes the following tabs: General, Fields, Availability, Context, Relations and User variables.	Available on every template’s issue view in the repository project. Contains two tabs: General and Availability. For more details, see Template’s configuration.
Set of fields/Scope	Available on every template’s issue view (Fields tab) and under the repository project’s settings.	Available on every template’s issue view and under the repository project’s settings.
Template availability settings	Available under the Availability tab in particular templates and in the global Template Repository project’s settings. You can restrict the template’s availability to the following categories: Projects, Project Categories, Issue Type, Screens, Groups, Users, Languages.	Available in the Template’s configuration panel in Availability tab. Allows to restrict the template’s availability to particular projects only.
Variables	Provides two types of variables: User variables and System variables. Configured in a dedicated panel on the issue view and globally.	Provides two types of variables: Dynamic (equivalent to User variables in the Server version) and Static (equivalent to System variables in the Server version). The functionality is basically the same, although the server version offers more custom settings.
Autocomplete fields on Jira issue screens	Available for all screen types delivered by Jira, including create, edit and transition screens.	Possible with the Create from template screen, however, it is unavailable on Jira issue screens due to API limitations. See more details in a dedicated FAQ section.
Applying templates to existing issues	Available under More on the issue view. See Apply template for more details.	Available under the three dots menu on the issue view. See Apply template for more details.
JQL Searchers	JQL queries dedicated for searching for templates. See JQL Searchers for more details.	Different JQL queries are available for the Cloud version. See JQL Searchers for more details.
Templates with subtasks	Supported with an additional workflow post function (Create Structure).	Supported when the Copy subtasks option is enabled in the template.
Templates for epics	Supported with an additional workflow post function (Create Structure).	Supported with no additional settings needed.
Templates with issue links	Supported with an additional workflow post function (Create Structure).	Supported with no additional settings needed.
Templates on the Customer portal	Supported with all functionalities such as autocomplete and variables. See Jira Service Management for more details.	Supported with limitations. See Jira Service Management for more details.
Default templates	Available under every project settings. See Default Template for more details.	Unavailable
Use as a template	You can convert any issue into a template. See Use as a template for more details.	Unavailable
Templates Navigator	A dedicated view for managing all the templates in the repository project. Offers additional features such as bulk editing, adding templates to categories, and more. See Template navigator for more details.	Unavailable
App integrations	The way the app is integrated differs significantly between the Server and Cloud versions. For more details, see REST API	The way the app is integrated differs significantly between the Server and Cloud versions. For more details, see Automation.
Post functions	The Create Structure post function is necessary copying subtasks and linked issues, as well as for copying values from templates to target issues.	There is no need to use workflow post functions on the Cloud version. Subtasks, issue links and issues under epics are copied automatically.

Migration FAQ

Do I need to configure any post functions on the Cloud version?

No, on Cloud you can autofill fields and copy values from templates without any post functions.

How do I copy subtasks on the Cloud?

The Copy subtasks feature is enabled by default. Every template issue that has subtasks will create those subtasks in the target project without any additional configuration.

Will stories be copied under an epic?

Yes. If you have a template that is an epic with stories, the entire structure will be created in the target project without any additional configuration.

Can I use default templates on the Cloud?

Because of the Jira API’s limitations, currently we are not able to offer a Cloud alternative for this feature.

You can reach a similar effect (although without the autocomplete feature) by adding the Apply template post function to the Create transition.

Need help?

If you can’t find the answer you need in our documentation, raise a support request.