Can't delete workflow status "Jira server was contacted but has returned an error response"
Platform Notice: Cloud Only - This article only applies to Atlassian products on the cloud platform.
Summary
When attempting to delete a status in a Jira workflow, you encounter the following error: "The Jira server was contacted but has returned an error response. We are unsure of the result of this operation."
Diagnosis
Inspecting the delete request in your browser's developer tools, in the network tab, the operation failed with a 500 error with the response:
{
"message": "Cannot invoke \"com.atlassian.jira.issue.status.Status.getId()\" because \"status\" is null",
"status-code": 500,
"stack-trace": ""
}Cause
The status is already deleted
This error occurs because the status you are trying to delete no longer exists in Jira. It was deleted before the workflow was published, making it impossible to retrieve its ID. This can happen when:
A new status is added in Diagram Edit mode, creating the status and placing the workflow in Draft mode.
The status is then deleted from the Status Configuration page.
The draft workflow is then published.
Since the status was only associated with the draft workflow and not an active one, Jira permits its deletion. However, publishing the workflow afterward introduces a null reference in the database, leading to the error.
Solution
To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
In Diagram mode, delete the transitions linked to the removed status (these may appear as already deleted).
Switch to Text mode in the workflow editor.
Delete the corresponding workflow step in Text mode. This is effective because the Text editor uses the
workflowStepId, not the deletedstatusId.
By following these steps, you can successfully resolve the error and manage your Jira workflows effectively.
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