Create work items across Jira Cloud instances with Automation

Summary

With two separate Jira sites, it's possible to use Automation flows to create work items in both sites at the same time. To accomplish this, we need to create two flows, one for sending a webhook from the source instance and one for receiving a webhook on the destination instance.

How it works: Cross-site creation uses two automation flows - a Send webhook flow on the source site and an Incoming webhook flow on the destination site. Build the destination flow first so you can copy its Webhook URL and secret into the source flow.

Solution

Build order at a glance:

1. Create the destination flow first - set up an Incoming Webhook trigger + Create Work Item action. Save and enable the rule, then copy the Webhook URL and Secret.

2. Create the source flow second - set up a Work Item Created trigger + Send Web Request action. Paste the destination's Webhook URL and secret into this flow.

3. Start simple - send only summary + description first. Add fields one at a time and use a Log action to inspect the webhook Data smart value to find the correct field paths.

Automation flow on destination Jira instance

We'll actually start with the flow on the destination Jira instance. This allows us to copy the necessary webhook URL and secret which we'll use in the flow on the source instance later.

This flow needs to receive a webhook, and create a work item afterwards. The webhook URL and secret won't appear until the flow is saved and enabled.

1. Navigate to either your Space > Space settings > Automation (for a space-scoped flow) or to global automation (for a globally scoped flow) and select Create flow

2. Trigger: Incoming Webhook

3. Action: Log action (optional)

4. Action: Create a new work item

   1. Space: Select the space under your destination instance that must receive all the work items that will be created from the source instance.

   2. Work item type: Select the type that the work item will be created as

      • If you need several work item types, you can add some conditions using the "If block condition" and create separate "Create work item" actions for each type of work

   3. Summary and Description: Use Smart values to dynamically populate work item data from the Webhook

      • For the summary, use {{webhookData.fields.summary}}

      • For the description, use {{webhookData.fields.description}}

      • Add any other fields you want under the "Choose fields to set" option, and then use the same logic to get the field values from the webhook Data object

5. Set a Name for your flow, and turn it on

6. Return to the Incoming webhook trigger

7. For Execute this automation flow with: Select Work items provided by webhook HTTP POST body

   • Webhook URL: We'll need to use this URL in the Webhook URL field of the source instance flow

   • Secret: This is the value for the flow's X-Automation-Webhook-Token on the source instance flow

Automation Flow on source Jira instance

This flow will send a webhook to the Jira destination instance whenever a work item is created on the source.

As mentioned, we'll need both the Webhook URL and Secret from the automation flow on the destination instance. Please copy and store these values temporarily until both flows are configured and working.

1. Navigate to either your Space > Space settings > Automation (for a space-scoped flow) or to global automation (for a globally scoped flow) and select Create flow

2. Trigger: Work Item Created

3. Action: Log action (optional)

4. Action: Send web request

   • Webhook URL: Paste the URL of the incoming webhook trigger on the destination Jira instance

   • Headers: Insert the header X-Automation-Webhook-Token, and paste the webhook secret in the Value portion of this header

5. HTTP method: POST

   • This allows us to send information to the webhook URL

6. Webhook body: To simplify things, select Custom data and send all the required work item data using Smart values, which are placeholders for dynamic content

   Custom data

   { "summary": "{{issue.summary}}", "description": "{{issue.description}}" }

How do I know it worked?

Trigger the source flow (e.g., create an issue in the source space). Confirm that:

• A matching work item is created on the destination site

• The summary and description carry over correctly

• Any additional fields you mapped (e.g., priority, labels) are populated as expected

Related article

• Jira Cloud automation | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support