Notify pending approvers using Automation for JSM Cloud

Summary

Automate reminders for approvers to review pending requests in service projects. Learn how to setup notifications effectively.

Solution

Use an automation rule to notify the pending approvers

The suggested automation rule logic is to search for tickets with the final approval decision set to "pending" because one or more approvers have not yet made their decision, then comment on the ticket to "@" notify the user pending approval.

Please keep in mind that you must find the appropriate smart value of the custom field Approval. You must replace customfield_ID with the smart value of your field in the rule.

Please follow the instructions in our article to retrieve a custom field's smart value notation.

Case 1: Using a User Picker field

The example rule below is in a scenario where two approvers are in the selected approver field.

1. When: Scheduled

2. Mark the "Run a JQL search and execute actions for each work item in the query" checkbox and filter for the work items with pending approvals:

   • "Approvals[Approvals]" = pending() AND --complete your JQL filter here (I.E. project = PROJECTKEY AND status = "Waiting for Approval")

3. Then: Re-fetch work item data

4. Add a condition: IF or ELSE block

   • If: All matches

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(0)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: approved

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(1)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • Then: Add comment to work item

     • Comment: "Approver: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(0).displayName}} has approved the work item. Ticket is now waiting for the Approver: [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(1).accountId}}] decision."

   • Else If: All matches

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(0)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(1)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: approved

   • Then: Add comment to work item

     • Comment: "Approver: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(1).displayName}} has approved the work item. Ticket is now waiting for the Approver: [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(0).accountId}}] decision."

5. Name the automation rule and turn it ON

Below is an example of what the rule will look like in the automation editor:

Case 2: Using a Group Picker field

The example rule below is for a scenario in which an approver group field is selected as the approver source.

1. When: Scheduled

2. Mark the "Run a JQL search and execute actions for each work item in the query" checkbox and filter for the work items with pending approvals:

   • "Approvals[Approvals]" = pending() AND --complete your JQL filter here (I.E. project = PROJECTKEY AND status = "Waiting for Approval")

3. Then: Re-fetch work item data

4. Add a condition: IF or ELSE block

   • If: All matches

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(0)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: approved

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(1)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(2)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • Then: Add comment to work item

     • Comment: "Approver: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(0).displayName}} has approved the work item. Ticket is now waiting for the Approvers: [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(1).accountId}}] and [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(2).accountId}}] decision."

   • Else If: All matches

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(0)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(1)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: approved

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(2)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • Then: Add comment to work item

     • Comment: "Approver: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(1).displayName}} has approved the work item. Ticket is now waiting for the Approver: [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(0).accountId}}] and [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(2).accountId}}] decision."

5. Else If: All matches

   • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(0)}}

   • Condition: contains

   • Second value: pending

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(1)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: pending

   • AND

     • First value: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approverDecision.get(2)}}

     • Condition: contains

     • Second value: approved

6. Then: Add comment to work item

   • Comment: "Approver: {{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(2).displayName}} has approved the work item. Ticket is now waiting for the Approver: [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(0).accountId}}] and [~accountid:{{issue.customfield_ID.approvers.get(0).approver.get(1).accountId}}] decision."

7. Name the automation rule and turn it ON

Here's a screenshot of the finished rule in the automation editor:

Confirm if it worked

• Create a test request that requires two approvers: have one approve and leave the other pending.

• Trigger the rule and confirm the pending approver is @-mentioned in a comment and receives the notification.

Feature request ticket

The following feature suggestion has been raised for the implementation and improvement of the "Approval required" automation rule action in JSM:

• JSDCLOUD-8369 - Approval Reminder Notification

References

• Jira automation triggers

• Jira automation actions

• Jira automation conditions

• Automation smart values - lists