Retrieve email addresses to set 'Reporter' field in Jira Cloud

Platform Notice: Cloud Only - This article only applies to Atlassian products on the cloud platform.

Summary

When tickets are automatically created via API or email, the reporter's details might be in the issue's description or custom fields. Agents or project admins need to find these email IDs and update the 'reporter' field with the correct information.

Screenshot of a Jira automation rule setup to extract an email address from an issue description and set it in the reporter field.

Solution

Utilization of Jira automation

  • Jira automation can be leveraged to fulfill the requirement of extracting the actual reporter's email address from the issue description using Jira-smart-values-text-fields.

  • You can use the smart value {{Issue.description.substringBetween("<",">")}} in conjunction with the substringBetween function to isolate the email address enclosed within "<>". This extraction process, however, is dependent on the particular data we receive in the corresponding field.

  • The email field is populated with the extracted email using the substringBetween smart value.  The rule also includes steps to edit issue fields and add the customer account ID to the audit log.
  • Reporter Account ID: The email address can't be directly added as a reporter, so a Reporter account ID is required. 

  • Update of Actual Reporter: As stated earlier, the account ID is needed to update the actual reporter. After the execution of the 'Add service project customer' action, the {{customer.accountId}}  smart value can be used directly in the 'Edit Issue' field under 'Reporter'. This is a highly efficient method to update the reporter's information.

    • Jira automation rule configuration showing the "Edit issue" action. The Reporter field is being set with the customer account ID. The rule also includes adding a new customer, logging details to the audit log, and triggering manually.
  • Two Potential Scenarios:

    • Scenario One: The actual reporter is already a customer of the service desk project. In this instance, the reporter should be added and replaced.

    •  Scenario Two: A first-time customer has provided an email address. This new customer should be added first, and then the reporter should be replaced with the actual reporter. 

  • In both scenarios, the 'Add service project customer' action can be effectively used. If the user is a first-time customer, it will add them; if they are already a customer, it will provide the existing customer information.

Updated on June 27, 2025

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