"Some of the set fields aren't available" error in Jira Cloud Automation

Summary

In Jira Automation, the Edit Work Item action may return an error in the Automation Audit log similar to the following:

"Some of the set fields aren't available. Fields ignored:"

There are multiple potential causes for this error message to appear, including:

• Fields not present on the Edit screen

• Automation rule actor doesn't have sufficient permissions

• Automation rule actor doesn't have app license(s)

• Automation rule actor doesn't match related workflow conditions

Solution

We'll analyze each of the potential causes and their solutions below.

Add fields to project Edit screen(s)

If a field isn't present on the space's Edit screens, then Automation will throw this error and fail to edit the field(s). To resolve it:

1. Identify the field name being ignored from the audit log section

2. Go to the respective screen based on work type

3. Add the field to the screen

Ensure Automation rule actor permissions

The Automation rule actor needs sufficient permissions to edit any related work items. If you're using the "Automation for Jira" actor, you'll need to grant Edit work items permission to the atlassian-addons-project-access Space Role:

1. Navigate to the relevant Space

2. Select Space Settings > Permissions

3. Ensure that Edit work items has been granted to the atlassian-addons-project-access role

Please note: If you are choosing to use a different actor, such as your own user, you'll need to ensure this user has the same permissions granted. Additionally, for improved automation stability, consider adding delays in your automation rule, particularly after actions like 'Create Work Item,' to allow sufficient time for database updates before subsequent steps execute.

Using JSON for field updates

If you're using JSON in the 'Additional Fields' section, ensure that you're using 'Account ID' instead of email addresses for user-related fields such as 'Approvers'. For example, use 'reporter.accountId' to specify an Account ID. Incorrectly using email addresses will result in automation failures.

Verify Automation rule actor app license(s)

Depending on the space type, you'll want to ensure that whatever user is selected to run the automation rule has the proper app licenses. Jira projects will require a Jira license, and Jira Service Management projects require a JSM license. Additionally, use branching in your automation rules to manage operations on multiple items or processes effectively. Branching helps to ensure smoother executions when handling complex automation workflows.

For instructions on adding users to your apps, please refer to our documentation: https://support.atlassian.com/user-management/docs/give-users-access-to-products/

Check project workflow for transition conditions/rules

If you're using workflow properties in Jira, you may have inadvertently prevented editing during a certain workflow step. Specifically, check for the 'jira.issue.editable' property. If this property is set to 'false', it prevents any edits during that step. To address this, you can set 'jira.issue.editable = true' to allow editing or use 'jira.permission.edit.user = [Automation user ID]' to restrict edits to the automation actor while preserving restrictions for other users. To check your workflow for any unwanted properties:

1. Navigate to the relevant Space

2. Select Space settings > Workflows

3. Choose the workflow based on the affected work type

4. On each Transition and Workflow step, check for any properties that restrict editing

   • Refer to our documentation for what these properties might look like

5. Remove or adjust the properties to allow for the rule actor to transition/edit as needed