Understanding watchers and request participants in JSM Cloud
Platform Notice: Cloud Only - This article only applies to Atlassian apps on the cloud platform.
Summary
Request participants and watchers are different ways for users to access and follow work. Request participants apply only to JSM Spaces and access tickets through the portal. Watchers apply to both JSM and Jira Spaces and are licensed users with access to the Jira Spaces and internal agent view.
Learn how to enhance collaboration in Jira Service Management by sharing tickets between customers and agents and understanding which work item notifications each receive.
Solution
Capability | Request Participant | Watcher |
|---|---|---|
Applies To | Jira Service Management only | Both Jira and Jira Service Management |
License | Usually unlicensed customers (portal view only) | Licensed user with permission on Jira Space |
Comments they can view/add | Public comments only | Internal comments (agent view) and public comments |
How they are added | Via the portal "Share" option; CC'ing an email address when the customer replies to an email; by anyone with edit work item permissions | By any user with the Manage Watchers permission |
How they are removed | Only by a user with edit work item permissions | Can stop watching themselves; no one else needs to remove them |
Find "their" tickets | Portal "Requests" section, filter "Where I am a participant" | Save a filter with the JQL: |
Request Sharing Options
Customer
Share the service request via the portal by adding customers as request participants
The user will receive an email with the URL to access the issue on the customer portal.
Customers can't be watchers, as it requires a Jira/JSM license.
If a customer is unable to add a participant using the portal "Share" option, check the JSM Space customer sharing settings.
JSM Agent
Agents may share the request through the work item view.
The user will receive an email with the URL to access the issue via Jira.
Users accessing via Jira must have permission to browse it.
Agents can be added as watchers.
What type of notifications do they receive?
The following article may be helpful in understanding what notifications the watchers and request participants receive:
Basically, in Jira Service Management:
Request participants will receive notifications if that specific notification is enabled in the JSM Space.
Notifications to watchers are configured through the Space notification scheme.
Useful References
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