YouTrack Cloud
 
2025.1
  1. Administration
  2. Workflows
  3. Workflow Constructor
  4. Actions

Actions

Last modified: 07 June 2024

The Workflow Constructor supports a wide variety of predefined actions. These actions let you specify the changes that should be applied when the prerequisite criteria for running the workflow rule have been satisfied.

Define the actions to be taken by dragging one or more action blocks to the Actions section of the workflow rule.

Check for Additional Conditions

This action verifies that specific conditions that were not included in the prerequisites block have also been met. If any of these checks fail, all changes are rolled back to the initial state and the specified error message is displayed in the user interface.

  • Add one or more conditions by dragging them to the body of the action block. When adding multiple conditions, each condition is automatically connected with a logical AND operator. This means that the prerequisite for running the workflow rule is only met when every condition in the Prerequisites section are met.

  • Use building blocks to combine conditions in different ways. To learn more, see Building Blocks.

Use the following setting to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Error message

Stores the message text that is shown to the user when the conditions defined in this action block are not met.

Update the Value in a Field

This action sets, clears, or changes the current value for the specified field.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Issue

Specifies which issue to update. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue

The action is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The action is applied to the selected issue. When this option is selected, an additional setting lets you choose which issue should be considered.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Field

Specifies which field to update. The available options for this setting are restricted to the set of fields that are used in the projects to which the workflow is attached.

Action

Determines which action is applied to the selected field.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

set

The value for the selected field is set to the selected value. If the field stores multiple values, any existing values are overwritten.

clear

The value for the selected field is set to an empty value.

add

Adds the selected value to the selected field. This option is only available for fields that store multiple values.

remove

Removes the selected value from the selected field. This option is only available for fields that store multiple values.

To

Stores the value to which the field should be set.

This setting is only shown when the Action is set to set, add, or remove.

Show an Alert

This action displays a message as an alert in the YouTrack web app. Alerts are displayed in the lower-right corner of the application user interface. They are shown for approximately five seconds and are dismissed automatically.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Style

Determines which style is applied to the message.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

Acknowledgment

The message is displayed as a standard alert.

Error

The specified message is displayed as an error.

Message

Stores the alert message text.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Require a Field

This action checks a specific field to make sure it is assigned a value. If a value for this field is not set, a message is displayed in the user interface.

warning

This action can be used for any field, including fields that are hidden behind conditions or are not configured to be required in the user interface. You should take extra care to avoid field that are hidden by a condition, as it has the potential to block users from applying updates to an issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Field

Specifies which field is required. The available options for this setting are restricted to the set of fields that are used in the projects to which the workflow is attached.

Message

Stores the message that is shown to the user when the required field is empty.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Update the Issue Visibility

This action makes an issue visible only to a specific user or group.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Issue

Specifies which issue to update. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue

The action is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The action is applied to the selected issue. When this option is selected, an additional setting lets you choose which issue should be considered.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Action

Determines which action is applied to the visibility setting.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

Set

The issue visibility is set to the specified user or group.

Clear

The visibility restrictions are removed from the issue.

Add

The specified user or group is added to the visibility setting for the issue.

Remove

The specified user or group is removed from the visibility setting for the issue.

Visible to

Stores the user or group for which the issue visibility should be set.

This setting is only shown when the Action is set to Set, Add, or Remove.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

Issue readers

The specified action applies to the collection of users and groups who have permission to read issues in the current project.

Reporter

The specified action applies to the user who reported the issue.

User

The specified action applies to a specific user. When used, you have the option to specify whether the action applies to the current user, a user that is stored in a custom field, or a specific user.

Group

The specified action applies to a specific group. When used, you have the option to specify whether the action applies to a group that is stored in a custom field or a specific group.

Create an Issue

This action automatically generates an issue based on the definition that is stores in this action block.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Reporter

Determines which user is set as the reporter for the new issue.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The workflow sets the current user as the reporter for the new issue.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the workflow designates the user who is referenced in the selected field as the reporter.

Use a specific user

The workflow sets the specified user as the reporter. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the condition block.

Take from another block

The rule takes the user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule and sets them as the issue reporter. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Summary

Stores the summary for the new issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Description

Stores the description for the new issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Add field

Adds the selected field to the new issue. When used, you can select the values that are assigned to each field when the issue is created.

Update the Issue Description

This action modifies an issue description by applying the changes defined in this action block.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Description

Issue

Specifies which issue to update. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue

The action is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The action is applied to the selected issue. When this option is selected, an additional setting lets you choose which issue should be considered.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Description

Stores the new issue description.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

To preserve the current description text, insert a reference to the description for the current issue.

Update the Issue Summary

This action modifies an issue summary by applying the changes defined in this action block.

Use the following setting to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Specifies which issue to update. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue

The action is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The action is applied to the selected issue. When this option is selected, an additional setting lets you choose which issue should be considered.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Summary

Stores the new summary text.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

To preserve the current summary text, insert a reference to the summary for the current issue.

Move the Issue to Another Project

This action updates the issue by reassigning it to the specified project.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Specifies which issue to update. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue

The action is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The action is applied to the selected issue. When this option is selected, an additional setting lets you choose which issue should be considered.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Project

Stores the project that the issue moves to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the project for the current issue.

The issue is moved to the project that the current issue belongs to.

Use a specific project

The issue is moved to the selected project. When used, an additional field for storing the target project is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The issue is moved to a project that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a project.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

This action adds an issue link from the current issue to a target issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Target issue

Determines which issue the issue link is added to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use a specific issue

The issue link is added to the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Link type

Determines which link type is used to represent the relationship between the linked issues. The list of available options is based on the issue link types that have been configured for your YouTrack site.

Add a Work Item

This action adds a work item that records the time a specific user spent working on the issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines which issue the work item is added to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The work item is added to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The work item is added to the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Work author

Determines which user is designated as the author of the work item. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The work item is added on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the workflow sets the user who is referenced in the selected field as the author of the work item.

Use a specific user

The work item is added on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The work item is added on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Work date

Sets the work date for the new work item.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

the rule is triggered

The date when the workflow rule is triggered is used as the work date.

the value stored in another field

The value that is stored in a second date field is used as the work date. When used, an additional field for storing the second date field is added to the condition block.

a fixed date

The specified date and time is used as the work date. When used, an additional field for storing the fixed date is added to the condition block.

Work type

Assigns the selected work type to the new work item. When Not specified is selected, the work type is left empty.

Spent time

Determines how much spent time is added to the new work item. Enter a value in standard period format.

Work item description

Stores the text that is added as a description to the work item.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Add a Comment

This action adds a comment to an issue

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines which issue the comment is added to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The comment is added to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The comment is added to the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The action is applied to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Comment text

Stores the text that is added as a comment to the target issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Author

Determines which user is designated as the author of the comment. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The comment is added on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the workflow sets the user who is referenced in the selected field as the author of the comment.

Use a specific user

The comment is added on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The comment is added on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Add a Tag

This action adds a tag to an issue.

YouTrack adds the first matching tag that is visible to the user. If a match is not found, a new private tag is created.

note

Tag Owners

When a new tag is added to the system by a workflow, its owner is set to the YouTrack Workflow user account. All users can view the tag by default, but only its owner can use it. If you want other users to be able to remove the tag manually, you'll need to edit the tag to allow other users and groups to use it.

To learn more, see Edit Tag Settings.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines which issue the tag is added to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The tag is added to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The tag is added to the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The tag is added to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Tag

Stores the name of the tag that is added to the target issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Apply a Command

This action applies a command to an issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines which issue the command is applied to. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The command is applied to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The command is applied to the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The tag is added to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Command

Stores the command that will be applied to the target issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Run as

Determines which user account is selected to apply the command to the target issue. When choosing a user account for this setting, pay attention to the permissions that are available to the selected user. If this user doesn't have sufficient permission to apply the specified command, the updates specified in the command are ignored.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The command is applied on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the workflow runs the command on behalf of the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The command is applied on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The command is applied on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Delete All Attachments

This action deletes all of the files that are attached to an issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines the issue from which all attachments are deleted. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

All attachments are deleted from the current issue.

Use a specific issue

All attachments are deleted from the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The attachments are deleted from an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Copy the Issue

This action creates a copy of an issue.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines which issue to copy. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

A copy of the current issue is created.

Use a specific issue

A copy of the selected issue is created. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

A copy is created using an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Project

Determines the project where the copied issue is created. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the project for the current issue.

The issue is created in the project that the current issue belongs to.

Use a specific project

The issue is created in the selected project. When used, an additional field for storing the target project is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The tag is added to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Remove a Tag

This action removes a tag from an issue.

YouTrack searches through tags owned by the specified user first, then through all other visible tags. If the specified tag is not attached to the issue, an exception is thrown.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

Issue

Determines the issue from which the tag is removed. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The tag is removed from the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The tag is removed from the selected issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The tag is removed from an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Tag

Stores the name of the tag to be removed from the target issue.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Send an Email Message

This action sends an email message to the address that is stored in the user's profile.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

User

Determines which user is sent the email message. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The email message is sent to the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the email message is sent to the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The email message is sent to the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The email message is sent to a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Subject

Stores the subject of the email message.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Message

Stores the message body of the email that is sent to the designated user.

This setting also supports references to variables that are available in the current context. To browse the list of available fields, click the Insert reference icon. To learn more about references to local variables in workflow rules, see Inserting References to Fields.

Remove a Vote

This action removes a vote from an issue on behalf of the user who added it, if this action is allowed.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

User

Determines which user is selected for removing the vote. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The vote is removed on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the vote is removed on behalf of the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The vote is removed on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The vote is removed on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Issue

Determines the issue from which the vote is removed. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The vote is removed from the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The vote is removed from the specified issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The vote is removed from an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Unstar the Issue

This action removes the star from an issue for a specific user.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

User

Determines which user is selected for removing the Star tag. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The Star tag is removed on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the Star tag is removed on behalf of the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The Star tag is removed on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The Star tag is removed on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Issue

Determines the issue from which the Star tag is removed. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The Star tag is removed from the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The Star tag is removed from the specified issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The Star tag is removed from an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Add a Vote

This action adds a vote to an issue for a specific user.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

User

Determines which user is selected for adding the vote. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The vote is added on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the vote is added on behalf of the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The vote is added on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The vote is added on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Issue

Determines the issue to which the vote is added. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The vote is added to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The vote is added to the specified issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The vote is added to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Star the Issue

This action adds the Star tag to an issue for a specific user.

Use the following settings to customize this action:

Setting

Summary

User

Determines which user is selected for adding the Star tag. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current user

The Star tag is added on behalf of the current user.

Use the current issue

This setting lets you browse the list of fields that store references to users in the current issue. This can include variables like the owner of the project that the issue belongs to, the user who created or updated the issue, and more.

With this option, the Star tag is added on behalf of the user who is referenced in the selected field.

Use a specific user

The Star tag is added on behalf of the specified user. When used, an additional field for storing the user is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The Star tag is added on behalf of a user who is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to a user.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.

Issue

Determines the issue to which the Star tag is added. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Use the current issue.

The Star tag is added to the current issue.

Use a specific issue

The Star tag is added to the specified issue. When used, an additional field for storing the target issue is added to the action block.

Take from another block

The Star tag is added to an issue that is referenced elsewhere in the workflow rule. This option is only available when the workflow already contains a block that stores a reference to an issue.

To learn more about references to local objects in workflow rules, see Adding References to Objects.