Easy Templates: Connect to Forge transition
What we are doing
Easy Templates for Cloud is transitioning to the Atlassian Forge platform! 🚀
Why we are doing that
Better UX for the end users: Moving from Atlassian Connect to Atlassian Forge allows for deeper integration with Jira's native UI. A key improvement is the ability to select templates directly within the Jira Issue Create screen 🎉
Enhanced Privacy & Security: Future support for data residency will provide better control over your team's data, eliminating the need for data egress 🔐
How it will influence users' experience
Main UI changes
The template selection flow will change from a popup to a separate page, enhancing the user experience. Here's a comparison:
Connect version | Forge version |
|---|---|
Support only issue creation using Easy Template’s screens flow only | Support seamless Integration with Jira native Issue Create a screen and apply default template per project and issue type 🚀  Benefits:
|
Go to Jira Nav Bar Apps → Templates or Project Sidebar (Software projects) → Templates  | Go to Jira Nav Bar Apps → Templates or Project Navbar (Software projects) → Templates  |
Opportunities 🔷
Integration into Global Issue Creation Screen:
Template selection from the Create Screen.
Automatic application and prefill of field values per Issue Type selection, with default templates per issue type.
Data Residency: Admins can choose templates for data residency along with Jira insance data residency.
Challenges 🔶
Hotkey Functionality: The "Create Issues from Template" popup will no longer be accessible via the "X" button.
Create issues with “Prefill”: Some custom fields may not support pre-selection, though system fields will be fully supported. We will track Atlassian updates to improve this feature. Check the list of supported fields here.
Global Issue Creation Screen integration
Hierarchy (Epic) templates usage: Issues will be created by “Easy Templates for Jira app” user, which will trigger email notifications of changing values, like “Parent” for child issues.
Existing Templates: If you want existing templates to be used on the Jira Create screen, you will need to choose particular projects in Scope to enable field modifications and the Templates selection field there. There’s no auto enablement yet.
For Team Managed projects: Templates picker field should be added manually to every screen of dedicated issue type.
Actions Required ▶️
Easy Templates app should be updated to the newest version by navigating to Manage Apps → manually clicking “Update” button. This will require System Admin engagement.
As long as there will be no client’s Templates data (library) migration to the Forge storage yet, we’ll be communicating that update separately
Once the Templates data is migrated to Forge storage, the process for app uninstalling and data retention rules will change.
Currently, if you uninstall and reinstall the app, your templates are automatically restored.
However, after the migration to Forge storage:
Uninstalling the app will unlink your templates from the app.
Reinstalling the app will not automatically restore your templates.
You can still recover your templates, but it will require assistance from the Atlassian support team and must be done within 21 days of the uninstall.
This is an Atlassian legal requirement to keep data retention consistent.
Reference:
Atlassian Forge ticket: “Option to relink data after app reinstallation”
Timeline
Q1, 2025
Still, have questions or concerns? Reach out! We’d be happy to help!