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: Eliminates unnecessary steps Standardizes approach Improves user adoption
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

How to update Easy Templates to the recent version 🚀

1. Click the Cog icon near your avatar (top right corner) → Apps

2. You’ll be redirected to the old Manage Apps console for the system admin, like that
   

   

3. You see the message that “App management has moved to Administration”. Click “Take me there”

4. Once you navigate to the Connected apps section of New Administration, you will see a list of all apps installed on your instance, including Easy Issue Templates for Jira.
   

   

5. If you manage multiple instances, ensure you are in the correct one (check the top left corner for the site name).

   Click on an app's “View app details” to access the option to update it by selecting the “Update” button next to the app name.
   

   

Timeline

• Start of Forge version rollout: Q1 2025

• End of Connect version support: Q3 2025