Parent-Child Sync for Jira

Automatically transition parent issues when all child issues reach a target status.

Overview

Every team has the same frustration: you close the last Story in an Epic, but the Epic still says "In Progress." Someone has to remember to go update it. With Parent-Child Sync, that happens automatically.

How It Works

1. Create a rule — pick a project, parent issue types, and the child status condition
2. Define the trigger — e.g., "When all children are in the Done category"
3. Set the target — e.g., "Move parent to Done"
4. Enable and forget — the app watches for issue updates and transitions the parent automatically

Features

• Flexible rules engine — Multiple rules per project with different conditions
• Status category matching — Works with Jira's standard categories (To Do, In Progress, Done)
• Dynamic dropdowns — Issue types and statuses loaded from your project
• Enable/disable per rule — Toggle rules without deleting them
• Event-driven — Runs on issue:updated via Forge triggers, no polling
• Runs on Forge — 100% serverless on Atlassian's infrastructure

Use Cases

Auto-Close Epics

When all Stories reach "Done" → the Epic transitions to "Done" automatically.

Track Initiative Progress

When all Epics move to "In Progress" → the Initiative moves too.

Release Readiness

When all Tasks are "Done" → the release issue is marked as "Ready."

Configuration

Creating a Rule

Each rule defines:

Setting	Description
Project	Which Jira project this rule applies to
Parent issue types	Which parent types to watch (e.g., Epic)
Child status condition	The status category all children must reach (e.g., Done)
Target parent status	The status to transition the parent to

Managing Rules

• Create multiple rules per project with different conditions
• Enable or disable individual rules without deleting them
• Rules are evaluated in real-time when any child issue is updated

Supported Hierarchies

Works with any issue type hierarchy:

• Epics and Stories
• Stories and Sub-tasks
• Custom hierarchy levels

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work with sub-tasks?

Yes. Parent-Child Sync works with any issue type hierarchy in Jira: Epics and Stories, Stories and Sub-tasks, or custom hierarchy levels. You configure the parent issue type and child status condition per rule.

What if I add a new child issue after the parent was transitioned?

If a new child issue is added that doesn't meet the status condition, the parent won't automatically move back. Rules only trigger when a child issue is updated, not when new children are created. You'd need to manually adjust the parent status if the new child changes the completion picture.

Can I have multiple rules for the same project?

Yes. You can create multiple rules per project with different conditions. For example, one rule could transition Epics to "Done" when all Stories are done, while another transitions Stories to "In Progress" when any Sub-task moves to "In Progress."

Does it conflict with Jira Automation?

Parent-Child Sync and Jira Automation can coexist. However, if both are configured to transition the same issue type based on similar conditions, they may compete. We recommend choosing one approach per issue type to avoid unexpected double-transitions.

What happens if the parent can't transition to the target status?

If the parent's workflow doesn't allow a direct transition to the target status (e.g., the workflow requires going through an intermediate state), the transition will fail silently. Ensure your workflow allows a transition from the parent's current status to the configured target status.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
Parent didn't transition	Not all children have reached the target status category	Check each child issue — one may still be in an earlier status
Rule not triggering	Rule may be disabled	Open the app settings and verify the rule is toggled on
Wrong parent type being affected	Rule configured for the wrong parent issue type	Edit the rule and verify the parent issue type selection
Transition fails silently	Parent's workflow doesn't allow direct transition to target status	Check the parent issue type's workflow for valid transitions from its current state
Rule works in one project but not another	Rule is project-specific	Create a separate rule for each project that needs this behavior

Data Security & Privacy

Data storage	No data stored outside Atlassian
Data processing	No data processed outside Atlassian
Data residency	Exclusively within Atlassian apps and services
GDPR	Data processor — issue metadata (status, parent-child relationships)
Security contact	support@alpinate.com