Comment required when approving option not displayed
Asked by Phil Kang:

I need to require a comment when an approver approves an issue in a JSM workflow. When I edit the workflow status and configure the Approval, there is no check box option available for "comment required when approving". We recently went from a version (JSM 5.4) that didn't have the feature to JSM 5.12 that should have this feature. Any ideas why it isn't showing up as an option?


Answers:
author: Phil Kang
body: After reaching out to Atlassian, they said this feature is not available at the Server level and only applies to Data Center versions.

comments: author: Joseph Chung Yin
body: [@Phil Kang](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5276459) -

Thanks for your update. As server env is reaching EOL next month, so you should already planned to move DC or Cloud for your env.

Best of luck on the migration.

Best, Joseph


author: Joseph Chung Yin
body: [@Phil Kang](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5276459) -

Looking at the JSM Service Desk project (out of the box DataCenter) default WF with approval (i.e. Service Request Fulfilment with Approvals workflow for Jira Service Management), the transition for Approved/Declined transitions doesn't have the option to enforce comments required out of the box. The Declined transition does have a transition pop-up window.

Your documentation link is for Jira version 9.12.x, It looks like this function is available for 9.7x or higher only. What version of your env is on at this moment?

From the Cloud env, the same out of the box JSM approval WF - For the "Declined" transition, the validator is already there to required comments (see below)

![2023-12-20_13-09-05.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/297671i739F8D5DF2E2F5E4/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "2023-12-20_13-09-05.png")

Your only other options to enforce the comments will be to create/ensure a transition pop-up screen associated with those two transitions, and then add an validator which requires comments.

Hope this helps.

Best, Joseph


author: Marc - Devoteam
body: Hi [@Phil Kang](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5276459)

Welcome to the community.

I second the reply form [@Joseph Chung Yin](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/396739)

An alternative is to purchase an app that is able to set a comment mandatory as a workflow action.

The following apps on the marketplace are able to extend workflow options:

* JMWE
* JWT
* JSU


author: Joseph Chung Yin
body: [@Phil Kang](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5276459) -

Welcome to the community. If you are asking to ensure Comments is required during the approval step transition in the portal UI, then it is not possible.

Currently, there is an outstanding enhancement request for the Atlassian team, I recommend you to add yourself as a watch for this request for the server(DC env) - <https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JSDSERVER-4922>

Sorry.

Best, Joseph Chung Yin

Jira/JSM Functional Lead, Global Technology Applications Team

Viasat Inc.

comments: author: Phil Kang
body: The link that you provided says there's no way to make the comment field mandatory for "Transition". I just want it to be available for the user during "Approval" but I cant find the option to make the comment window appear when an approver selects approve or deny.

Looking at the screenshot from the JSM Documentation next to configuring your approval, there is a check box for comment required when approving. I don't see that option when I am configuring the approval.

[https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/configuring-jira-service-management-approvals-938847527.html#:\~:text=If%20you%20want%20approvers%20to,they%20can%20leave%20their%20comments](https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/configuring-jira-service-management-approvals-938847527.html#:~:text=If%20you%20want%20approvers%20to,they%20can%20leave%20their%20comments).


author: Joseph Chung Yin
body: [@Phil Kang](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5276459) -

As also mentioned by [@Marc - Devoteam](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3796976) in this case, you will need to obtain third party add-on to provide you with that functionality to customize your WF.

Hope this makes sense. If both of our suggestions helped you, please click on "Accept answer" when you have a chance.

Best, Joseph


author: Phil Kang
body: Unfortunately neither comment answered my question about Approvals. The documentation I linked clearly shows that the option I'm looking for should be available.


Tags: jira-service-management

jira-service-management-server

server