Automation and Epic Link
Asked by Derick:

I need the automation to update the description of an epic and then apply that updated description to all sub-tasks associated with the epic. In the image, the automation was set up as follows: Item Updated \> Condition to be an Epic \> Search for Epic Items \> Update the Description field with the Epic's description. The log does not show errors when executed this way, but it is not updating. I believe there may be a missing Epic Link to apply the edit within the fields searched by "search for items". Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get this to work?![image.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/343566iD2251E19CD70EB43/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")![image.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/343567i33BAC642F9E37548/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")


Answers:
author: Trudy Claspill
body: Hello [@Derick](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5575401)

Welcome to the Atlassian community.

You need to change the focus of your rule from the trigger issue (the Epic) to its child issues in order to edit those child issues. You have not done that. That is indicated in the log where the last line indicates that the Epic issue was edited rather than any child issue.

To change the focus to the child issues use a **For each: Related Issue: Children** branch.

![Screenshot 2024-08-23 at 2.14.58?PM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/343599i1469D5A76DA1C1DE/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2024-08-23 at 2.14.58?PM.png")![Screenshot 2024-08-23 at 2.16.04?PM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/343598iC8F325EB0870A67E/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2024-08-23 at 2.16.04?PM.png")

comments: author: Derick
body: Hello [@Trudy Claspill](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3569011) It worked, thank you very much! With this I can now guide myself to automate the automatic update of other fields.


author: Trudy Claspill
body: You're welcome.

If your problem has been solved with the help of my response, please consider clicking on the Accept Answer button to mark your Question as Solved.


author: Derick
body: [@Trudy Claspill](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3569011) I understand how "smart fields" works on Jira, but in my project I have several custom fields that I created. These same fields exist in the Epic as in the children. I want to know how to update the field in the epic, and also update the child fields, knowing that these fields are not original from Jira and were created by me. I want to be able to use something like "issue.status" and return the same value that is in the parent field, in the child field.

![image.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/343897i51D4696EB25ED416/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")


author: Trudy Claspill
body: To get the option where the entry field shows "Copy field from issue" click the button labeled with three dots to the right of the field. That will give you the options to SET the value of the field or COPY the value from elsewhere. Choose the COPY option

If that doesn't address your need let me know.


author: Derick
body: It?s working, thanks again.


Tags: automation

cloud

epic

epic-link

jira-cloud