Start date won't automate (subtasks)
Asked by Emma Hecht:

I'm working on automating start dates for subtasks and no matter what smart key or date I use (see examples below), when I create the issue, the subtask's start date remains blank.

Full automation layout:

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.17.54 PM.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220414i32CA2ED85458598A/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.17.54 PM.png")

Start date automation attempts:

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.03.50 PM.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220406i8C1092750296CA2D/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.03.50 PM.png")![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.06.49 PM.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220408i6A6FC410C99068C6/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.06.49 PM.png")![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.04.11 PM.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220409iADD5EB43BDB49853/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.04.11 PM.png")

Blank start date after I attempt to automate:

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.00.11 PM.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220411i2BBE9A7EA1E6DD9F/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.00.11 PM.png")

Has anyone else experienced this, and is there a fix? Ideally, I would like to automate the start date using the business days smart key. Thanks so much!


Answers:
author: Mark Segall
body: Hi [@Emma Hecht](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5018934) - Your smart value looks correct. Is Start Date available on the Create screen for the Sub-Task issue type?

comments: author: Emma Hecht
body: [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637) So sorry --- accidentally posted as a new answer! But, to keep in thread:

Yes, I created a random subtask under an issue in this project and it has the Start date field available.

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.51.34 PM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220421i2E765738F754C8BB/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.51.34 PM.png")


author: Mark Segall
body: I've seen a couple fields that don't like being populated by the UI. Perhaps try using the More Options section and copy/paste this:

```
{
   "fields": {
      "customfield_xxxxx": "{{now.plusBusinessDays(1)}}"
   }
}
```

***xxxxx** = the custom field ID for Start Date*

Hopefully this works


author: Emma Hecht
body: [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637)

I don't know if Start date is a custom field? It doesn't appear to have a custom field ID or be called a custom field in the Developer Tools panel.

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 1.39.01 PM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220433iE8B84A9C31B9D4AE/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 1.39.01 PM.png")

The Start date custom field ID isn't appearing when I search for "customfield" in the code either. I'm thinking this field is one Jira has set up, which links to the timeline and calendar views so that you can see the visual length of your tasks in Work Management.

Ideally, I would like to use the Jira-created "Start date" instead of creating a custom start date field so that it will link to those calendar and timeline views to create a visual timeline of the tasks.


author: Mark Segall
body: Correct that Jira creates it, but it is still a custom field. If you're a Jira Admin, you can find it here:

```
https://YOURINSTANCE.atlassian.net/secure/admin/ViewCustomFields.jspa?page=1&searchFilter=start%20d
```

Then if you click the ellipses to the right and View Field information, you'll see the ID in the URL


author: Emma Hecht
body: [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637)

This worked! Thank you SO much --- I've been trying to solve this forever! :)


author: Emma Hecht
body: [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637)

Hi! Yes, I created a random subtask under an issue in this project and it has the Start date field available.

![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.51.34 PM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/220421i2E765738F754C8BB/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 12.51.34 PM.png")

comments: author: Marvin Hong
body: Could you show how to creat automation rule?


author: Emma Hecht
body: Hey [@Marvin Hong](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5073253) ---

This is the automation I used to create the subtask with the start date (description in screenshot). Hope this helps!

![Screen Shot 2022-11-08 at 10.18.01 AM.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/224677i2247F3B102BE44FD/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-11-08 at 10.18.01 AM.png")

*** ** * ** ***

Example code for start date:

{  
"fields": {  
"customfield_10015": "{{now.plusBusinessDays(1)}}"  
}  
}

*** ** * ** ***

[Jira Smart Values with Dates Guide](https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/examples-of-using-smart-values-with-dates/)


Tags: cloud

start-date

sub-task