How to Open Pull Requests from Jira Issues with GitAuto

Did you know GitAuto can open pull requests directly from Jira issues? Yep, you read that right! Instead of creating GitHub issues, you can use your existing Jira workflow as input, and GitAuto will output GitHub pull requests.

TL;DR: Quick Steps

Here's the quick steps:

  1. Install GitAuto for GitHub
  2. Install GitAuto for Jira
  3. Link Jira and GitHub on its setting page
  4. Create a Jira issue or open an existing one
  5. Select target repository in the Jira issue
  6. Trigger GitAuto
  7. Review the pull request on GitHub and merge if it looks good
  8. Add more requirements to the issue or leave review comments to refine the PR

Let's dive into each step!

1. Install GitAuto for GitHub

First things first - you'll need to install GitAuto from install button on top page or from our GitHub app page directly. For detailed installation instructions, check out our installation guide.

2. Install GitAuto for Jira

If you're only creating pull requests from GitHub issues, you can skip the following steps. But since you want to use Jira issues as your input source, you'll need to install GitAuto for Jira as well because GitAuto for GitHub itself can't accept your Jira issues as input. You can find it in the Atlassian Marketplace or install it directly from here.

Let's walk through the installation process. First, you'll see the GitAuto for Jira app Installation page like this:

Click the "Get app" button in the top right corner, and you'll see a popup:

You'll be prompted to select which Jira site you want to install GitAuto on:

After selecting your Jira site:

Click the install button and you'll see the completion screen:

Note: If you see the following screen, you'll need to contact your Jira site administrator to complete the installation:

Head over to GitAuto's Jira integration settings to link your Jira projects with your GitHub repositories.

When you first visit the settings page, you'll see this:

If you're not signed in, you'll need to sign in with your GitHub account first:

After signing in, you'll see the Jira integration settings page:

Click "Connect with Jira" and you'll be redirected to Atlassian:

Select the Jira site you want to connect:

Review the permissions and click Accept:

You'll be redirected back to the settings page:

Now you can select your Jira site:

Choose the Jira project you want to connect:

Select the GitHub organization:

Finally, choose the GitHub repository you want to connect. Your settings will be automatically saved:

This step tells GitAuto which GitHub repository to target to open a pull request when you trigger GitAuto from a Jira issue.

For those who are not familiar with Jira data structure, let me share an example: At my company, GitAuto, we have one large Jira site with multiple projects hanging off it:

[Jira Site] GitAuto
├── [Project] GitAuto for GitHub
│   ├── [Issue] Issue 1
│   ├── [Issue] Issue 2
│   └── [Issue] Issue 3
├── [Project] GitAuto for Jira
├── [Project] GitAuto Website
└── [Project] GitAuto Marketing
...and so on.

Think of it as a hierarchy: Jira Site > Jira Project > Jira Issue. When you link a GitHub repository to a Jira project, that repository becomes available for selection in any issue within that project.

We designed this linking structure with several common development patterns in mind:

  • For monolithic applications: One Jira project linking to one repository
  • For microservices: One Jira project linking to multiple service repositories
  • For multi-device applications: One Jira project linking to all repositories related to that product (e.g., web app, desktop app, iOS app, Android app, etc.)

You're free to set up the linking that works best for your team's workflow.

4. Create a Jira Issue

Already have a simple Jira issue? Great, open it up! If not, let's create one. Don't overthink it - we're just learning the process here. Need ideas? How about these for issue titles:

  • "Add / Polish README.md"
  • "Update outdated dependencies to latest versions"
  • Copy an error message you just saw in your logging tool (like CloudWatch, Datadog, or Sentry) into the title, and paste the full error log details into the description as is

Really, anything works! The goal is to have a Jira issue for GitAuto to work with.

5. Select Target Repository

Once you're in your issue, look for the "Apps" section near the bottom-left of the issue title.

Click it, and you should see GitAuto in the list. When you select GitAuto, a new section should appear below the Description field.

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