Workflow X Approval Path
Workflow Rules
This documentation outlines the features available in Approval Path for Jira to integrate approval logic directly into Jira workflows. These rules help enforce structured review processes, automate repetitive steps, and ensure that work items follow a consistent and traceable approval lifecycle.
In this documentation, you'll learn how to configure:
Restrict Transitions (Block transitions until approvals are completed)
Perform Actions (Automatically start, reject, or archive approvals)
If you're using the old workflow editor, click the transition, then go to Condition or Post function to add the Approval Path rule.
Click here to learn about the new workflow editor terminology
Restrict transitions
You can prevent users from moving a work item to the next status until the required approvals are completed. Approval Path offers two ways to enforce this, depending on how you want it to behave in Jira.
Approval Path - Block transition until approval (Condition)
How it works: Hides the transition button completely. Users will not see or be able to click the button until all approval requirements are met.
Approval Path Validator (Validator)
How it works: Keeps the transition button visible. If a user clicks it before approvals are complete, Jira blocks the action and displays a clear message explaining why.
How to Configure
Supported in Company-managed and Team-managed spaces across Jira Software and Jira Service Management (JSM).
Navigate to Settings → Work Items → Workflows.
Click Edit on the workflow you want to update.
Select the transition line you wish to restrict (e.g., In Review ➔ Done).
Depending on the behavior you want:
To hide the button: Go to the Conditions tab and add
Approval Path - Block transition until approval.To show a warning message: Go to the Validators tab and add
Approval Path Validator.
Select your preferred Rule Mode and configure the options.
These rules apply to both manual clicks and automated transitions (REST API, Jira Automation, and Approval Path automatic status changes). An automatic status change must be triggered from the approval's Success step. If triggered earlier or from a Rejection step, the transition will be blocked and recorded as an error on the automation step.
Perform actions (Post-function)
The Perform actions rule allows you to trigger specific approval-related actions automatically after a transition occurs. These actions include:
Start an approval (approval definition must be selected)
Reject all approvals
Archive all approvals
Please note that both global and space-scoped definitions can be used for the "Start approval" post-function. However, a space-scoped definition will only execute if the work item belongs to the same space (project) the definition is assigned to. If the workflow is shared across multiple spaces, please use a global definition.
How to Configure:
Navigate to Settings → Work Items → Workflows.
Create or edit a workflow.
Add statuses and transitions.
Click the transition and add a rule.
Select “Approval Path actions.”
Select one of the actions - Start/Reject/Archive approvals
Once configured, the applied rule will execute the configured actions after the transition, either by starting an approval, rejecting, or archiving all approvals.
Workflow Action – Evaluate as
Workflow actions can now be configured to run on behalf of a specific user using the Evaluate as option.
Available options:
User who triggers the action:
The user who triggers the workflow action.Selected User:
A single user explicitly selected in the workflow configuration.Work item field User:
The user defined in the selected work item field (the field value must be set).
Approval in Action
When the work item transitions to In Review, the selected approval definition (e.g., "Feature Approval") is automatically triggered.
The transition to Ready to Deploy is then restricted until the approval is completed, ensuring the work item cannot proceed without proper review.