Jira Automation & Approval Path Integration
Overview
Approval Path integrates with Jira Automation to create a fully hands-off workflow. You can automate the lifecycle of an approval process.
This guide covers two main automation scenarios:
Triggering Approval Action: Using Approval Path Actions to Start, Archive, or Delete approvals
Incoming Webhook: Using a webhook step to trigger Jira transitions or external system actions
Triggering an Approval Action
You can automate approval-related actions (Start, Archive, Delete) directly within Jira Automation rules using native Approval Path actions. This is particularly useful for time-sensitive workflows where manual initiation is not reliable.
Scenario: Automatically Start Approval Before Due Date
A team wants all Jira work items to go through an approval process before their due date without requiring manual initiation.
When This Rule Applies
The automation triggers when all of the following conditions are met:
Due date of Work item is within the next 3 days
Work item status is not "Done"
Work item does not already have an approval for this definition:
issue NOT IN approvalPending("<DEFINITION_ID>") AND
issue NOT IN approvalApproved("<DEFINITION_ID>")How to Set Up
Navigate to Space Settings → Automation → Create rule.
Add a Trigger: Choose a trigger that suits your workflow. In this example, select “Scheduled”.
Add JQL filter to scope which work items this rule applies to.
Example query:
duedate >= startOfDay() AND duedate <= endOfDay(1d) AND status != Done
AND issue NOT IN approvalPending("<DEFINITION_ID>")
Add component: Click Then: Add an action.
Search for "Approval Path" and select one of the three available actions:
Start approval: Launches a specific approval definition on the work item.
Archive all approvals: Moves active approvals to the archive.
Delete all approvals: Removes all approval data from the issue.
In this example, select “Start approval”.
Then select the Approval Definition to execute.
Configure who initiates the action:
User who triggered the rule
Specific user
User from a field (e.g., Assignee or Reporter)
Save and Turn on your rule.
Result
With this automation in place, Jira work items that are not in "Done" status will automatically enter the approval process a few days before their due date.
This removes the need for:
Manual approval initiation
Assignees or reviewers actively searching for items requiring approval
Instead, approvers are proactively notified, improving review efficiency while ensuring no work item reaches its deadline without proper validation.
Approval Workflow Tips
Need help with definitions? Check out our guide on How to Create an Approval Definition.
Sequential vs. Parallel: Need reviewers to approve in a specific order? Set up a sequential flow. Need them to approve simultaneously? Use a Parallel Group.
By adding a Success Step at the end of your definition, the Jira ticket can automatically transition from "In Review" to "Done" once all reviewers approve.
No Manual Updates: No one needs to manually move the ticket to "Done."
Error Prevention: This ensures that rejected tickets never accidentally move to "Done."
Incoming Webhook
Incoming Webhook triggers allow you to start Jira Automation rules directly from an Approval Path workflow. They are ideal for integrating with external systems or sending notifications to teams outside of Jira.
Common use cases include:
Sending Slack notifications to internal teams or external partners
Triggering system-level automation such as AWS, Azure, or CI/CD pipelines
Executing multi-step workflows across third-party applications
Scenario: Slack Notification on Approval Completion
When an approval is completed, external partners can be automatically notified via Slack. This ensures that stakeholders outside of Jira are kept in sync without requiring manual updates.
How to Set Up
In Jira Automation, Add a Trigger: Choose Incoming webhook.
Then: Add an action
If you want to send email notifications to third parties at any stage of the approval workflow, this can be done entirely within the app by adding Email Step with notification action.
Add Slack: send message, connect your Slack workspace. Choose the Slack channel and add a message.
Save and Turn on, Copy Webhook URL.
In Approval Path, open your approval definition and add a Webhook Step at the desired point in the workflow. Paste the Incoming Webhook URL from Jira Automation.
Result
Once the approval process is completed and the workflow reaches the Webhook Step, Approval Path automatically sends a POST request to Jira Automation.
This triggers the configured Slack action, resulting in an immediate notification being sent to external partners or internal teams.
Audit and Monitoring
You can monitor the performance and history of your rules. To verify that your automation is running correctly, check the Audit Log within the Jira Automation tab.
To monitor approval activity, navigate to Approval Path → Activity tab. You can also view activity on individual Jira tickets directly. To track any issues, refer to the Instance Errors tab.
As a simple example, you can use a webhook to transition a Jira ticket status to "Done". However, this is more easily handled through the built-in Automation Step within the Approval Path app itself.