Summary

Jira offers flexibility in how you define and display descriptions for custom fields. This guide explains where you can set these descriptions and how they impact the fields' appearance in different parts of Jira.

Environment

Jira

Where to Set Descriptions

Custom field descriptions in Jira can be set in two key locations:

1. Custom Field Section: This is where you initially define the description when creating the custom field.

2. Project Field Configuration (Project Level): This allows you to override the original description for specific projects.

Behavior of Field Descriptions

• If a description is not specified in the Project Field Configuration, Jira will display the original description from the Custom Field section.

• The description you define will appear in various places, including the issue create/edit screen and as help text in the Issue Navigator.

Example

Consider a custom field named "My Field":

• Original Description: "This is my field" (set in the Custom Field section).

• No Overrides: If no description is defined in the Project Field Configuration, the text displayed will be "This is my field."

• With Overrides: If a description "This is my excellent field" is set in the Project Field Configuration, the displayed text will be "This is my excellent field."

How to Set Descriptions

Setting a Description in the Custom Field Section

1. Navigate to Settings > Issues.

2. Under Fields, select Custom Fields.

3. Find the custom field you want to edit and click on the Edit link.

4. Enter your desired description in the description field and save your changes.

Overriding the Description at the Project Level

1. Go to Settings > Issues.

2. Under Fields, select Field Configurations.

3. Choose the field configuration scheme associated with your project.

4. Edit the description for the specific custom field in the configuration to override the original description.