You can modify each of the custom fields in your JIRA system by changing the following: Name — the label that appears to the left of the custom field when it is displayed to a user. See below. Description — the Help text that appears below the custom field when it is displayed in the Simple Search column. See below. Search Template — the mechanism for making a custom field searchable. See below. Default Value — the default value of the custom field when it is first displayed to a user. See below. Options (for Select and Multi-Select fields only) — the values from which a user can choose. See below. Context — the combination of project(s) and issue type(s) for which a given Default Value and Options will apply. See below. You can create multiple Contexts, allowing you to specify different Default Values and Options for different combinations of projects and/or issue types. Screens — the screen(s) on which the custom field will appear when an issue is created, edited or transitioned through workflow. See below (also see Defining a Screen). Renderers — (for certain types of fields only) — see Configuring Renderers and Specifying Field Behaviour. Hide/Show — see Specifying Field Behaviour. Required/Optional — see Specifying Field Behaviour. On this page:

Viewing All Custom Fields

To view all the custom fields in your JIRA system:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page.
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
   Screenshot 1: The 'View Custom Fields' screen
   
3. From the 'View Custom Fields' page, you can:
   • Edit a custom field's 'Name', 'Description' or 'Search Template' — see below.
   • Configure a custom field's 'Options', 'Default Value' or 'Context' — see below.
   • Place a custom field on a particular screen(s) — see below.

Editing a Custom Field

Editing a custom field allows you to change its Name (label), Description (Help text) and Search Template.

To edit a custom field:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Edit' link in the right-hand column. You can then edit the custom field's 'Name' (label), 'Description' (Help text) and 'Search Template' (below).
   Screenshot 2: Edit Custom Field
   

Name

The Name is the label that appears to the left of the custom field when it is displayed to a user. You can edit the Name as described above.

Description

The Description is the Help text that appears below the custom field when it is displayed in the Simple Search column. You can edit the Description as described above.

Note that the Help text which appears below the custom field when it is displayed on a screen (ie. when an issue is being created, edited or transitioned through a workflow) is specified via the field configuration — see Specifying Field Behaviour.

Search Template

Search Templates are responsible for indexing a custom field as well as making it searchable via Simple Search and Advanced Search (note that custom fields are not searchable via Quick Search). Each of the default custom field types has a related preconfigured search template. You can choose a different Search Template as described above.

Configuring a Custom Field

A custom field context (also known as a custom field configuration scheme¹) specifies the Default Value and Options for the custom field, and the issue types and projects to which the Default Value and Options will apply. You can create multiple contexts if you need to associate different Default Values and Options with particular projects or issue types.

Each custom field has a context named "Default Configuration Scheme for ..." which was created automatically by JIRA when you initially added your custom field, e.g.:

Screenshot: Configure Custom Field

¹ The custom field configuration scheme is not related to the field configuration scheme.

Context

To change the project(s) and issue type(s) for which a given 'Default Value' and 'Options' will apply:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Configure' link in the right-hand column. The 'Configure Custom Field' page will be displayed (see above).
4. Locate the relevant context (there will usually only be one, named 'Default Configuration Scheme for ...') and click the 'Edit Configuration' link in the right-hand column. The 'Modify configuration scheme context' screen will be displayed (see below).
   Screenshot 3: Modify configuration scheme context
   
5. Under 'Choose applicable issue types', select the issue type(s) to which you want this Default Value and Options to apply. You can select 'Any issue types' if you wish.
6. Under 'Choose applicable contexts', select the project(s) to which you want this Default Value and Options to apply. Note that this will apply to only issues with the selected issue type(s) as above.

Adding a new Context

Adding a new context allows you to configure a custom field differently for different combinations of issue types and projects.

To add a new context:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Configure' link in the right-hand column. The 'Configure Custom Field' page will be displayed (see above).
4. Click the 'Add new context' link (near the top of the screen). The 'Add configuration scheme context' page will be displayed (see below).
   • Under 'Add configuration scheme context', enter a 'Label' and 'Description' for your new context — these are used for administrative purposes only and will not be shown to your end-users.
   • Under 'Choose applicable issue types', select the issue type(s) to which you want this Default Value and Options to apply. You can select 'Any issue types' if you wish.
   • Under 'Choose applicable contexts', select the project(s) to which you want this Default Value and Options to apply. Note that this will apply to only issues with the selected issue type(s) as above.

Default Value

To edit the default value that a custom field contains when it is first displayed to a user:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Configure' link in the right-hand column. The 'Configure Custom Field' page will be displayed (see above).
4. Locate the relevant context (there will usually only be one, named 'Default Configuration Scheme for ...') and click the 'Edit Default Value' link in the right-hand column. The 'Set Custom Field Defaults' page will be displayed and will be particular to the custom field type:
   • (For a Select List or Multi-Select List) Select the appropriate default value from the drop-down list.
     To clear the default of a select field, click on the current default so it is no longer highlighted and then save, as described here: [ARCHIVED] Unable to De-select Default Value for Multi Select Custom Field.
   • (For a Cascading Select List) Select the appropriate default values from the drop-down lists (one for each level).
   • (For a Date field) Specify a date, or tick the check-box to make the current date the default.
   • (For other types of fields) Type the appropriate default values from the drop-down lists (one for each level).
     Certain types of custom fields, such as calculated custom fields, may not allow for defaults to be selected and will not have the 'Edit Default Value' link.

Options

You can specify option values for custom fields of the following types:

• Select lists
• Multi select lists
• Cascading selects lists
• Radio buttons
• Multi checkboxes

You can add, remove, re-order, sort the options alphabetically, and edit the text of an option value. You can also have HTML in an option value — be sure to use complete tag pairs, and check that the HTML will display correctly.

To edit a custom field's options:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Configure' link in the right-hand column. The 'Configure Custom Field' page will be displayed (see above).
4. Locate the relevant context (there will usually only be one, named 'Default Configuration Scheme for ...'), and click the 'Options' link in the right-hand column. The 'Edit Custom Field Options' page will be displayed (see below). Here you can:
   • Select from the 'Edit parent select list' drop-down to choose which list to edit. (For a Cascading Select List only)
   • Click 'Sort alphabetically' to automatically re-order the options alphabetically.
   • Click the arrows in the 'Order' column, or specify a number and click the 'Move' button, to re-order the options manually.
   • Click 'Edit' to change the text of an option.
   • Click 'Disable' to hide an option so that it is no longer available for selection. Options that have been used cannot be removed (to preserve data integrity), but due to changing business requirements, they may become invalid over time and so you may wish to make them unavailable for new issues.
   • Click 'Delete' to remove an option. (This will only be possible for options that have not been used.)
     Screenshot: Edit Custom Field Options
     

Choosing Screens

To choose the Screens on which a custom field will appear:

1. Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
2. Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Fields' > 'Custom Fields' (tab) to open the 'View Custom Fields' page (above).
   Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + start typing 'custom fields'
3. Locate the relevant custom field and click the 'Screens' link in the right-hand column. The 'Associate field to Screens' page will be displayed (see below).
4. Select the check boxes of the screens on which you wish to display this custom field.
   Note that field visibility depends on the field configuration (which is not related to the custom field configuration scheme described above). Refer to Specifying Field Behaviour for more information.
   Screenshot: Edit Custom Field