Configure Automation

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This page contains the basics of configuring PDF automation on the Jira Data Center platform. If you're about to create your first PDF automation rule, we recommend the following learning path:

1. Learn the key concepts and basics of Jira Data Center automation.
2. Configure your first PDF automation rule.
3. Study the configuration reference for the complete list of configuration options.

Let's get started!

Configure PDF automation rules

See the step-by-step guides for specific automations:

1. Send PDF documents automatically
2. Save PDF documents automatically
3. Attach PDF documents automatically

Advanced topics

This section contains advanced topics generally applicable to all PDF automations.

PDF automation in Jira clusters

Better PDF Automation for Jira Data Center enables automation in multi-node Jira clusters.

The execution model is simple: automation rules will be executed on exactly one node in the cluster. (This is guaranteed by Automation Lite for Jira.)

The resulted behavior is:

• Send PDF action: One email will be sent from the cluster (not one per node!). This is exactly what you want.
• Save PDF action: The file will be saved by one node. If the file is written to the node's local non-replicating filesystem, then the file will not automatically appear on other nodes. If output file replication is a requirement, you should use an output directory that is replicated among the clusters on a filesystem level. This is out of the scope of Jira Data Center and the Better PDF Automation for Jira Data Center.
• Attach PDF action: The attachment will be created on one node, but that will then be automatically replicated to all other nodes. The replication itself is the responsibility of Jira Data Center (not the Better PDF Automation for Jira Data Center).

Generally speaking: Better PDF Automation for Jira Data Center works perfectly with Jira Data Center.

PDF automation for Jira dashboards

You can also export Jira dashboards to PDF, then automatically email, save or attach the PDF file. This is a really powerful way of keeping your team members up-to-date with zero efforts.

Configure the automation rules for dashboards similarly as for issues, with the following differences:

1. Enter the ID of the dashboard to the Title field in the automation action's configuration. (more details)
2. If you want the automation rule be executed on a specified schedule, use the Scheduled trigger. This trigger requires you to enter a JQL query.
   This is a bit counter-intuitive, as the result of the JQL query does not actually affect the dashboard (dashboard gadgets define their own data sources), but the JQL must find at least one issue, otherwise the automation rule will not be executed.
   Consequently, use any JQL query that runs fast and finds a single issue, for example:

   key = YOURPROJECTKEY-1

   Also, uncheck the Only include issues that have changed since the last time this rule executed option on the trigger, otherwise the query which returns the same issue every time will execute the rule only once.

The PDF template customization video also shows the complete step-by-step (starting from 3:04):

Questions?

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