FAQ

Jira Subtasks are great. No argument about that. They do carry with them the same 'weight' that a regular Jira issue has. By that we mean, Jira Subtasks are just more Jira issues, which means they have all the same fields, and all the same workflows, and all the same restrictions.

The tasks created with the Simple Tasklist Plugin are much more lightweight than typical Jira Subtasks. Think of them more like quick todo items, or checklists, that allow you to spell out more easily what steps are required to finish a particular Jira Issue.

As such, they are ideal to be used when tracking simple things like testing steps, deployments, or other lightweight tasks that don't require all the overhead that typical Jira Subtasks bring with them.

Additionally, you're not limited to where you can use Simple Tasklists. This means you could easily use them as part of your Jira Subtasks as well!

On Jira Cloud, Simple Tasklists adds new sections to the issue details screen (to allow tracking issue level tasks), and new screens at the project level, to aggregate tasks for the entire project.

On Jira Server, you get the same screens as Jira Cloud, but the app also creates two new macros of type {task} and {tasklist} respectively. These two macros are automatically available in any field using the Jira Wiki renderer (such as issue descriptions, and comments), and allow users to create tasks inline, with other content.

Yes! You can find it here: LINKY

Yes! You can find it here: LINKY

Unfortuntately, that's the way Atlassian handles all licensing.

Regardless of how many users need an app, you end up having to pay for all users in your Jira Cloud instance. This behavior is enforced on the Atlassian side, and outside of our control.

Of course!

We are always looking for ways to improve our apps, and the best way to do that is with your input.

Don't hesitate to email us at support@tss.io, and let us know about it.

Not at all. Simple Tasklists uses the same editor Jira Cloud uses. Authoring tasks is pretty much the same as writing a description or comment for a Jira Issue, except that our version of the editor also support variables.

No. We currently do not have any plans to add this functionality, as tasks are not intended to have attachments.

No.

Images can only be referenced when they are attached to Issues, and we don't have any functionality to upload images as part of a task. As such, templates (and tasks) cannot embed images.

Nope. Once a Task is deleted it is gone forever.

We keep a history of changes made to tasks. You could look at the task history, and find out what the content of the task was before you changed it, and thus change it back.

Any user with access to an issue can see the tasks in that issue.

On Jira Cloud, yes.

On Jira Server / Data Center, not yet

No.

On Jira Cloud, we support 'Personal' tasks, which only the user that created them can see.

This feature doesn't exist on Jira Server / Data Center yet.

Yes, but only on Jira Server / Data Center.

It exposes 2 new actions to Jira automation. One to insert a task, and one to insert a template.

On Jira cloud, we have no integration yet, since Atlassian doesn't yet provide any extension points for the Jira Cloud Automation framework. Once Atlassian gives us the ability to integrate with Jira Automation rules, we will make it available.

Not yet, but we are working on a grouping functionality which will allow you to group tasks together.

Yes.

You have the choice of either disabling the app for specific project, or doing the reverse: disabling it for all projects and then only enabling it for specific project. Ultimate flexibility.

On Jira Cloud, you can only insert tasks into the Tasks section.

On Jira Server / Data Center, you can insert tasks into the Tasks section, as well as any field that uses the Jira Wiki Renderer, which includes the issue Description, comments, etc.

Yes! In the tasks sidebar you will find an action to convert tasks from the issue to a template.

Nope. Insert as many as you want.

Service Desk Agents can insert tasks into Service Desk tickets, just like any other ticket.

Service Desk customers cannot see tasks, unless they are inserted into a comment, or ticket description, which is only possible on Jira Server / Data Center at this time. Customers cannot however change tasks.

Not yet.

At this time, any user with Browse Project permissions can add/edit/delete tasks.

We have a ticket on the roadmap however to improve this and provide more granular permissions.

Yes. You can leverage the {task} and {tasklist} macros to insert tasks using one of the scripting apps.

This is only possible on Jira Server / Data Center however.

Not at all. Task Templates use a rich text editor that doesn't require any understanding of HTML or Jira Markup. It's pretty much the same as writing an issue description, or adding a comment.

In fact, we use the same editor as Jira Cloud uses, except that our version of the editor also supports variables.

No. We currently do not have any plans to add this functionality, as tasks are not intended to have attachments.

No.

Images can only be referenced when they are attached to Issues, and we don't have any functionality to upload images as part of a task. As such, templates (and tasks) cannot embed images.

Nope. Once a Template is deleted it is gone forever.

Not much. We don't keep any history or past versions of templates. You could try to edit the template againt to undo your changes.

Global templates are available to all users in all projects.

Project level templates are available to all users in the projects associated with the template.

Any user with access to a template can use the template to insert tasks into an issue, as long as the user has permissions to insert tasks into the issue.

Not yet. It is however something we are evaluating for the future.

Templates can be restricted to specific projects, but not specific users or groups yet.

Yes, but only on Jira Server / Data Center.

It exposes 2 new actions to Jira automation. One to insert a task, and one to insert a template.

On Jira cloud, we have no integration yet, since Atlassian doesn't yet provide any extension points for the Jira Cloud Automation framework. Once Atlassian gives us the ability to integrate with Jira Automation rules, we will make it available.

Not yet. We are exploring ways to organize templates in the future and would love to hear from you to better understand your particular need.

No.

Task templates can only insert tasks, and only into the Tasks Sidebar on an issue.

On Jira Server / Data Center, we have a {tasklist} macro, which allows inserting a template into a comment or any field that uses the Jira Rich Text Renderer.

Yes! In the tasks sidebar you will find an action to convert tasks from the issue to a template.

No. Templates cannot be nested when creating them.

No

When a template is inserted, the tasks in the template are converted to actual tasks, and inserted as such.

Once the tasks are inserted into the issue, they retain no connection to the template they came from.

Nope. Have as many as you want.

Not yet, but that's coming soon.

You can install the app directly from your Jira instance by visiting the "Apps" page, and searching for "Simple Tasklists" in the "Find new Apps" screen.

Once installed, you're immediately ready to go, and can create new Tasks without any other extra configuration or changes needed to Jira.

Atlassian provides customers with a Sandbox Jira Cloud instance. You can install the app there for testing purposes.

Additionally, you could sign up for a new Jira Cloud evaluation, and install it there as well to test out things.

For Server / Data Center instances, Atlassian provides developer licenses for testing purposes, and also allows evaluation licenses that run much longer than Jira Cloud. If you need help with this, simply contact our support.

Jira Cloud apps are typically upgraded automatically by Atlassian whenever we make a release in the marketplace.

The exception to that is if we require additional permissions from you. In that case, you have to manually upgrade from the "Manage Apps" screen, by clicking the upgrade button, as this grants us the additional permissions we request.

Jira Server / Data Center does not automaticalyl upgrade apps.

You will have to visit the Manage Apps screen to perform any updates.

If an update is available, the Manage Apps screen will indicate that.

Before upgrading any app, we highly suggest creating a backup of your data.

You can either uninstall the app from the "Manage Apps" screen, and then reinstall from the Atlassian Marketplace.

Uninstalling the app keeps your Tasks and Templates in tact. Thus, if you reinstall the app after uninstalling it, your data will come right back.

On Jira CLoud, when you uninstall we hold on to your data until your subscription expires.

Once your subscription (or evaluation) is marked as expired or cancelled, we delete your data within 7 days

On Jira Server / Data Center, the data remains in your Jira Database until it is manually removed. If you were to reinstall the app months, or years later. In theory, your old tasks would come back.

Tasks are stored in our infrastructure, outside of Jira Cloud, since Atlassian doesn't provide any storage for apps like ours.

We encrypt all data at rest, and backup our data daily.

Data is stored in your Jira Database.

If you create a task using the {task} macro, then that part lives inline of your issues, as part of the regular Jira content.

If you create a task directly in the sidebar, then the task only exists in the database, independent of the Issue itself.

The state of each task (whether a task is checked or not) along with the history of each task is stored in the Jira Database, independent of the actual task macro.

All tasks created with this app are are automatically part of your backup strategy (you have a backup strategy, right??).

Currently there is no way for you to backup your data separately. We run backups daily however.