Time in Status (Forge) for Jira Cloud- What are Custom Events?
- Creating a Custom Event
- Actions
- Supported fields
- Using Custom Events in Stopwatch/Timer
- Examples
- Tips
What are Custom Events?
Custom Events are user-defined rules that fire when a specific field value changes in a particular way. They extend the built-in event triggers by letting you match precise value transitions.
For example:
- “Priority changed to Highest”
- “Resolution changed from Fixed to Won’t Fix”
- “Custom field ‘Region’ set for the first time”
Custom Events are created in the admin panel and then referenced in Stopwatch or Timer field settings as CUSTOM_EVENT triggers.
Creating a Custom Event
- Open the admin panel > Custom Events tab
- Click Create
- Fill in the configuration:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Unique name for the event (e.g., “Priority to Highest”). |
| Description | Optional description explaining when this event fires. |
| Field | The field to monitor. Can be a system field or a custom field. |
| Action | The type of change to detect (see Actions below). |
| Value From | The previous value (required for CHANGE_FROM and CHANGE_FROM_TO actions). |
| Value To | The new value (required for CHANGE_TO and CHANGE_FROM_TO actions). |
- Click Save
Actions
| Action | Description | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| CHANGE_TO | Field value changed to a specific value | Value To |
| CHANGE_FROM | Field value changed from a specific value | Value From |
| CHANGE_FROM_TO | Field value changed from one value to another | Value From, Value To |
| SET | Field value set (was empty, now has a value) | Value To |
| REMOVE | Field value removed (had a value, now empty) | Value From |
| CHANGE | Field value changed (any change) | - |
| FIRST_SET | Field set for the first time ever on this issue | - |
Supported fields
System fields
- Status - issue status
- Priority - issue priority
- Issue Type - issue type
- Resolution - issue resolution
- Assignee - issue assignee
- Reporter - issue reporter
For system fields, the Value From and Value To dropdowns show the available values (status names, priority names, etc.).
Custom fields
Any custom field that appears in the issue changelog can be used. For custom fields, you enter the value as a text string.
Using Custom Events in Stopwatch/Timer
After creating a Custom Event, use it as a trigger in Stopwatch or Timer field settings:
- Open a Stopwatch or Timer field setting in the admin panel
- In the event slots (Start, Pause, Stop, or Restart), click Add event
- Select CUSTOM_EVENT as the trigger type
- Select your Custom Event from the dropdown
- Save
The stopwatch/timer will now react when the custom event fires.
See Event triggers reference for more details on how triggers work.
Examples
Example 1: Start stopwatch when priority changes to Highest
- Create Custom Event:
- Name: “Priority to Highest”
- Field: Priority
- Action: CHANGE_TO
- Value To: Highest
- In Stopwatch field settings, add to Start Events:
- Trigger: CUSTOM_EVENT
- Custom Event: “Priority to Highest”
Example 2: Pause timer when resolution is set to “Won’t Do”
- Create Custom Event:
- Name: “Resolution Won’t Do”
- Field: Resolution
- Action: CHANGE_TO
- Value To: Won’t Do
- In Timer field settings, add to Pause Events:
- Trigger: CUSTOM_EVENT
- Custom Event: “Resolution Won’t Do”
Example 3: Restart stopwatch when assignee changes
- Create Custom Event:
- Name: “Assignee changed”
- Field: Assignee
- Action: CHANGE
- In Stopwatch field settings, add to Restart Events:
- Trigger: CUSTOM_EVENT
- Custom Event: “Assignee changed”
Tips
- Custom Events vs built-in triggers: use built-in triggers for common scenarios (STATUS_TO, RESOLUTION_SET, etc.). Use Custom Events when you need to match specific values or transitions that built-in triggers cannot express.
- Reusable: one Custom Event can be used by multiple Stopwatch and Timer field settings.
- Test carefully: Custom Events match against the issue changelog. After creating, run a recalculation to verify that events fire correctly for existing issues.
