Jira Integration
Connect Jira to QA Sphere to create and link issues from test results, and to link test runs, test plans and requirements to Jira issues
QA Sphere seamlessly integrates with Atlassian Jira. While going through test cases in a test run, you can create Jira issues or link existing ones to the results. You can also link test runs, test plans and requirements to Jira issues, and every linked issue links back to QA Sphere. This integration streamlines your workflow and keeps the issues in your Jira projects connected to your tests.
Configuring Jira Integration
To integrate Jira Issues into QA Sphere, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings by clicking the gear icon
in the top right corner and choose Workspace Settings. - Select Issue Trackers from the left sidebar.
- A list of all available projects will be displayed. Click the + button next to the appropriate project to add integration.
- Choose Jira from the list of available integrations.
- Next provide your Jira account subdomain and the email used for registration.
- Navigate to https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens to generate API token
- Use new token in the form and click Add
- Choose a project for new issues to be created in.
Using a Jira Service Account
The credentials above belong to whichever Atlassian account generated the API token, which makes the integration dependent on that person. If they leave, or their token is revoked, the integration stops working for the whole project.
QA Sphere supports Jira service accounts for this reason. Configure the integration with a dedicated service account rather than a team member's personal account so that:
- The integration survives staff changes
- The token's permissions can be scoped to exactly the Jira projects QA Sphere should write to
- Issue creation is clearly attributable to the integration in Jira's own history
If the integration suddenly starts failing, an expired or suspended token is the usual cause. QA Sphere reports this explicitly in the integration's error message, so check Settings → Issue Trackers before digging further.
Linking Your Personal Jira Account
By default, issues created from QA Sphere are reported by the account that configured the integration. Individual users can instead link their own Jira account, so issues they create from QA Sphere show them as the reporter in Jira.
This is worth doing on any team where it matters who found a bug: Jira notifications, dashboards, and reporter-based filters all then reflect the actual tester instead of a shared integration account. Linking is per user and does not change the project-level integration.
Using Jira Issues Integration
Once configured, the Jira Integration allows you to link existing issues or create new ones directly from QA Sphere while adding test case results. To create or link a Jira issue during testing:
- Within your project, navigate to the Test Runs section.
- Select an existing test run or create a new one.
- Choose a test case within the run.
- When changing the status of the test case, click + Add Jira Issues and select one of the following options:
- Link existing issue - Add a link to an existing Jira issue.
- Create new - Enter details by selecting the Issue Type and either manually entering the Summary and Description or using AI to auto-generate the information based on test case details and result comments. A new Jira issue will be created in the assigned Jira project.
All issues linked or created for the test case will be saved under the Action History for this test run, providing a clear trail of documentation.
- AI issue generation may fail if there is insufficient context from the test case details and result comments to accurately determine the issue observed during testing.
- AI issue generation is not available when batch-adding results for multiple test cases simultaneously.
Finding an Existing Issue
When linking an existing issue, you can search by:
- The full Jira issue URL, pasted straight from your browser
- Part of the issue key, without typing it in full
Required Fields on Create
If your Jira project marks fields as required on the issue-creation screen, QA Sphere respects them: the required fields appear in the Create new form so the issue is accepted by Jira on the first attempt instead of failing and needing a manual fix.
The following required field types are supported:
- Text field and text area
- Select (single-option dropdown)
- Labels (autocomplete array)
- Multi-checkboxes (multi-select)
Required-field support is partial. A Jira project that requires a field type outside the list above — a cascading select or a custom field from a third-party Jira app, for example — may still reject the issue. If issue creation fails for a project like that, make the field optional in Jira or supply a default value in the Jira field configuration.
Linking Test Runs and Test Plans
A test run or test plan can be linked to one Jira issue, such as the epic or release ticket it verifies:
- When creating or editing a run or plan, pick the issue in Link with Jira.
- For an open run or plan, choose Link to Jira in its menu in the Test Runs list. Edit Link and Remove Link in the same menu change or remove the link. A linked run also shows the Jira icon on its page, with Open Jira, Edit and Remove Link.
- Runs in a test plan share the plan's link, so link the plan instead.
Only issues in the Jira project linked to QA Sphere can be linked.
Importing Requirements from Jira
Beyond bug reporting, Jira issues can serve as requirements for traceability. When creating or editing a requirement under Resources → Requirements, use the Import from Jira tab to pick the issue it comes from. Imported requirements appear in the Traceability Report with their issue keys, linking coverage analysis back to the tracker where your requirements already live.
An imported requirement is titled with the issue key and summary, and links to the issue.
Bidirectional Linking
QA Sphere links back from Jira issues, so the issue leads to the tests that reference it:
- Test results: Linking an issue to a test result adds a comment with the result on the issue, and a web link to the test case in the run. Further results of the same test case in that run update the web link instead of adding another. Once no result of the test case in the run links the issue, the web link is removed; the comments stay.
- Test runs, test plans and requirements: Linking one of them to an issue adds a web link to it on the issue. QA Sphere keeps the web link up to date as results are added to the run or plan, when the run or plan is renamed, closed or reopened, and when the requirement is renamed. Changing or removing the link, or deleting the run, plan or requirement, removes the web link from the issue; restoring a run or plan from the trash adds it again. If the web link is deleted in Jira, QA Sphere stops updating it and doesn't add it again.
Benefits of Jira Integration
- Seamless Workflow: Create issues in Jira without leaving QA Sphere.
- Consistency: Ensure all issues are properly documented and tracked in your Jira project.
- Traceability: Easily link test cases to specific Jira issues for better tracking.
- Efficiency: Reduce time spent switching between QA Sphere and Jira.
- Team Collaboration: Improve communication between QA and development teams by centralizing issue reporting.
By leveraging this integration, your team can maintain a more cohesive and efficient testing and issue management process across QA Sphere and Jira.