Create a Jira Automation Rule That Moves Issues to In Review When a Comment Contains #review

Desired outcome

When a user adds a comment that contains the keyword #review on an issue, the issue automatically transitions to the In Review status in its workflow.

Prerequisites

• Jira Automation is available on your instance (Jira Software Cloud Premium/Data Center or Jira Service Management).
• You have either the global Jira Administrators permission or the project‑level Automation: Create permission.
• The workflow used by the project includes an In Review status that is reachable from the current status of the issues you want to affect.
• The keyword you plan to use (#review) is not already used for another automated process that could cause conflicts.

Procedure

1. Open the automation page
   • Navigate to Project settings → Automation (or Jira settings → System → Automation rules for a global rule).
   • Click Create rule.
2. Select the trigger
   • Choose Issue commented as the trigger.
   • Leave the default settings (trigger fires on any comment added).
3. Add a condition for the keyword
   • Click New condition → Comment text.
   • Set the operator to Contains.
   • In the value field, insert the smart value {{comment.body}} and type #review after it, or use the condition builder: {{comment.body}} contains #review.
   • If you need case‑insensitive matching, switch to Advanced compare condition and use a regex: (?i)#review.
4. Add the transition action
   • Click New action → Transition issue.
   • From the dropdown, select the In Review status.
   • Optionally, add a comment or notification (e.g., add a comment saying "Moving to In Review per automation rule") to provide traceability.
5. Finalize and enable the rule
   • Give the rule a descriptive name, such as "Transition to In Review on #review comment".
   • Toggle the switch to On.
   • Click Turn it on to save and activate the rule.

Expected checks

• Open an issue that is currently in a status that can transition to In Review.
• Add a comment that includes the exact string #review (or any case variation if you used regex).
• Wait a few seconds, then refresh the issue.
• Check the History tab: you should see a status change to In Review with a timestamp matching the comment.
• Alternatively, open the Automation tab on the issue to see the rule execution marked with a green checkmark.

Recovery options and troubleshooting

• Rule does not fire: Go to Project settings → Automation, locate the rule, and view its Audit log. Look for errors such as "Condition failed" or "Missing permission".
• Permission issues: Ensure the rule actor (the user under which automation runs) has the Transition Issues permission on the project and the Comment permission to read comment bodies.
• Wrong status transition: Verify that the workflow actually allows a transition from the issue’s current status to In Review. If not, adjust the workflow or choose a different target status.
• Unintended triggers: If the keyword appears in other contexts (e.g., code snippets), consider making the condition more specific, such as requiring the keyword to be on its own line or surrounded by spaces: \s#review\s using an advanced regex condition.
• Rate‑limit concerns: Bulk comment operations (e.g., importing many comments via API) can cause the rule to execute many times quickly. Review your instance’s automation limits under Jira settings → System → Automation rules → Global automation limits and consider adding a Scheduled trigger with a batch check if high volume is expected.

Limitations

• The rule only reacts to comments added after the rule is turned on; existing comments will not trigger a transition.
• If you use the Contains condition without regex, the match is case‑sensitive. For case‑insensitive matching you must use an advanced compare condition with a regex.
• Automation rules count toward your instance’s rule execution limits; excessive usage may lead to throttling.

Practical verification checklist

1. Confirm the rule is active (toggle shows On).
2. Add a test comment with #review to an issue in a suitable status.
3. Observe the issue’s history for a status change to In Review.
4. Check the automation audit log for a successful execution entry (green check).
5. If the transition does not occur, review the audit log for failure reasons and adjust condition or permissions accordingly.