Jira forms let people outside your team send work into your space without learning Jira. Each submission becomes a work item in the space where the form lives, with the form’s ID added as a label. You build them from Forms in the space sidebar, choose which work type submissions create, drag in the fields you need, and share with one of three access levels: Limited, Open, or Public. Only space admins can create and share forms.
That’s the official mechanics, from Atlassian’s forms overview, create a form, and manage access and share a form pages, checked October 10, 2026. The rest of this guide is about what makes a form actually useful, because a form that creates 40 vague tickets a week is worse than no form at all.
Two different things are called “forms” in Jira
Before you start, make sure you’re reading the right docs:
| Jira forms (business and software spaces) | Jira Service Management forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you find it | Forms in the space sidebar | Attached to request types in a service space |
| Who fills it in | Colleagues, stakeholders, or anyone with a link | Customers through the help center portal |
| What a submission creates | A work item of the type you chose | A request handled in queues with SLAs |
| Best for | Team intake: design requests, content asks, bug reports from other teams | Formal service desks: IT, HR, facilities |
This guide covers the first column. If you’re running a proper service desk, see our Jira Service Management setup guide instead.
Create a form, step by step
- Open your space and select Forms in the space sidebar.
- Pick a template or Blank form. Templates may not be available to everyone.
- If the space has more than one work type, select which type submissions should create (Task, Bug, Story and so on). Subtasks can’t be used.
- Rename the form, then reorder fields and edit labels, help text, and options.
- Drag extra fields in from the sidebar.
- Select Preview to see what submitters will see.
- Select Save changes. Changes also autosave as you go.
You can create as many forms as you like in a space. Forms can’t be created, edited, or deleted in the Jira mobile app, so do this on a desktop.
Choosing the work type and fields
The work type you pick decides which fields are available, so choose it before you start dragging fields around. A few rules that keep intake clean:
- One form per kind of request. “Design request” and “Bug report” need different questions. A single catch-all form produces catch-all tickets.
- Ask for the decision-making facts. Deadline, who’s asking, what “done” looks like, links to the source material. If your team always replies with the same three questions, those are form fields.
- Use select lists instead of free text wherever you’ll later filter or report. Priority, request type, team and product area work better as dropdowns.
- Keep it short. Five to eight fields is plenty for most forms. Every extra required field cuts the number of people who finish it.
- Write the help text for a stranger. “Describe the impact” means nothing to someone in finance. “Who is blocked if this isn’t done, and by when?” does.
Atlassian also supports showing fields conditionally, which helps when one form needs a few extra questions for a specific option.
Pick the right access level
| Access level | Who can view and submit | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | People with permission to create work items in your space | Team-internal intake |
| Open | Anyone with a Jira license who can log in to your site | Cross-team requests inside the company |
| Public | Anyone online with the link | External partners, event sign-ups, vendor bug reports |
To set it: Forms → pick the form → Access → Limited, Open, or Public. Then use Share to email the form to people or copy the link.
If someone submits who doesn’t have permission to create work in the space, Atlassian makes the space owner the creator of the work item instead.
Public forms: the rules that catch people out
Public access is powerful and it’s where most surprises happen. Per Atlassian’s documentation:
- You must pick a default reporter. Every public submission is reported by that person.
- A mandatory email address field is added, and the submitter’s email shows up in a comment on the work item.
- Attachments are allowed, up to 100 MB per file.
- Restricted fields are hidden on public forms: Assignee, People, Parent, Team, Sprint, Space, Labels, and Fix versions. If you’d added one, submitters won’t see it.
- IP allowlists apply. If your org restricts Jira by IP, people outside the allowlist can’t open the public form.
- Org, site, or Jira admins can turn public forms off entirely under Settings → Jira apps → Jira configuration → Public forms sharing. If the Public option is missing, that’s usually why.
Two habits I’d add: don’t put a public form link anywhere search engines can index unless you want random submissions, and set up a quick triage automation for anything labeled with the form’s ID. Our Jira automation rules guide shows how.
Routing submissions after they land
A form only gets work into the space. What happens next is up to you:
- Filter by label. Every submission carries the form’s ID as a label, which makes a saved filter or board quick filter easy.
- Auto-assign and notify. An automation rule can assign by request type, set a due date, and post to Slack. See our Jira-Slack setup guide to keep that channel quiet enough to read.
- Close the loop. Submitters with Jira access can watch the work item. For public submitters, the email in the comment is your only contact, so reply from there or use a notification rule.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No Forms item in the sidebar | You’re not a space admin, or the space type doesn’t use forms | Ask a space admin, or check the space type |
| Public option missing | Admin turned off public forms sharing | Ask a Jira or site admin to enable it |
| Field won’t appear on a public form | It’s a restricted field | Use a select list or text field instead |
| Submissions created by the wrong person | Submitter lacks create permission, or it’s public | Expected: space owner or default reporter becomes creator |
| External person can’t open the link | IP allowlist, or access isn’t Public | Check access level and allowlist |
| Can’t edit the form on your phone | Mobile app limitation | Use the desktop browser |
When Jira forms aren’t the right tool
If your requesters already live in another tool, a form there may be easier. We’ve covered Asana forms, Smartsheet forms, and Notion forms the same way. If you’re deciding which Jira plan you need, our Jira pricing breakdown is current with Atlassian’s list prices.
Common questions
Do Jira form submissions create work items automatically?
Yes. Each response creates a work item of the type you chose, in the same space, with labels identifying the form.
Can people outside my company submit a Jira form?
Yes, if the form’s access is set to Public and your admins haven’t disabled public forms. You’ll need a default reporter, and some fields are hidden on public forms.
Who can create Jira forms?
Only people with space admin permissions can create and share forms.
Can I add an assignee field to a public Jira form?
No. Assignee, People, Parent, Team, Sprint, Space, Labels, and Fix versions are restricted on public forms. Use an automation rule to assign submissions instead.
Can I edit Jira forms on mobile?
No. Forms can’t be created, edited, or deleted in the Jira mobile app.
Steps and limits checked against Atlassian Support documentation on October 10, 2026. Atlassian updates Jira often, so menu names may shift slightly.
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