Configuring Jira for RealTheory Ticketing Integration

  • Published on Dec 14, 2025
  • 3 minute(s) read
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Before RealTheory can create Jira issues for Recommendations within a specified Jira project, Jira must be set up correctly. This article explains exactly what must be configured on the Jira side to support the integration.

Supported Jira Versions and Authentication Methods

RealTheory supports both Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center. The authentication methods differ depending on the deployment type.

Jira Data Center

Jira Data Center requires one of the following:

  • A Jira service account (recommended)
  • A Jira user account

RealTheory supports two authentication models for Jira Data Center:

  • Basic Authentication

    • Username + Secret

  • Personal Access Token (PAT)

    • Available for Jira Data Center 8.14+

    • Created through the user’s Manage Account page

Jira Cloud

Jira Cloud requires:

RealTheory supports a Username + Secret authentication model for Jira Cloud. Where Username is the email address and Secret is the API token associated with the account.

Jira User Account

Whether you use a human user or a dedicated service account, the Jira user associated with your authentication method must:

  • Have an active Jira license
  • Have access to the project(s) RealTheory will interact with
  • Use one of the supported authentication methods above

No administrative or global permissions are required.

Project-Level Permissions

RealTheory only supports creating Jira issues and subsequently deleting them. Actions such as assigning the issue, adding sub-tasks, or making status transitions must be managed through Jira.

The Jira user must have the following permissions in the Jira project(s) you intend to integrate with RealTheory through Integration Profiles:

  • Browse Projects - Allows RealTheory to see the project and its metadata.
  • Create Issues - Required for creating Jira tickets
  • Delete Issues - Required to delete Jira tickets from the RealTheory Console

Many Jira environments restrict the Delete Issues permission. If it is not granted, RealTheory will still create issues successfully, but deleting the issue from the RealTheory Console will not complete successfully. If the delete action cannot be completed successfully, RealTheory will display a "Failed to delete" message.

Issue Types

By default, RealTheory creates issues using the Default Issue Type specified in the RealTheory Integration Profile used when creating a ticket. Users can override the Default Issue Type during ticket creation but Jira must be configured to allow whichever Issue Type the user specifies for the issue to be created successfully.

To ensure this:

  • The Issue Type must exist in the project’s Issue Type Scheme
    Example: Task, Bug, Story, Incident, etc.

  • Any required fields must be optional or have defaults
    RealTheory does not supply values for custom fields or special workflow fields.
    If your Issue Type has required fields such as:

    • Component

    • Custom fields

    • Priority

    • Environment

    • Team

    • Epic Link (if required)

      Note: Epic Link is a common mandatory field when the issue type is Story.

    • Anything enforced by a validator

    …then the field must either:

    • Be configured as optional, or
    • Have a default value in the project configuration

    If Jira is not configured to allow the Issue Type to be created, it will reject the issue creation request.

  • Workflow validators must not block creation
    If the project’s workflow includes validators on the Create transition, they must not require fields that RealTheory does not provide.
    Common blocking validators:

    • “Field X must not be empty"
    • “Component is required”
    • Mandatory custom fields via scripting add-ons
      Remove or relax these validators, or add default values in Jira.
      Note: If your Jira implementation uses ScriptRunner or other add-ons for mandatory fields, RealTheory cannot bypass these.

Multiple Issue Types and Projects

Your organization might want RealTheory to support different workflows, such as:

  • Bugs for QA
  • Stories for Development
  • Tasks for Operations
  • Incidents for SREs
  • Multiple Jira projects across teams

RealTheory Integration Profiles support multiple workflows by configuring one profile for each unique workflow. For example, workflows that use different providers (Jira Cloud or Jira Data Center), different projects, or different default issue types. However, you must ensure the following:

  • The integration user can access the target project
  • Each Issue Type specified in the RealTheory Integration Profile is valid in that project
  • Required fields for each Issue Type are handled correctly

URLs and Connection Details RealTheory Needs From Jira

Your Jira administrator must provide the following information to your RealTheory administrator. These values are entered into a RealTheory Integration Profile.

  • API Base URL

    • Cloud: https://your-domain.atlassian.net
    • Data Center: your Jira base URL

  • Console (UI) URL

    • Typically, the same as the API URL

  • Project Key

    • For example, ENG, OPS, QA, PLAT

  • Default Issue Type

    • For example, Story, Task, Bug, Incident

  • Authentication Values:

    • Cloud: Username + Secret

      Where Username is the email address, and Secret is the API token associated with the account.

    • Data Center: Username + Secret or PAT

See Also
Creating an Integration Profile