Jira Airtable integration

The Jira-Airtable integration with Getint combines Jira's structured task tracking with Airtable's flexible database features, creating a single interface that supports efficiency and collaboration. This guide explains how to set up the integration step by step, helping teams improve productivity, maintain data accuracy, and achieve real-time synchronization aligned with business needs.

Check out our Airtable integration app on the Atlassian Marketplace

Airtable-Jira Licensing Model

The Airtable-Jira licensing model with Getint is designed to accommodate different integration needs. Here's an overview:

Standard Licensing

• A Getint license is required only on Jira, allowing data synchronization between Airtable and Jira. This makes setup simpler and faster, without the need for additional configurations in Airtable.

Flexible License

• For managed services companies or organizations looking to integrate four or more instances (regardless of whether they are the same or different tools), Getint offers a Flexible License. This custom license covers a specific number of connections (i.e., up to 10 instances) without restrictions on the tools involved. You can also swap the integrated tools while the license remains active, offering unparalleled flexibility.

For more details on licensing, visit our Pricing Page.

Requirements to Build Your Integration:

• The Getint app must be installed in Jira.
• Comments are attributed to the user who created the connection. Therefore, we recommend using dedicated Service Accounts for both instances.
• Jira instances must have a dedicated user and an associated API token with permissions to read, write, view, and modify the project.
• Every Airtable table included in the integration must contain a Last Modified Time field. Getint relies on this field to detect changes, so a table without it will not sync.
• Personal Access Tokens are required for Jira and Airtable authentication. You can find the steps to generate the access token for your connectors here: Connection Guide.

Setting Up Your Airtable-Jira Integration

1. Access the Getint App in Jira

• Navigate to Jira, go to Apps, and select Jira Airtable Integration.

• Select Create Integration, then Continuous Sync or Migration based on your requirements.

The Continuous Sync functionality keeps data integration consistent, which is Getint's standard operating mode, meaning that every item requires an update to sync. For transferring pre-existing data, consider the Migration feature available as a premium option.

2. Token Generation (Password for Jira Cloud)

• For Jira Cloud, generate a Jira token. This token will act as your password:

  • Go to Atlassian Account Settings.
  • Navigate to Security and go to Generate and manage API tokens, then select an API token or an API token with scopes.
  • After creation, use this token as the password for Jira integration. More information about access tokens for Jira is here.

3. Add the Last Modified Time Field in Airtable

• Before building the integration, add a Last Modified Time field to every Airtable table you plan to sync. Getint uses this field to detect changes on the Airtable side.
• Configure the field to watch all editable fields in the table rather than a single field, so that any update is picked up.
• If you add another table to the integration later, add the field to that table as well.

A table without a Last Modified Time field will not sync. Updates made in Airtable will not reach Jira until the field is present.

4. Generate an Airtable Personal Access Token

Create an access token that includes all the necessary scopes:

• Click on your profile icon and navigate to the Account section.
• Choose the Builder Hub subsection, then select Personal Access Tokens.
• Press the Create New Token button.
• Name your token and select the appropriate scopes.
• Specify which team the token will give access to.
• Press Create and store the token securely in a safe location, as it will only be visible once.

Required Scopes

The Airtable integration requires the following permissions:

• data.records:read - See the data in records
• data.records:write - Create, edit, and delete records
• data.recordComments:read - See comments in records
• data.recordComments:write - Create, edit, and delete record comments
• schema.bases:read - See the structure of a base, like table names or field types
• schema.bases:write - Edit the structure of a base, like adding new fields or tables
• workspacesAndBases:read - View metadata about workspaces, bases, and views, including collaborators
• user.email:read - See the user's email address

5. Connect to Jira

• In Getint, click on Connect App and choose Jira.
• Select Create New to establish a new connection with your Jira instance and add the URL of your Jira instance (omit the trailing “/”).
• Enter the admin user's login credentials and the Personal Access Token.

• Once the connection is established, choose the Jira project you want to connect to from the dropdown menu.

6. Connect to Airtable

• Select Airtable as the connection app and create a new connection if none exists yet.

• Name the connection and use the Airtable token generated in step 4 as the password.

• Select the space and the table you want to synchronize.

7. Type Mapping

• Map Jira issue types such as Task, Bug, Epic, and Story to Task in Airtable.
• Consider using the Quick Build beta feature for automated type and field mapping, which speeds up the setup process.
• Manual Mapping: For greater control, map the types yourself. Click + Add type mapping to add the types (Task, Bug, Epic, Story) by hand.

Please note that at the moment, we only support the Task issue type for Airtable.

8. Field Mapping

• Designate specific fields for synchronization and map them accordingly.
• Use the arrows to define the sync direction for each field, then select Apply.
• The Last Modified Time field no longer needs to be mapped. It only has to be present in the project so that Getint can read it and detect updates.

If you need fields that are not appearing for your integration, including labels or custom fields, contact us at our Support Portal. We continually improve our product based on user feedback and value your insights. Also, you could set up a Dynamic Field if your team is comfortable using JavaScript.

9. Status Mapping

In Airtable, status values live in a Single Select field, and the options available are the ones defined in your table. Create those options before mapping so they appear in the dropdown.

• Navigate to the Status Mapping tab and enable status mapping.

• Use the dropdown menu to map each Jira status to its Airtable counterpart, for example, Jira To Do, In Progress, and Done to the matching values in your Airtable Status field.

• You can also configure the status direction to support unidirectional transitions instead of bidirectional updates.

If a Jira status has no matching option in the Airtable Single Select field, that status cannot be mapped. Add the option in Airtable first, then reopen the mapping.

10. How to Manage Comments

• Review the Comments tab. Comments are enabled by default and can be adjusted to meet your organization's needs, including the sync direction and filters such as creation date or author.

• Comments moving from Airtable to Jira are public by default. You can configure Jira to mark all comments coming from Airtable as private instead.

Comment visibility is set for the whole integration. Public and private visibility cannot both be enabled at the same time, and attachments are not supported for Airtable.

11. Finalize Integration

• Name your project and click “Create” to finalize the integration setup

12. Filtering:

It is possible to filter the synchronization to customize it to your needs and requirements.

UI Filtering Option:

• Click on the filtering icon near the app icon in your integration. This will apply to that side of the integration.
• Select whether the filtering applies to All, New, and Synced items.
• Note that if the option “New items” is selected, the filtering will apply only to the new items, and the already synced items will continue to sync and update. If the option “Synced items” is selected, only the already synced items will be updated based on that filter.
• Choose the options and add the value for the filter. It is possible to filter more than one option for each field.
• Select Apply once you have created the filters and “Save” the integration.

13. Test the Integration

To ensure everything is working correctly, create tasks and go to the reporting section to verify that all syncs are functioning as expected. If you encounter any issues, please contact our support team for assistance.

Conclusion

Following this guide sets up the Jira-Airtable integration with Getint, so issues tracked in Jira and records held in Airtable stay synchronized across both platforms.

For any questions about this integration or assistance with the setup process, open a ticket at our Help Center or Schedule a Demo.

Start your integration journey. Schedule a free consultation with our Getint Integration Expert today!