Mapping Jira Sprints to a ServiceNow Picklist

Sprints are specific to Jira, so ServiceNow has no equivalent field out of the box. To move work items across sprints from either side of the integration, you create a custom picklist in ServiceNow that replicates your sprint names, then pair each option with its Jira counterpart in Getint. Once both lists match, changing the value in ServiceNow moves the Jira issue to the corresponding sprint, and changing the sprint in Jira updates the ServiceNow record.

The option pairing works exactly like the process used for Assignees. Every dropdown field in Getint, including Assignees, Priority, Status, and custom picklists, uses the same configuration screen.

Requirements

• A Jira project with a board and at least one active sprint.
• Administrator rights in ServiceNow to create a custom field on the target table.
• An existing Jira ServiceNow integration. If you have not built one yet, start with the Jira ServiceNow integration guide.

As of the publication date of this article, Getint supports the following ServiceNow field types: Date, Dropdown, Text, Reference, and URL. The picklist described below must be created as a Choice field, so it is recognized as a dropdown.

Setting Up the Sprint Mapping

1. Create the Picklist in ServiceNow:

• Select the table where the field will live, such as Incident or Task.
• Click the three horizontal bars and select Configure > Form Layout.
• In the Create new field section, provide the following details:

  • Name: Sprint (or the name your team uses).
  • Type: Choice.
  • Field Length: Long enough to hold your longest sprint name.
  • View Name: Default view is recommended.
  • Section: The section where the field will be displayed.
  • Click Add to create the field.
• Use the ServiceNow slushbucket to place the field in the desired position, then click Save.

For the full procedure with screenshots, see Creating a Custom Field in ServiceNow.

2. Add the Choice Values:

• Right-click the field label on the form and select Configure Dictionary.
• Open the Choices related list and click New for each sprint you want to expose in ServiceNow.
• Enter the sprint name in the Label field. Keep the label identical to the sprint name in Jira so the pairing is easy to read and audit.
• Save each choice, then reload the form to confirm the values appear in the dropdown.

Only add the sprints your teams actually work in. A shorter list is faster to maintain, and every value you add has to be paired manually in the next steps.

3. Add the Field Mapping in Getint:

• Open your integration and go to the type mapping that covers the items you want to move across sprints.
• Click + Add field mapping.
• Select Jira as the first application and choose the Sprint field.
• Select ServiceNow as the second application, choose the picklist you created, and click Add.

4. Map the Available Options:

This is the same process described in Assignees (Users) Mapping, and it applies to every dropdown field in the platform.

• Click on the new Sprint mapping. A warning icon appears on dropdown fields that still need option-level detail.
• Click the cog icon and select Map options directly.
• Scroll down to Map available options and pair each Jira sprint with the matching ServiceNow choice.
• Click Apply to save the option configuration, then click Save to persist the change on the integration.

5. Confirm the Sync Direction:

• Getint syncs data in both directions by default. Leave the arrows as they are so a value set in ServiceNow reaches Jira and the other way around.
• If you only want ServiceNow to drive the change, click the arrows on the mapping and set the direction accordingly. More detail is available in Configuring Your Data Sync.

6. Test the Move Across Sprints:

• Create a test item and let it sync.
• Set the sprint in Jira and confirm the ServiceNow picklist updates to the paired value.
• Change the picklist value in ServiceNow and confirm the Jira issue moves to the corresponding sprint on the board.
• Check the run logs for errors before rolling the configuration out to production.

Things to Keep in Mind

• New sprints are not detected automatically: Option pairs are static. When a new sprint is created, add the matching choice in ServiceNow and pair it in the field mapping.
• Closed sprints reject new items: Jira accepts moves into active and future sprints only. Mapping a closed sprint produces a sync error.
• Unmapped values do not sync: If a ServiceNow choice has no Jira counterpart, the value is skipped, or the run fails, depending on the field configuration. Review the run logs after every change to the sprint list.
• Names should match on both sides: Getint pairs options by the selection you make, not by string comparison, but identical names make the mapping far easier to audit and hand over.
• The same process covers other dropdowns: Fix Version, Priority, Assignment Group, and any custom picklists follow the identical option-pairing steps.

Conclusion

By pairing the Jira Sprint field with a ServiceNow picklist, your service desk teams can move work between sprints without opening Jira, while agile teams keep working on the board. If you need help configuring this mapping or run into sync errors, please contact our Support Team or Schedule a Demo.

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