Jira Spoke - possible to have a read only field updated by the integration?

[Kiran_25]

Hi

We have a bidirectional Servicenow - Jira integration in place and want to open this up to be used by other business areas. One of the things I'd like to understand if it is possible to restrict a field in Jira and make it READ ONLY so that it can only be updated via Servicenow. And would this have to be a custom field?

I have reviewed the support materials and come across this, so I think it can be done but interested in real world examples where this has been achieved.

Setup:

1. Create a custom field using the Text Field (read-only) type in Settings > Issues > Custom Fields
2. Add it to your View screen only (so users can see it but never edit it)
3. Have ServiceNow populate/update the field via the Jira REST API — specifically the PUT /rest/api/3/issue/{issueKey} endpoint, passing the custom field ID and value

Thanks

[Abhishek Pal]

Hi @Kiran_25 ,

Yes, this can be implemented, and I would recommend keeping ServiceNow as the system of record for that field.

Recommended design:

ServiceNow
-> Jira Spoke
-> Jira custom field
-> Jira users can view it
-> ServiceNow integration updates it

1. Create a dedicated Jira custom field

Create a separate field specifically for the ServiceNow-controlled value.

Examples:

ServiceNow Reference
ServiceNow Status
ServiceNow Business Value

Using a dedicated integration-owned field is preferable to using an existing business field because it makes ownership and synchronization clear.

2. Try the OOB Jira Spoke Update Issue action first

ServiceNow Jira Spoke provides:

Update Issue

The action supports Additional Fields for Jira fields returned through the Jira metadata.

Configure:

Flow Designer
-> Jira Spoke
-> Update Issue
-> Additional Fields

and check whether your custom field appears.

ServiceNow also provides:

Get Editable Fields (Metadata)

This retrieves the editable Jira fields available for the specified issue.

3. Important consideration for a read-only Jira field

If Jira marks the field as completely non-editable through its metadata, the OOB Update Issue action may not expose it under Additional Fields because the Jira Spoke uses editable-field metadata.

Therefore, test the field with:

Get Editable Fields (Metadata)

If the field appears:
-> Use OOB Update Issue.

If it does not appear:
-> The OOB dynamic input may not be able to select it.

4. If Additional Fields are not available dynamically

There is a known pattern where Jira Additional Fields can be unavailable when the Issue ID or Project value is provided dynamically.

ServiceNow Support has documented this scenario in:

KB0818189

Additional Fields are greyed out when Project/Issue ID is configured dynamically in Create Issue or Update Issue.

In that situation, use the workaround described in the KB or create a small custom IntegrationHub Action rather than modifying the OOB Jira Spoke action.

5. Custom action approach

If the OOB Update Issue action cannot expose the required field, create a custom Action that reuses the existing Jira connection.

Recommended design:

ServiceNow Flow
-> Custom IntegrationHub Action
-> Existing Jira connection alias
-> Update the required custom field

Keep the custom action very small and only expose:

Issue Key
Custom Field ID
Value

Do not clone the complete Jira Spoke Update Issue action.

6. Prevent synchronization loops

Because your integration is bidirectional, make sure ServiceNow updating Jira does not cause the same value to be written back to ServiceNow repeatedly.

Use one or more of:

- Correlation ID
- Integration source field
- Compare old/new values
- Ignore updates generated by the integration account
- Integration transaction ID

Recommended model:

ServiceNow
-> Owner of the field

Jira users
-> View only

Jira -> ServiceNow synchronization
-> Ignore this specific integration-owned field

7. Security

Use a dedicated Jira integration account with only the permissions required to update the intended projects/issues.

Do not grant broad administrative access just to update one field.

8. Recommended final approach

If the field appears in Jira Spoke Additional Fields:

ServiceNow
-> Jira Spoke Update Issue
-> Additional Fields
-> Custom field

If the field does not appear:

ServiceNow
-> Custom IntegrationHub Action
-> Existing Jira connection
-> Update only the required Jira custom field

I would avoid modifying the OOB Jira Spoke actions.

Official ServiceNow references:

Jira Spoke:
https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/integrate-applications/integration-hub/jira-spoke-v3-0-2.html

Jira Cloud Spoke setup:
https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/integrate-applications/integration-hub/setup-jira-spk-opt2....

Jira Spoke release notes:
https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/store-release-notes/store-integrationhub-rn-jira.html

ServiceNow Support KB:
KB0818189 - Additional Fields are greyed out when configuring Project/Issue ID dynamically in Jira Spoke Create Issue or Update Issue.

Related accepted ServiceNow Community discussion:

https://www.servicenow.com/community/servicenow-ai-platform-forum/how-to-update-a-jira-issue-with-th...

Hope this helps!

If this response helped, please mark it as Helpful.
If it resolves your issue, please Accept it as Solution.

Kind Regards,
Abhishek Pal

[Ankur Bawiskar]

@Kiran_25 

this should be question to JIRA team and not within ServiceNow as it's related to JIRA tool.

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏