Send pre-filled forms to non-Jira users automatically (e.g., approvals)

You already store the data in Jira — summary, dates, budget, requester, custom fields. When you send someone a form to approve or confirm that work item, they shouldn't have to retype any of it. This page shows how to open a form for an external user with the Jira values already filled in, delivered by email through Jira Automation.

There are two ways to do this. Pick based on whether the form is tied to an existing work item.

Method 1 — Attach and send a pre-filled form via Jira Automation

Use this method when the second form belongs to an existing Jira work item.

Example. A customer submits an initial request and creates work item:

• Ticket ID: HEALTH-1245

• Customer Name: Alex Morgan

• Customer Email: alex@example.com

Later you need Alex to complete a second form with additional health information. Instead of sending an empty form, Jira Automation:

1. Attaches the second Smart Form to HEALTH-1245.

2. Pre-fills Ticket ID, Customer Name, Customer Email, or any other value from the work item.

3. Generates an external URL for that form.

4. Sends the URL to the customer automatically.

Alex opens the form with the known details already in place and completes only what's missing. On submit, the response saves straight back to HEALTH-1245

Step 1: Configure the form in Smart Forms

1. Create the second form with the fields the customer needs to complete (the health-information questions), plus the fields that should arrive pre-filled (Ticket ID, Customer Name, Customer Email).

   

2. Map each pre-filled element to the work item field it should carry, in the form's Settings tab:
   

   

3. Set any field the customer shouldn't change to hidden. A hidden Ticket ID still travels with the submission and can be used later by automation for linking or routing.

Step 2: Attach the form with values

• Via automation — add the Smart Forms add form with values action to your rule, so the form attaches only when the trigger fires. The action attaches the mapped form to the current work item and pulls its values in.

  

Step 3: Configure Jira Automation

Trigger

Whatever moment the second form should go out. For example:

When: work item transitions to Awaiting Details

(You can use any trigger: Issue Created, Field Updated, Scheduled, etc.)

Action: Send Email

Choose recipients:

• Reporter

• Assignee

• Custom email field (e.g. the customer's email, {{issue.customfield_10255}})

• Any external email address

Retrieve the External Form URL

Use this Smart Value in the email body:

{{#issue.properties."saasjet.forms.formsSharedUrls"}}
{{#if(equals(formName, "Your Form Name"))}}
{{url}}
{{/}}
{{/}}

Important:

• Replace "Your Form Name" with your exact form name.

• The name is case-sensitive.

• No parameters are appended here — the values are already in the attached form.

Save and activate the rule.

The result

When the work item reaches Awaiting Details:

1. Jira attaches the form to the item and pre-fills it from the item's fields.

2. Jira sends the email with the form link.

3. The customer opens the form with Ticket ID, Name, and Email already filled.

4. They complete the remaining health-information fields and submit.

5. The response writes back to HEALTH-1245. Optionally, on submission Smart Forms can update work item fields or change status.

Linking two work items. If the second form creates its own work item rather than updating the first, keep the Ticket ID in a hidden field. An automation rule can read that value on submission and link the new item back to HEALTH-1245, so the two stay connected without the customer seeing anything.

Method 2 — Pre-fill a standalone form with URL parameters

Use this when the form is not attached to a work item — a form embedded on your website, or a general share link that creates a new item on submit. Here the values can't come from a work item, so you inject them through the URL instead.

1. Build the form. For each text field you want pre-filled, put a placeholder in its Default Response, wrapped in curly braces: {fullName}, {email}, {plan}. You can use any parameter name — just wrap it in { }.

   Important:

   • Parameter names are case-sensitive.

   • The URL parameter must match the placeholder exactly.

   • If needed, these form elements can be hidden from the form preview.

   Supported form elements for parameters:

   • Single-line text input

   • Multi-line text input

Hide any the user shouldn't edit.

1. 

2. Use the form's general external share link

   

3. Append the values as parameters — by hand, or via Jira Automation or generated by your site's own script based on who's logged in:

https://your-share-link?fullName=Alex%20Morgan&email=alex%40example.com&JSMLicence=Enterprise

The form opens pre-filled, and on submit it creates a new Jira work item with those values mapped in.

Two things to get right:

• Add .urlEncode to any value you pass from an automation smart value, or spaces and symbols will break the link.

• Parameter names have to match the {placeholder} names exactly, and both are case-sensitive.

How to Configure Jira Automation

Trigger

(You can use any trigger: Issue Created, Field Updated, Scheduled, etc.)

Action: Send Email

Choose recipients:

• Reporter

• Assignee

• Custom email field

• Any external email address

Retrieve the External Form URL

Use this Smart Value in the email body:

{{#issue.properties."saasjet.forms.formsSharedUrls"}}
{{#if(equals(formName, "Your Form Name"))}}
{{url}}
{{/}}
{{/}}

Important:

• Replace "Your Form Name" with your exact form name.

• The name is case-sensitive.

Append Jira Field Parameters

After the Smart URL, add Jira field values as parameters.

Example:

{{#issue.properties."saasjet.forms.formsSharedUrls"}}
{{#if(equals(formName, "External Review & Approval Form"))}}
{{url}}
{{/}}
{{/}}
&summary={{issue.summary.urlEncode}}
&description={{issue.description.urlEncode}}
&startDate={{issue.customfield_10015}}
&dueDate={{issue.dueDate}}
&fullName={{reporter.displayName.urlEncode}}

Notes:

• Always use .urlEncode to prevent broken links in text Jira fields.

• Parameter names must match form placeholders.

• You can pass any Jira field, including custom fields.

Example custom field:

&customer={{issue.customfield_10421.urlEncode}}

What the recipient experiences

1. The rule fires and the email goes out.

2. They click the link — no Jira account needed.

3. The form opens with the known details already filled.

4. They complete only what's left and submit.

5. Their answers land on the work item (and move its status, if you set that up).

Notes and limits

• One link, one submission for the method 1. A form shared from a work item accepts a single response and expires after one month. To collect from several people, attach several copies of the form.

• URL state matters. A green icon in the add-on means the URL is live. Deactivating it blocks access immediately; regenerating it permanently breaks the old link.

• User picker fields force verified access. If the form contains a user picker field, it's locked to Verified in instance — external email delivery won't reach anyone outside your Jira. Keep user pickers off forms meant for outside recipients.

• Case sensitivity. Form names in the smart value, and parameter names against placeholders, both have to match exactly.

Building a lightweight customer portal from these pieces

Chain the two methods and you get a simple portal with no custom development:

1. A form on your site (Method 2) creates a Jira work item.

2. Automation attaches a second, pre-filled form and emails the link (Method 1).

3. The customer confirms, approves, or adds detail — and it all lands back on the work item.