GitLab for Jira Cloud app

With the GitLab for Jira Cloud app, you can integrate GitLab and Jira Cloud.

If you use GitLab.com and Jira Cloud, you can install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app. If you do not use both of these environments, use the Jira DVCS Connector instead or install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app manually. You should use the GitLab for Jira Cloud app because data is synchronized in real time. The Jira DVCS connector updates data only once per hour.

This integration method supports Smart Commits.

Install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app

Prerequisites:

  • You must have at least the Maintainer role for the GitLab namespace.
  • You must have administrator access to the Jira instance.

To install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app:

  1. In Jira, select Jira Settings > Apps > Find new apps, and search for GitLab.

  2. Select GitLab for Jira Cloud, and select Get it now.

    Alternatively, get the app directly from the Atlassian Marketplace.

  3. To go to the configurations page, select Get started. You can always access this page in Jira Settings > Apps > Manage apps.
  4. To open the list of available namespaces, select Add namespace.
  5. To link to a namespace, select Link.

For an overview, see Configure the GitLab for Jira Cloud app from the Atlassian Marketplace.

After a namespace is added:

  • All future commits, branches, and merge requests of all projects in that namespace are synced to Jira.
  • In GitLab 13.8 and later, existing merge request data is synced to Jira.

For more information about syncing existing branch and commit data, see issue 263240.

Update the GitLab for Jira Cloud app

Most updates to the app are fully automated and don’t require any user interaction. See the Atlassian Marketplace documentation for details.

If the app requires additional permissions, the update must first be manually approved in Jira.

Set up OAuth authentication for self-managed instances

The GitLab for Jira Cloud app is switching to OAuth authentication. To enable OAuth authentication, you must create an OAuth application on the GitLab instance.

You must enable OAuth authentication to:

To create an OAuth application:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Admin.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Applications (/admin/applications).
  3. Select New application.
  4. In Redirect URI:
    • If you’re installing the app from the official marketplace listing, enter https://gitlab.com/-/jira_connect/oauth_callbacks.
    • If you’re installing the app manually, enter <instance_url>/-/jira_connect/oauth_callbacks and replace <instance_url> with the URL of your instance.
  5. Clear the Trusted and Confidential checkboxes.
  6. In Scopes, select the api checkbox only.
  7. Select Save application.
  8. Copy the Application ID value.
  9. On the left sidebar, select Settings > General (/admin/application_settings/general).
  10. Expand the GitLab for Jira App section.
  11. Paste the Application ID value into Jira Connect Application ID.
  12. Select Save changes.
  13. Optional. Enable the jira_connect_oauth feature flag to avoid authentication problems in some browsers.

Connect the GitLab for Jira Cloud app for self-managed instances

Introduced in GitLab 15.7.

You can link self-managed instances after installing the GitLab for Jira Cloud app from the marketplace. Jira apps can only link to one URL per marketplace listing. The official listing links to GitLab.com.

note
With this method, GitLab.com serves as a proxy for Jira traffic from your instance.

If your instance doesn’t meet the prerequisites or you don’t want to use the official marketplace listing, you can install the app manually.

It’s not possible to create branches from Jira for self-managed instances. For more information, see issue 391432.

Prerequisites

  • The instance must be publicly available.
  • The instance must be on GitLab version 15.7 or later.
  • You must set up OAuth authentication.

Set up your instance

See prerequisites.

To set up your self-managed instance for the GitLab for Jira Cloud app in GitLab 15.7 and later:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Admin.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > General (/admin/application_settings/general).
  3. Expand the GitLab for Jira App section.
  4. In Jira Connect Proxy URL, enter https://gitlab.com.
  5. Select Save changes.

See prerequisites.

To link your self-managed instance to the GitLab for Jira Cloud app:

  1. Install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app.
  2. Select GitLab (self-managed).
  3. Enter your GitLab instance URL.
  4. Select Save.

Install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app manually

If your GitLab instance is self-managed and you don’t want to use the official marketplace listing, you can install the app manually.

Each Jira Cloud application must be installed from a single location. Jira fetches a manifest file from the location you provide. The manifest file describes the application to the system. To support self-managed GitLab instances with Jira Cloud, you can do one of the following:

Prerequisites

Install the application in development mode

See prerequisites.

To configure your Atlassian Cloud instance so you can install applications from outside the Marketplace:

  1. Sign in to your Jira instance as an administrator.
  2. Place your Jira instance into development mode.
  3. Sign in to your GitLab application as a user with administrator access.
  4. Install the GitLab application from your Jira instance as described in the Atlassian developer guide:
    1. In your Jira instance, go to Apps > Manage Apps and select Upload app:
    2. For App descriptor URL, provide the full URL to your manifest file based on your instance configuration. By default, your manifest file is located at /-/jira_connect/app_descriptor.json. For example, if your GitLab self-managed instance domain is app.pet-store.cloud, your manifest file is located at https://app.pet-store.cloud/-/jira_connect/app_descriptor.json.
    3. Select Upload. Jira fetches the content of your app_descriptor file and installs it.
    4. To configure the integration, select Get started.
  5. Disable development mode on your Jira instance.

The GitLab for Jira Cloud app now displays under Manage apps. You can also select Get started to open the configuration page rendered from your GitLab instance.

note
If a GitLab update makes changes to the application descriptor, you must uninstall, then reinstall the application.

Create a Marketplace listing

If you don’t want to use development mode on your Jira instance, you can create your own Marketplace listing. This way, your application can be installed from the Atlassian Marketplace.

See prerequisites.

To create a Marketplace listing:

  1. Register as a Marketplace vendor.
  2. List your application with the application descriptor URL.
    • Your manifest file is located at: https://your.domain/your-path/-/jira_connect/app_descriptor.json
    • You should list your application as private because public applications can be viewed and installed by any user.
  3. Generate test license tokens for your application.
note
This method uses automated updates the same way as our GitLab.com Marketplace listing.

For more information about creating a Marketplace listing, see the Atlassian documentation.

Configure your GitLab instance to serve as a proxy for the GitLab for Jira Cloud app

A GitLab instance can serve as a proxy for other GitLab instances through the GitLab for Jira Cloud app. You might want to use a proxy if you’re managing multiple GitLab instances but only want to manually install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app once.

To configure your GitLab instance to serve as a proxy:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Admin.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > General (/admin/application_settings/general).
  3. Expand the GitLab for Jira App section.
  4. Select Enable public key storage.
  5. Select Save changes.
  6. Install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app manually.

Other GitLab instances that use the proxy must configure the Jira Connect Proxy URL and the OAuth application Redirect URI settings to point to the proxy instance.

Security considerations

The GitLab for Jira Cloud app connects GitLab and Jira. Data must be shared between the two applications, and access must be granted in both directions.

Access to GitLab through OAuth

GitLab does not share an access token with Jira. However, users must authenticate through OAuth to configure the app.

An access token is retrieved through a PKCE OAuth flow and stored only on the client side. The app frontend that initializes the OAuth flow is a JavaScript application that’s loaded from GitLab through an iframe on Jira.

The OAuth application must have the api scope, which grants complete read and write access to the API. This access includes all groups and projects, the container registry, and the package registry. However, the GitLab for Jira Cloud app only uses this access to:

  • Display namespaces to be linked.
  • Link namespaces.

Access through OAuth is only needed for the time a user configures the GitLab for Jira Cloud app. For more information, see Access token expiration.

Access to Jira through access token

Jira shares an access token with GitLab to authenticate and authorize data pushes to Jira. As part of the app installation process, Jira sends a handshake request to GitLab containing the access token. The handshake is signed with an asymmetric JWT, and the access token is stored encrypted with AES256-GCM on GitLab.

Troubleshooting

Browser displays a sign-in message when already signed in

You might get the following message prompting you to sign in to GitLab.com when you’re already signed in:

You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

The GitLab for Jira Cloud app uses an iframe to add namespaces on the settings page. Some browsers block cross-site cookies, which can lead to this issue.

To resolve this issue, set up OAuth authentication and enable the jira_connect_oauth feature flag.

Manual installation fails

You might get an error if you have installed the GitLab for Jira Cloud app from the official marketplace listing and replaced it with manual installation. To resolve this issue, disable the Jira Connect Proxy URL setting.

  • In GitLab 15.7:

    1. Open a Rails console.
    2. Execute ApplicationSetting.current_without_cache.update(jira_connect_proxy_url: nil).

  • In GitLab 15.8 and later:

    1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Admin.
    2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > General (/admin/application_settings/general).
    3. Expand the GitLab for Jira App section.
    4. Clear the Jira Connect Proxy URL text box.
    5. Select Save changes.

Data sync fails with Invalid JWT error

If the GitLab for Jira Cloud app continuously fails to sync data, it may be due to an outdated secret token. Atlassian can send new secret tokens that must be processed and stored by GitLab. If GitLab fails to store the token or misses the new token request, an Invalid JWT error occurs.

To resolve this issue on GitLab self-managed, follow one of the solutions below, depending on your app installation method.

  • If you installed the app from the official marketplace listing:

    1. Open the GitLab for Jira Cloud app on Jira.
    2. Select Change GitLab version.
    3. Select GitLab.com (SaaS).
    4. Select Change GitLab version again.
    5. Select GitLab (self-managed).
    6. Enter your GitLab instance URL.
    7. Select Save.

  • If you installed the GitLab for Jira Cloud app manually:

    • In GitLab 14.9 and later:
      • Contact the Jira Software Cloud support and ask to trigger a new installed lifecycle event for the GitLab for Jira Cloud app in your namespace.
    • In all GitLab versions:
      • Re-install the GitLab for Jira Cloud app. This might remove all already synced development panel data.

Failed to update GitLab version error when setting up the GitLab for Jira Cloud app for self-managed instances

When you set up the GitLab for Jira Cloud app, you might get the following message after you enter your self-managed instance URL:

Failed to update GitLab version. Please try again.

To resolve this issue, ensure all prerequisites for your installation method have been met:

If you’re using GitLab 15.8 and earlier and have previously enabled both the jira_connect_oauth_self_managed and the jira_connect_oauth feature flags, you must disable the jira_connect_oauth_self_managed flag due to a known issue. To check for these flags:

  1. Open a Rails console.

  2. Execute the following code:

    # Check if both feature flags are enabled.
# If the flags are enabled, these commands return `true`.
Feature.enabled?(:jira_connect_oauth)
Feature.enabled?(:jira_connect_oauth_self_managed)

# If both flags are enabled, disable the `jira_connect_oauth_self_managed` flag.
Feature.disable(:jira_connect_oauth_self_managed)