Comment Mentions#

Execute JavaScript code directly from Jira comments by mentioning @automan.

Overview#

Comment Mentions provide a quick way to run JavaScript code without creating definitions or configuring triggers. Simply mention @automan in a comment and include your code in a code block - Automan will execute it and reply with the results.

This feature is useful for:

Quick one-off scripts and queries
Debugging and exploring data
Ad-hoc automations
Learning and experimentation

How It Works#

Add a comment to any Jira work item
Mention @automan anywhere in the comment
Include one or more code blocks with JavaScript code
Automan executes each code block and replies with the results

Usage#

Basic Example#

Add a comment like this:

@automan

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/myself`);
const user = await response.json();
user.displayName;

Automan will reply with a comment showing the executed code and result:

@yourname

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/myself`);
const user = await response.json();
user.displayName;

=> "John Doe"

Multiple Code Blocks#

You can include multiple code blocks in a single comment. Each will be executed separately:

@automan

Get issue details:

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`);
const issue = await response.json();
issue.fields.summary;

Count comments:

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}/comment`);
const comments = await response.json();
comments.total;

Context Variables#

When your code executes, the event object contains the comment event data:

{
  eventType: "avi:jira:commented:issue",

  // The issue where the comment was added
  issue: {
    id: "10001",
    key: "PROJ-123"
  },

  // The comment that triggered the execution
  comment: {
    id: "10050",
    author: {
      accountId: "5a0000000000000000000001",
      displayName: "John Doe"
    },
    body: { ... }
  }
}

Accessing Issue Data#

Use event.issue.key to reference the current issue:

// Get full issue details
const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`);
const issue = await response.json();

console.log("Summary:", issue.fields.summary);
console.log("Status:", issue.fields.status.name);
console.log("Assignee:", issue.fields.assignee?.displayName);

Examples#

Get Issue Summary#

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`);
const issue = await response.json();
issue.fields.summary;

List Subtasks#

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`);
const issue = await response.json();
const subtasks = issue.fields.subtasks || [];
subtasks.map(s => `${s.key}: ${s.fields.summary}`);

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`);
const issue = await response.json();
const projectKey = issue.fields.project.key;

const jql = `project = "${projectKey}" AND status = "In Progress"`;
const searchResponse = await requestJira(
  route`/rest/api/3/search/jql?jql=${encodeURIComponent(jql)}&maxResults=5`
);
const result = await searchResponse.json();

result.issues.map(i => i.key);

Get Current User Info#

const response = await requestJira(route`/rest/api/3/myself`);
const user = await response.json();
({ name: user.displayName, email: user.emailAddress });

Update Issue Field#

await requestJira(
  route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}`,
  {
    method: "PUT",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      fields: {
        labels: ["reviewed"]
      }
    })
  }
);
"Label added!";

Add a Comment#

await requestJira(
  route`/rest/api/3/issue/${event.issue.key}/comment`,
  {
    method: "POST",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      body: {
        type: "doc",
        version: 1,
        content: [{
          type: "paragraph",
          content: [{ type: "text", text: "This comment was added by script!" }]
        }]
      }
    })
  }
);
"Comment added!";

Output Format#

Console Logs#

Use console.log() to output debug information:

console.log("Starting script...");
console.log("Issue key:", event.issue.key);
"Done";

Output:

Starting script...
Issue key: PROJ-123
=> "Done"

Return Values#

The last expression in your code is returned as the result:

const a = 1;
const b = 2;
a + b;  // This is returned

Output:

=> 3

Objects and Arrays#

Objects and arrays are formatted as JSON:

({ name: "John", age: 30 });

Output:

=> {
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30
}

Errors#

If your code throws an error, it’s shown in the output:

throw new Error("Something went wrong");

Output:

Error: Something went wrong

Limitations#

User Context#

Comment mentions execute as the commenting user, not as the app. This means:

Created issues will have the commenting user as reporter
API requests are made with the commenting user’s permissions
Operations will fail if the user lacks the required permissions

Execution Time#

Scripts have a maximum execution time of 20 seconds. Long-running scripts will be terminated.

No Environment Variables#

For security, environment variables are not accessible in comment mentions. Use Script Definitions with proper triggers for scripts that need secrets.