How to Quickly Sync Jira Issues to Google Sheets With 2-Way Updates

How to Quickly Sync Jira Issues to Google Sheets With 2-Way Updates

Published in Software Development on , last updated .

If you’re trying to stay on top of multiple Jira projects in a spreadsheet, you’ve likely found yourself copy-pasting the same information into row after row or doubling up your work between Jira and Excel or Google Sheets. If you’ve come to this article hoping for an easier way to dispatch work in Jira from a spreadsheet, you’re in the right place. By the end of this guide, you’ll see how easy it is to set up a 2-way integration between Jira and Google Sheets without writing a line of code and you’ll be able to replicate this process in minutes flat to keep as many projects in sync as you need.

Here’s a demo of this integration with Excel instead of Google Sheets. The same steps and principles apply to Unito’s Google Sheets integration.

In this Jira Google Sheets Integration Article

This Unito integration for Jira and Google Sheets has two goals:

  • Automatically create new Jira issues based on specific rows in Google Sheets and/or vice versa.
  • Keep our rows and issues in a two-way, real-time sync that updates as teams work on tickets, tasks, issues or any other Jira items. This ensures everyone has oversight on the latest development work in real-time without needing to switch between projects or a spreadsheet.

Step 1. Set up your spreadsheet

Before setting up a flow, you need to visit the Google Workspace Marketplace to add Unito Spreadsheet Sync, a Google Sheets add-on, to your sheet.

Here’s a tutorial video showing you how to set up the extension (click to expand):

Once you’ve installed the add-on, the next step is to activate it. Click Extensions > Unito Spreadsheet Sync > Open Unito. Then, you’ll see this screen:

Unito doesn’t link Google Sheets formulas themselves; it syncs the results of those formulas. Here’s a guide on how to link those Google Sheets formulas.

Click Add 2 columns. This inserts columns labelled Unito ID and Last Modified to your sheet. These tell Unito to sync data between these two columns.

You’ll also need a header row with the names of your Jira fields, but Unito can auto-populate those for you later on.

Step 2. Connect your Jira project and a sheet to Unito

  • Navigate to the Unito App and click +Create Flow.
  • Select Start Here to connect Google Sheets and Jira.
  • Then +Choose account to specify the Jira project and sheet you plan on syncing.
  • Click Confirm.
Connecting Trello and Jira to Unito to sync issues and tasks

Configure Jira for Unito access

If you’re connecting Jira to Unito via OAuth2, then you simply have to copy-paste your Jira instance URL, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Unito OAuth screen for connecting Jira with 3 options: OAuth 2, an API token or OAuth 1.0

Here’s a separate guide on how to connect a local Jira Server on-premise to Unito. You can also connect your server via ngrok.

Here’s how to configure Jira if you aren’t using OAuth2 (click to expand)
Jira profile page to change email contact visibility
Changing your Jira contact email visibility enables Unito to discover your account and sync Jira issues to Trello.

Step 3. Choose a flow direction for creating new issues or spreadsheet rows

Your Unito flow lets you automatically create new spreadsheet rows or Jira issues based on your manual activity.

So in this step, you’re choosing a source and destination for automated card and/or issue creation:

Choosing a flow direction in Unito between Google Sheets and Jira
This is an example of a two-way flow. New rows added to Google Sheets will create Jira issues and vice versa.

Click Confirm when you’ve chosen a flow direction. 

Step 4. Filter out unrelated data from syncing by setting rules

Now we can set up rules to determine which trigger events will create new Google Sheets rows or Jira issues.

The default setting will automatically create new work items (rows, issues, tasks, etc.) in your destination tool whenever work items are created manually in the source tool.

Select Add a new rule to establish your rules for each directional flow.

You can apply custom labels to your issues to be even more precise about what kind of data is shared. If you use drop-down fields in Google Sheets, you can apply rules to each field option in your rules.

Setting rules in Unito to sync Jira issues to Google Sheets and back.
In this example, any Jira issues in our project “Aurora” created after the day we set up the flow will add new rows to Google Sheets populated with the field data we’ll select in the next step. We could restrict the number of issues synced to Google Sheets by adding rules based on most fields in Jira (e.g., only issues assigned to XYZ, only issues of a certain status, etc.).

And here’s a set of rules for creating Jira issues automatically based on rows in Google Sheets:

Setting rules in Unito to create Jira issues based on Google Sheets data
In this case, we could turn our “Squad” field in Google Sheets into a drop-down field and specify which squads should have tasks created for them in Jira based on the selected field in each Google Sheets row. We can also decide what happens to the task in Jira once it’s created by Unito. In the above example, we could set the default issue type to anything we want.

Here’s a more advanced set of rules to demonstrate some of Unito’s in-depth customizability in a flow between Jira and Trello:

example of rules set in Unito for an integration between Trello and Jira specifying which labels for Trello cards will create new Jira tasks automatically

Find out more about setting rules.

While rules are intended to set triggers for when and how data should be synced, choosing fields determines what information is synced. You’ll effectively tell Unito how fields in Jira and Google Sheets relate to each other, even if they’re named differently.

If you haven’t already created a header row, Unito will auto-populate the first row of your sheet now.

On the next screen, click + Add mapping to add fields to be synced. Then, Select a field for each tool, and find the appropriate field to map.

A table of field mappings in Unito linking Jira issues to Google Sheets rows

Selecting the gear icon beside a field will allow you to customize the values or statuses within those fields to further customize your flow in most integrations. In the above example, we can append the Jira issue number to the Summary field in Google Sheets.

Click Confirm when you’re satisfied with your field mappings to proceed.

Find out more about setting field mappings.

Step 6. Launch your Jira Google Sheets integration

And that’s it! You’ve just synced Trello and Jira in a 2-way integration. Congratulations!

If you’ve followed the steps above, your flow will now: 

  • Create an issue in Jira when a new row is added in Google Sheets.
  • Add new rows in Google Sheets populated with Jira issue data.
  • Allow your teams to collaborate between Google Sheets and Jira without having to switch tools, manually copy-paste project details, or request information from the other team about shared work.

What’s next after syncing, merging or mirroring Jira issues to Google Sheets?

Although Unito is a no-code solution (meaning anyone can use it without needing to write a line of code), it helps to understand the basics of integration technology. Training your colleagues on the platform is important to assist everyone in maneuvering through your Jira Google Sheets workflow post-integration.

That’s why we offer our users a range of resources based on how they prefer to learn, including:

Here are a few more specific resources to help you sync sooner:

Tips for troubleshooting Unito’s Google Sheets integration:

Always verify your Google Sheet’s sharing settings. Ensure it’s set to ‘Anyone with the link can view.’ Secondly, check that the embed link is correct. By keeping these tips in mind, you can circumnavigate common pitfalls and successfully embed Google Sheets, keeping your integration running smoothly.