Adding a new custom field is a multistep process, and Jira provides a wizard to help you through it. There are two mandatory steps and an optional step when adding a new custom field. You need to first select the type of custom field, then its name, followed by options if you are adding a select list custom field type. The final, optional, step is to decide which screens to add the field onto. We will walk you through the process:
- Browse to the Custom fields page.
- Click on the Add custom field button. This will bring you to step 1 of the process, where you can select the custom field type.
- Search and select the custom field type you wish to add, and click on Next. This will bring you to step 2 of the process, where you can specify the custom field's name and options:
If you do not see the field type you are looking for, select the All option from the left-hand side and then search again.
- Enter values for the Name and Description fields. If you are creating a selection-based custom field, such as a select list, you will need to add its select options, too (you can update this list later):
Even though you can have multiple custom fields with the same name, this is usually not a good practice as it can lead to confusion later on and make management difficult.
- Click on the Create button. This will bring you to the final step of the process, where you can specify which screen you would like to add the field onto. This step is optional, as the custom field has already been added in Jira. You do not have to add the field onto a screen. We will discuss fields and screens in Chapter 6, Screen Management.
- Select the screens and click on Update. The following screenshot shows that the newly created field has been added to Default Screen:
Once a custom field has been created, you will see it on the appropriate screen when you are creating, editing, or viewing issues.