Troubleshooting and FAQ

A change was not put back. Open Test a work item on the Record Lock admin page and enter the key. It tells you whether the work item is locked, by which rule, and if not, why. Common reasons: the rule is in Audit only mode, the person is in an exempt group or role, the work item entered the status before the rule existed (use Lock existing work items), or the field was added to the rule after the work item locked.

The audit log says “Put-back failed”. The details column has Jira’s reason. “The field is no longer available on this work item” means the field was removed from the work type’s fields or context. “Stopped after 5 put-backs” (20 for changes made as a person) means an automation rule or app keeps changing the field: check automation rules that react to changes of that field, or allow Jira Automation edits on the rule.

I added someone to an exempt group, but their next change was still put back. Record Lock reads a person’s groups and a project’s role members at most once a minute. Changes made within about a minute of adding someone can still be treated with their old memberships; try again a minute later.

Can admins still change locked fields? Not silently. Jira admins are treated like everyone else unless they are in an exempt group or role. They can unlock a work item with a reason, which is logged.

How do I approve a new value? Ask someone in an exempt group or role to change it (the change is logged and becomes the approved value), or unlock the work item with a reason and let the trigger lock it again.

Does it work in team-managed projects? Yes. Choose the project on the rule; its statuses, work types and roles appear in the rule editor.

Do people get emails when a value is put back? No. Put-backs are made without notifications.

My browser only downloaded one of the two CSV files. Some browsers ask before a page downloads a second file. Allow multiple downloads for your Jira site, or reload the page between exports.

I switched a rule off and on again. Why was a change put back? Switching a rule off keeps its locks but stops checking. Changes made while it was off are not approved, so the next change after switching it on puts back the value approved before. Unlock the work item with a reason, then select Lock now on the Record lock panel (Jira admins and people exempt from the rule) to approve the current values.

The panel says “Not checked: project no longer in the rule”. The project was removed from the rule after the work item was locked, and the admin chose to keep the lock. Changes are not checked. Add the project back to the rule, or unlock the work item. “Not checked: field no longer in the rule” next to a field means the same for that field.

How do I find locked work items? Use JQL: recordLocked = yes. It also lists locks that are not checked right now (rule switched off, project removed from the rule and the lock kept, rule that cannot be read, work item moved to a project no rule covers). Open the Record lock panel, or use Test a work item, to see which.

The panel says “Not checked: work item moved to a project no rule covers”. The work item was moved after it was locked, and Jira does not send changes from its new project to Record Lock. Add that project to a rule, or move the work item back. The lock record stays either way.

Does Record Lock send data outside Atlassian? No. It runs on Atlassian Forge and makes no calls outside Atlassian. See the privacy policy.