Issue Link Guard for Jira
Control who can link Jira issues, with which link types and to which projects, and make the rules binding.
Why links need rules
In Jira, anyone with the Link Issues permission can link any issue they can see, with any link type. On large sites that use scaled agile frameworks such as SAFe®, links give the work its structure: they show which features belong to an epic and which stories a team depends on. Only the people responsible for that structure should create these links, and the link type and the target project shouldn't be left to chance.
Issue Link Guard gives project and Jira administrators that control.
Try the rules
These are the rules from the project settings screenshot below: Blocks and Relates for everyone, Duplicate only for the Administrators role, Cloners turned off. Pick who is linking and which link type they use.
| Link type | Who can use it |
|---|---|
| Blocks | Everyone |
| Relates | Everyone |
| Duplicate | Administrators role |
| Cloners | Nobody (turned off) |
Link allowed
Issue Link Guard creates the Blocks link. The activity log records who asked for it.
What it does
Features
- Link rules per project or per issue type, for everyone or for selected roles, groups and users
- Restriction of the projects issues can be linked to
- Technical account: users without Jira's Link Issues permission link through the app, within the rules
- Link window in the issue side panel and a links field, also on the create screen
- JQL-filtered picker fields with one fixed link type, for one issue or many
- Activity log of every link change, with retention, anonymization and deletion controls
Security and privacy
- Runs entirely on Atlassian Forge, with no servers of its own and no outside services
- Stores only Atlassian account IDs, never names, email addresses or issue content
- The app's data stays where your Jira site's data is
- Permission checks on the server; if a check fails, nothing is saved