Jira
Guide on the Ketryx integration with Jira
1. Introduction
Ketryx provides a uniquely deep integration with Atlassian Jira Cloud,
configuring it to align your Jira setup with standards such as ISO 13485, IEC 62304, and ISO 14971,
synchronizing data between Ketryx and Jira to maintain proper electronic records,
enhancing the Jira user interface with widgets for visualizing traceability and approvals, and
enforcing workflows based on electronic signatures.
This guide provides answers to common questions around this integration.
2. Setting up the integration
To install the Ketryx app in Jira Cloud, you need to have administrative privileges on the Jira organization and the Manage connections permission in Ketryx (which, by default, is only assigned to organization owners). Then you can do the following:
Log into Ketryx
In Jira, install the Ketryx Connector for Jira app from the Atlassian Marketplace
Complete the installation process of the Jira app by pressing Get started and Complete installation in Ketryx
In Ketryx, confirm the connection by pressing Connect Jira organization
Once the connection between your Ketryx organization and your Jira instance is established, you can create Ketryx projects that are connected to individual Jira space (formerly project).
Note that each Jira instance can only be connected to one Ketryx organization, and each Jira space can only be connected to one Ketryx project (and vice-versa).
3. Frequently Asked Questions
3.1. Q: Do I have to use the provided Ketryx scheme for work types?
Ketryx maintains four predefined work type schemes for common use cases, based on the full schema with all the Ketryx item types. If this does not fit your use exactly, you can either copy a Ketryx work type schema and tweak it, or use a completely custom work type scheme. When using a custom work type scheme, you will usually want to configure a custom mapping from Jira work types to Ketryx items, using the advanced setting Issue mapping.
3.2. Q: Why does Ketryx introduce custom relation fields rather than using Jira's native links?
There are two main reasons for this:
Native links can go from any work item to any other work item, so you can't restrict the target of a particular relation. For instance, a has parent relation might point to any other item, while the Parent requirements fields can be restricted to only contain other Requirements as options.
You can edit native links even when a ticket is otherwise read-only, i.e. even when the work item is already Resolved or Closed.
That being said, Ketryx also recognizes native Jira links as long as they match the Ketryx relation names. These names can also be configured using the advanced setting Relation names. If you prefer to work with Jira links, you can use these, and potentially remove certain relation fields using the advanced setting Item fields.
3.3. Q: How can I rename fields in the Ketryx schema?
To rename fields, you can use the advanced setting Field names in the Ketryx organization configuration.
Note that fields with custom names are created as custom fields in Jira, rather than using the fields provided by the Ketryx Jira app. Previous field values might have to be migrated from the previous field to the new field in Jira. This is why it is recommended to define the desired field names before starting to work with those fields in Jira.
When switching from one custom name to another custom name (not for the initial switch from the default name to a custom name), you can also use the advanced setting Superseded field names to effectively rename the existing field rather than creating a new one, to avoid having to migrate field values from one to the other.
3.4. Q: What is the Ketryx Jira custom relation field, and what is the current status?
The custom relation field is a legacy feature. For Ketryx organizations created after December 2025, this field is non-functional and can be ignored. For Ketryx organizations created before December 2025, the field remains fully functional, but is considered deprecated.
Background
Relation field: Ketryx originally introduced the custom relation field to enable adding relations between items, in parallel to Jira's native links. For details on why this approach was chosen, see FAQ 3.2.
Ketryx organisation: An organization or organizational unit (e.g., Center of Excellence, Business Unit), managing its own members and projects. Each project is owned by one organization [1.4 Definition and Acronyms]. Further information on how to set up an organisation can be found in MAN-01 Ketryx Lifecycle Management | 6.1 Setting up an Organization.
What this means for you
Existing organization (created before December 2025)
The custom relation field remains fully functional in your projects. No action is required.
New organization (created after December 2025)
The custom relation field may appear in Jira (especially if you do not use the default Jira screen schemes from Ketryx), but it will not have any functionality. You can safely ignore it or remove it from your Jira screen scheme.
Existing customer with existing organisations (created before December 2025), creating a new organization (after December 2025)
Projects in your existing organization retain the working custom relation field. Projects in newly created organizations will not have a functional custom relation field. It may appear in Jira (especially if you do not use the default Jira screen schemes from Ketryx), but it will not have any functionality. You can safely ignore it or remove it from your Jira screen scheme.
Recommended approach going forward
For new projects and organizations, we recommend using the traceability widget to establish relationships between items. You can also use native Jira links, provided they match Ketryx relation names (see support question "Can Ketryx convert our existing Jira native links to Ketryx custom relational fields?").
If you encounter the custom relation field or any other field that appears non-functional, or have questions about this change, please contact Ketryx Support.
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