Atlassian Community: Announcement: Changes to field and work type configuration in Jira Cloud

Jira Cloud is improving field and work type management to boost performance and scalability. Key changes include allowing admins to edit the Default work type scheme and removing automatic inclusion of new work types starting January 2026, giving more control over project configurations.

From July 2025, Jira admins can add or remove work types from the Default work type scheme, ending the previous limitation where work types were fixed. By January 2026, new work types created via UI or REST API won’t be automatically added to this scheme, allowing tailored setups per project.

A new dropdown menu will let admins select which work type scheme to associate with projects, defaulting to the Default work type scheme for consistency. Additionally, Jira settings now list projects linked to the Default scheme, improving visibility and management clarity.

To prevent accidental data issues, Jira will block deletion of any work type scheme currently associated with projects starting May 2025. Projects must be migrated to another scheme before deletion is allowed. This safeguard extends to the REST API from January 2026, ensuring data integrity.

Jira introduces tools to optimize work type schemes by identifying and removing unused work types with a single click. This streamlines configurations and enhances system performance by eliminating clutter and redundant associations.

Field configuration schemes gain flexibility: admins can now add or remove fields. Removing a field hides it and deletes its configurations, requiring re-entry if re-added. Adding a field makes it available to associated projects. These changes are manageable via the admin panel or new REST API endpoints.

Starting January 2026, new fields won’t be automatically linked to all field configuration schemes. Instead, explicit inclusion is required, allowing precise control over field availability and reducing unnecessary clutter in project configurations.

Optimization tools will also help identify and remove unused fields from field configuration schemes. Jira determines field usage based on criteria like recent values, screen associations, and system/app status, ensuring only relevant fields remain active.

Automated removal of unused field associations begins June 16, 2025, improving performance but potentially breaking some associations. Admins can restore needed fields via the Jira admin interface, ensuring projects maintain necessary configurations without disruption.

The automated optimization process differs from manual optimization by stricter rules: hidden fields are always removed regardless of usage, while manual optimization considers additional factors like workflow transitions and field descriptions, offering admins granular control.

Jira’s Default Field Configuration Scheme is now visible and named clearly in settings, though it remains non-editable and undeletable. It can be optimized using the new tools, helping admins better understand and manage default project configurations.

These updates include API changes detailed in Jira’s developer changelog, enabling developers to adapt integrations accordingly. Jira encourages feedback and questions to refine these improvements and support admins during the transition.