Import from and export to Jira issues

Last updated: November 4, 2026

Bring a Jira issue's attachments into a Layer session, and attach finished assets back to the issue for review.

Before you start

  • Jira is connected to the workspace. An admin does this once in Workspace Settings, Connectors, under Task management: click Connect on Jira, then Continue with Jira, and approve access for your Atlassian sites. See Connect a service to your workspace.

  • The session belongs to a project, and the project is linked to a Jira project. A Layer project uses one Jira project at a time; anyone who can edit the Layer project can link it or change it later.

Link the project to a Jira project

  1. Click the Project settings gear next to the project's name in the sidebar.

  2. In the Connectors card, click Link a connector (or Add connector), then Link on Jira.

  3. Pick the site, if the connection has more than one.

  4. Search for the Jira project under Link a Jira project, select it, and click Link project.

Import attachments from an issue

  1. Open a session in the project and right-click an empty spot on the canvas.

  2. Choose Import from Jira….

  3. Pick the issue. Search by summary or key; the most recently updated issues come first.

  4. Select the attachments and click Import attachment (or Import with the number of attachments).

The attachments land on the canvas where you right-clicked, as assets.

Export an asset to an issue

  1. Right-click a finished asset on the session board and choose Export to Jira….

  2. Pick the issue to attach it to, then click Export to Jira.

Layer attaches the file to the issue and confirms with Open in Jira. Nothing already on the issue is changed.

Production tips

  • Link the Jira project the art tasks live in. Each Layer project points at one Jira project, so link the one where the team files its asset requests.

  • Keep briefs and references as attachments. Attachments are what a session can import, so a ticket with its references attached is ready to work from.

  • Export the approved version last. Every export adds an attachment, so finish a round by exporting the version that was signed off.

If something goes wrong

  • Import from Jira… is not in the menu. The project has no linked Jira project, or Jira is not connected. Link one in the project's settings, or ask an admin to connect Jira.

  • The site you want is not listed. The connected Atlassian account cannot see it. Reconnect Jira with an account that has access to that site.

  • Couldn't export this asset to Jira. Check that the issue still exists and that the connected account can still add attachments to it, then try again.

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