How to Move Jira Tickets to In Review on GitHub PR with N8n

Dashboard > + > Start from scratch

Create New N8n Workflow

Start a fresh workflow that will listen for GitHub pull request events. This becomes your main automation pipeline.

1. 1Click the purple + button in N8n dashboard
2. 2Select 'Start from scratch' option
3. 3Name your workflow 'GitHub PR to Jira Status'

Canvas > + > GitHub > GitHub Trigger

Add GitHub Webhook Trigger

Configure N8n to receive real-time notifications when pull requests are opened. This eliminates polling delays.

1. 1Delete the default 'Start' node by clicking it and pressing Delete
2. 2Click the + icon and search for 'GitHub'
3. 3Select 'GitHub Trigger' from the results
4. 4Choose 'Pull Request' from the Event dropdown

GitHub Trigger > Credential > Create New

Connect GitHub Repository

Authenticate with GitHub and specify which repository should send webhook events. N8n needs repo admin access to create the webhook.

1. 1Click 'Create New Credential' in the Credential field
2. 2Enter your GitHub personal access token with repo permissions
3. 3Select your target repository from the Repository dropdown
4. 4Set Events to 'pull_request' and Actions to 'opened'

Canvas > + > Code

Add Code Node for Ticket Extraction

Parse the branch name to extract Jira ticket keys using regex. This handles various branch naming patterns.

1. 1Click + after the GitHub trigger node
2. 2Search for 'Code' and select it
3. 3Set Mode to 'Run Once for All Items'
4. 4Paste the ticket extraction code in the JavaScript field

Drop this into an n8n Code node.

// Enhanced regex for multiple project patterns
const branchName = items[0].json.pull_request.head.ref;
const patterns = [

// Enhanced regex for multiple project patterns
const branchName = items[0].json.pull_request.head.ref;
const patterns = [
  /([A-Z]{2,10}-\d+)/, // PROJ-123
  /([A-Z]+_\d+)/, // PROJ_123
  /ticket\/([A-Z]+-\d+)/ // ticket/PROJ-123
];
const ticketKey = patterns.map(p => branchName.match(p)).find(m => m)?.[1];
return [{json: {ticketKey, skip: !ticketKey}}];

Code Node > JavaScript Editor

Configure Ticket Key Regex

Use JavaScript to find ticket keys like PROJ-123 in branch names. This supports multiple project prefixes.

1. 1Replace default code with: const branchName = items[0].json.pull_request.head.ref;
2. 2Add: const match = branchName.match(/([A-Z]{2,10}-\d+)/);
3. 3Add: if (!match) return [{json: {skip: true}}];
4. 4Add: return [{json: {ticketKey: match[1], skip: false}}];

Canvas > + > IF

Add IF Node for Skip Logic

Branch the workflow to skip processing when no ticket key is found. This prevents errors on branches without tickets.

1. 1Click + after the Code node
2. 2Search for 'IF' and select it
3. 3Set Condition to 'Boolean' and Value to '{{$json.skip}}'
4. 4Set Operation to 'Equal' and Value2 to 'false'

IF Node True > + > Jira Software

Add Jira Node on True Branch

Connect to Jira to update ticket status when a valid ticket key exists. This goes on the True path.

1. 1Click + on the 'true' output of the IF node
2. 2Search for 'Jira' and select 'Jira Software'
3. 3Set Operation to 'Update Issue'
4. 4Choose 'Create New Credential' for Jira authentication

Jira Node > Credential > Create New

Configure Jira Credentials

Authenticate with your Jira instance using API token or OAuth. N8n needs permission to modify issue status.

1. 1Enter your Jira domain (e.g., yourcompany.atlassian.net)
2. 2Add your email and API token from Jira account settings
3. 3Click 'Test Connection' to verify access
4. 4Save the credential with a descriptive name

Jira Node > Issue Key > Expression

Map Ticket Key and Status

Configure which Jira ticket to update and what status to set. Use the extracted ticket key from the Code node.

1. 1Set Issue Key field to '{{$node['Code'].json['ticketKey']}}'
2. 2Click 'Add Field' and select 'Status'
3. 3Choose 'In Review' from the Status dropdown
4. 4Leave other fields empty unless you need additional updates

Toolbar > Save > Activate

Test the Workflow

Execute a test run to verify the webhook receives data and updates Jira correctly. Use a real pull request.

1. 1Click 'Save' in the top toolbar
2. 2Click 'Activate' to enable the workflow
3. 3Open a test PR in GitHub with a ticket key in the branch name
4. 4Check the execution log in N8n after 30 seconds

Jira Node > ... > Settings > Error Handling

Add Error Handling

Configure what happens when Jira updates fail due to invalid tickets or permission issues. This prevents workflow crashes.

1. 1Click the Jira node settings (three dots menu)
2. 2Select 'Settings' then 'Error Handling'
3. 3Change 'On Error' to 'Continue'
4. 4Add a 'Set' node after Jira to log failed attempts