How to Create Jira Issues from Slack Messages with Make

Scenarios > Create Scenario > Slack > Watch Events

Set up Slack webhook trigger

Create a new scenario in Make and add a Slack webhook module. Make generates a webhook URL that Slack will call when specific events happen. Copy this URL because you'll need it in Slack's app configuration. The webhook listens for reaction events and slash command usage.

1. 1Click 'Create a new scenario' from Make dashboard
2. 2Search for 'Slack' and select 'Watch Events'
3. 3Copy the webhook URL from the module settings
4. 4Leave event types empty for now

Slack Module > Connection > Add

Connect your Slack workspace

Authorize Make to access your Slack workspace by creating a connection. You'll need admin permissions or approval to install the Make app. The connection requires permissions to read messages, reactions, and user info. Make stores these credentials securely for future scenarios.

1. 1Click 'Add' next to the Connection dropdown
2. 2Choose 'Slack' from the connection types
3. 3Click 'Continue to authorize'
4. 4Grant permissions in the Slack popup window

Slack App Settings > Event Subscriptions

Configure Slack event subscriptions

In your Slack app settings, paste the Make webhook URL and subscribe to reaction_added events. This tells Slack to notify Make whenever someone adds a reaction to a message. You can also add message.channels events if you want to trigger on specific keywords. Test the webhook connection before proceeding.

1. 1Go to api.slack.com and open your app
2. 2Navigate to Event Subscriptions in the sidebar
3. 3Paste the Make webhook URL in Request URL field
4. 4Add 'reaction_added' to Subscribe to bot events

This formula extracts the first 80 characters from Slack messages for Jira summaries and adds channel context. Paste this in the Summary field mapping section.

{{if(length(1.event.text) > 80; 
  concat("#"; 1.event.channel_name; ": "; substring(1.event.text; 1; 77); "..."); 
  concat("#"; 1.event.channel_name; ": "; 1.event.text))}}

{{if(length(1.event.text) > 80; 
  concat("#"; 1.event.channel_name; ": "; substring(1.event.text; 1; 77); "..."); 
  concat("#"; 1.event.channel_name; ": "; 1.event.text))}}

// Clean up Slack user mentions in description
{{replace(replace(1.event.text; "<@([A-Z0-9]+)>"; "@user"; "g"); 
  "<#([A-Z0-9]+)\|([^>]+)>"; "#$2"; "g")}}

// Set priority based on reaction type
{{if(1.event.reaction = "bug" or 1.event.reaction = "warning"; "High"; 
   if(1.event.reaction = "question"; "Medium"; "Low"))}}

// Generate labels array from channel and reaction
{{split(concat("slack-generated,"; replace(1.event.channel_name; "#"; ""); ","; 1.event.reaction); ",")}}

Between modules > Filter > Set Condition

Add reaction filter

Insert a filter between Slack and Jira to only process specific emoji reactions like 🐛 or ⚠️. The filter checks the reaction name property and blocks everything else from reaching Jira. This prevents creating tickets for thumbs up or random emoji reactions. Set up an OR condition if you want multiple trigger reactions.

1. 1Click the small settings icon between Slack and Jira modules
2. 2Choose 'Set up a filter'
3. 3Set condition: Reaction Name equals 'bug'
4. 4Add OR condition for 'warning' emoji if needed

Add Module > Jira > Create an Issue

Add Jira module

Search for Jira in Make's app directory and select 'Create an Issue'. This module will receive the filtered Slack message data and transform it into a proper Jira ticket. Choose your Jira instance type - Cloud, Server, or Data Center - as the API endpoints differ slightly between versions.

1. 1Click the + button after your filter
2. 2Search for 'Jira' in the apps list
3. 3Select 'Create an Issue'
4. 4Choose your Jira deployment type

Jira Module > Connection > Create Connection

Connect to Jira

Create a Jira connection using your API token and email. For Jira Cloud, generate an API token from your Atlassian account settings. Server installations use username and password. The connection needs permissions to create issues in your target project. Test the connection to verify API access.

1. 1Click 'Add' next to Connection dropdown
2. 2Enter your Jira instance URL
3. 3Add your email and API token for Cloud
4. 4Click 'Save' and test the connection

Jira Module > Project > Issue Type

Configure project and issue type

Select the target Jira project and issue type for your tickets. Make loads available projects from your connected instance. Choose 'Bug' or 'Task' as the issue type depending on your team's workflow. The project selection determines which custom fields appear in the next step.

1. 1Select your target project from the dropdown
2. 2Choose 'Bug' as the issue type
3. 3Wait for custom fields to load
4. 4Note any required fields marked with asterisks

Jira Module > Field Mapping

Map Slack message to Jira fields

Connect Slack message content to Jira ticket fields using Make's field mapper. Set the Summary to include the channel name and message timestamp. Map the full message text to Description, and add the Slack user's name as the Reporter. Include the original Slack message URL in a custom field for easy reference.

1. 1Click in the Summary field and select Slack message text
2. 2Map message content to Description field
3. 3Set Reporter to the Slack user name
4. 4Add Slack permalink to a URL custom field

📋 New Issue: {{1.fields.summary}}
Project: {{1.fields.project.name}}
Priority: {{1.fields.priority.name}}
Assignee: {{1.fields.assignee.displayName}}

Jira Module > Priority > Labels

Add priority and labels

Set automatic priority levels based on the reaction type or channel. Bug reactions could default to High priority while general reactions stay Medium. Add labels to categorize tickets by source channel or reaction type. This helps with reporting and filtering in Jira later.

1. 1Set Priority to 'High' for bug reactions
2. 2Add label 'slack-generated' for tracking
3. 3Include channel name as a label
4. 4Set Components if your project uses them

Scenario > Run Once > Execution History

Test with a real Slack reaction

Go to a Slack channel and add your trigger emoji to any message. Check the Make scenario execution log to see if the webhook fired correctly. Verify the new Jira ticket was created with proper field mapping. Look for any error messages in the execution history and fix field mapping issues.

1. 1Add a 🐛 reaction to a Slack message
2. 2Return to Make and check execution history
3. 3Click on the successful execution to see data flow
4. 4Verify the Jira ticket was created correctly

Scenario Settings > ON/OFF Toggle

Activate the scenario

Turn on the scenario to process all future Slack reactions automatically. Set the scenario to run immediately when webhooks arrive for real-time ticket creation. Monitor the first few executions to ensure everything works smoothly in production. Consider setting up error handling for API failures.

1. 1Click the ON/OFF toggle at bottom left
2. 2Confirm the scenario activation
3. 3Check that webhook status shows 'Listening'
4. 4Test with one more reaction to verify