The category Key ID format can be updated directly from the category settings.
Changing the Key ID Format of a Category
Click on 'Settings >Issue Categories'. Next, click on the active category name that needs the key id format updated. Next, click the configure option next to the display format information.
The configuration box will open where you can make the key format updates.
The Key ID Display Format feature lets you easily control how your category IDs look. Instead of just using the standard prefix and number, you can now build a custom ID using special placeholders called substitution variables.
The most important placeholder is {0}, which is the required sequence number; by adding more zeros (e.g., {000}), you set a minimum length for the number.
You can also, optionally, include the date of creation using variables for the year, month, or day (like {YYYY} for the full year or {MM} for a padded month).
You simply enter your desired format (e.g., NEWHIRE-{YYYY}-{000}) into the box, and the system automatically generates a unique ID, like NEWHIRE-2025-004.
Once you save this format, it instantly applies to all existing records and new records within that category. It is also displayed with the same configuration across all versions of the category, whether they are retired, active, or in draft.
Yearly Key ID Updates
With the substitute variables, you can now have your issue category keys automatically update with their creation year, month, and/or day, if you wish. This means you no longer need a separate category for each year if that was previously required. This feature allows you to preserve historical data while updating the identifier used for new entries.
For example, if a category currently uses a key ID incorporating the year '2025', which would use the substitute variables of {YYYY}, the application will update the category's key ID definition to include '2026' when the year turns, automatically. As a result, all existing 2025 records will remain unchanged, maintaining their original key ID, while all subsequent records, created in 2026, will automatically use the newly configured '2026' key ID.
As long as you have the display format substitution variables set, the category will continue to follow the logic of the substitution variables in regards to changing the month, year, etc. No action is needed on your end.
🚨 As a reminder:
- This action does change all existing items for the category
- You can update it the key id format in an active or a draft category
- The changes you make are applied to all versions of that category, no matter their states