Troubleshooting cloning failures in Elements Copy & Sync: How to fix and avoid common pitfalls

Cloning issues in Jira is an essential part of many teams’ workflows, whether to reuse ticket templates, escalate incidents, or replicate recurring tasks. But when duplication doesn’t go as planned, it can cause confusion and workflow delays.
If you’ve ever run into a Jira clone issue: for example, when a cloned ticket doesn’t include all expected content or fails to create altogether, this guide will help you understand why it happens and how to fix it using Elements Copy & Sync.

1. How cloning works in Jira and Elements Copy & Sync

In Jira, cloning creates a duplicate of an existing work item, copying key details such as the summary, description, and attachments. However, Jira’s native clone function is limited: it doesn’t clone custom information, links, or comments, and can’t synchronize future updates.

That’s where the app comes in. It extends Jira’s clone capabilities by allowing users to:

• Clone issues across projects or issue types,
• Include comments, attachments, and links,
• Synchronize information in real time between source and target issues,
• Customize what is cloned and what stays unique.

This enhanced flexibility means you can build a reliable duplication process, but if something goes wrong, understanding the cause of a Jira clone issue is key to resolving it efficiently.
Keep in mind that some limitations may still apply depending on your project configuration or workflow design. The app makes it easier to manage large-scale projects by helping teams keep related issues synchronized and accurate.

Watch a video about Elements Copy & Sync capabilities

2. Common causes of cloning problems

Here are the most frequent reasons why duplication may fail or behave unexpectedly when using Elements Copy & Sync.

a. Missing or misconfigured field mappings

If required items like Summary, Work item Type, or Reporter are not mapped in your recipe, Jira may reject the new work item or skip certain information.
✅ Fix: Review the Fields section in your recipe configuration and confirm that all mandatory details are included. In larger projects, double-check that configurations are consistent between source and destination to ensure compatibility between issues.

b. Insufficient permissions

A cloning can also fail if the user doesn’t have permissions to view or create issues in the target project.
✅ Fix: Verify that the cloning user (or automation) has:

• Browse Projects and Create Issues permissions in both projects,
• Access to any restricted custom items or components.
  Sometimes, a user might have limited rights on one project but full rights on another and that mismatch can prevent successful duplication.

c. Incompatible work item types or workflows

When the source and target projects have different workflows or work item type configurations, some values may not be valid.
✅ Fix: Ensure the destination project supports the same work item type and required information, or adjust your recipe mappings accordingly.
Keep in mind that such differences are one of the most common limitations when automating across multiple spaces.

d. Automation or webhook loops

Sometimes, other automation rules interfere with the process, causing loops or duplicate actions.
✅ Fix: Temporarily disable or modify any rules that trigger on issue creation to avoid conflicts. This is especially important when a cloned ticket triggers another automation that tries to clone it again. To keep processes stable, you can add checks or conditions that stop unnecessary duplication cycles in complex projects.

e. Attachments or comments not being cloned

If you notice that attachments or comments are missing in the cloned issue, synchronization might be turned off.
✅ Fix: In your recipe, check that Copy attachments and Copy comments options are enabled. This ensures every new ticket created through duplication carries all relevant content.

You can also adjust the app settings to synchronize attachments continuously between connected projects. For cloud instances, enabling background synchronization helps ensure attachments remain available across related issues.

3. Step-by-step guide to fix a Jira clone issue

If duplication doesn’t produce the expected result, here’s a structured way to diagnose and resolve it:

1. Open the recipe used for cloning.
2. Check mappings to ensure required Jira items are correctly configured.
3. Review user permissions for both the source and target projects.
4. Enable synchronization settings if you want attachments, comments, or links copied.
5. Run a test clone to validate that the configuration works.
6. Check logs or error messages in the dashboard for clues about missing fields or access tickets.

4. Using the audit log to troubleshoot tecipes

The audit log is one of the most valuable tools for diagnosing cloning failures or synchronization issues.
It provides a detailed history of all actions performed by the app, including every clone or sync event, with timestamps, status information, and potential error details.

Regularly reviewing the audit logs is also a great way to ensure compliance and transparency: especially across multiple projects and teams using Jira Cloud.
Read more about audit logs

5. Best practices to prevent future cloning errors

To minimize the chance of running into another Jira clone issue, follow these best practices:

• Keep configurations consistent across projects and issue types.
• Test recipes whenever you update workflows or custom fields.
• Limit conflicting automations that might interfere with the clone process.
• Use synchronization features to keep cloned issues updated.
• Document your recipe setup so each user on your team understands how duplication works and what limitations exist in your environment.
• For larger project structures, regularly review your configuration to ensure the cloning logic still matches your workflow goals.
• When using Jira cloud, it’s wise to add automated validation checks before triggering duplication, helping maintain consistency.

6. When to contact support

If you’ve verified your configuration and duplication still fails, it might be time to reach out to the Elements team.
Before doing so, prepare:

• The name of the recipe used,
• Relevant logs or screenshots showing the issue,
• The source and target issue keys.

Providing this information will help support pinpoint the cause quickly and offer a precise fix for your project setup.
In some cases, Atlassian support can also help review permissions or cross-project configuration issues, especially when working in cloud environments integrated with other Atlassian tools.

7. Connecting with the Atlassian Community

When troubleshooting complex scenarios, the Atlassian ecosystem provides valuable resources to help you move forward. You can explore best practices shared by other Atlassian users directly in the community, where experts regularly post guides and real examples related to cloud environments and issue management. It’s also a great place to add questions, add feedback on existing discussions, or even add suggestions for improving cloud integrations within Atlassian apps.

The community remains one of the most active hubs for sharing solutions that apply across both OP and cloud versions of Jira, ensuring every Atlassian team can benefit from collective experience. You can also join smaller community groups that focus on Jira or JSM and project automation in cloud environments to exchange insights and discover practical configurations from other admins.

Final thoughts

Encountering a clone issue can be frustrating, especially when automation is critical to your workflow. Fortunately, most problems can be solved by double-checking mappings, permissions, and synchronization settings.

By following these troubleshooting steps and best practices, you can prevent future cloning failures and maintain a smooth, reliable process for duplicating and syncing work items in Jira.

Whether you’re duplicating tickets across teams, projects, or workflows, Elements Copy & Sync ensures your setup remains efficient and scalable, making the add-on a reliable companion for any Jira administrator working within the Atlassian cloud ecosystem.