Creating Time-Based Rules Manually

You can now create out-of-office rules with specific start and end times directly in the Jira UI, giving you the same partial-day absence capabilities that were previously only available through integrations like Tempo Timesheets or Google Calendar.

Overview

Time-based rules allow you to specify exact hours for your absence, such as:

• Morning appointments (e.g., 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM)

• Afternoon meetings (e.g., 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM)

• Multi-day absences with specific times (e.g., Monday 2:00 PM to Wednesday 10:00 AM)

Note: If you use the Tempo Timesheets or Google Calendar integrations, time-based rules are automatically generated from your calendar events or timesheet plans. This feature extends that capability to manual rule creation.

Creating a Manual Time-Based Rule

1. Navigate to Out-of-Office Assistant in Jira

2. Click +Add rule for myself

3. Select your Start Date and choose your start time

4. Select your End Date and choose your end time

5. If prompted, select your timezone (see Timezone Selection below)

6. Configure other rule details (Coverer, Approvals, Auto Reply Message, etc.)

7. Click Submit

Creating an Out of Office Rule

Available Time Range

The time picker supports:

• 24-hour availability: Select any time throughout the day

• Flexible increments: Choose times that match your exact schedule

Timezone Selection

When creating time-based rules, you may see a timezone selector if:

• Your browser timezone differs from your Jira instance timezone

• You're working across time zones

The system uses this hierarchy:

1. Explicitly selected timezone (if you choose one)

2. Browser timezone (detected automatically)

3. Instance timezone (your Jira server's default)

A world icon (🌍) appears next to rules that have timezone information.

See Understanding Timezones for detailed information.

Timezone Selector

How Times Are Displayed

The system intelligently displays times based on rule duration and your Language Settings in Jira:

Short Duration (0-3 days)

Shows specific times:

• "Jan 15, 9:00 AM - Jan 15, 5:00 PM"

• "Feb 3, 2:00 PM - Feb 5, 10:00 AM"

Long Duration (4+ days)

Shows dates only:

• "Jan 15 - Feb 20"

This prevents clutter for extended absences where specific hours are less relevant.

Examples

Example 1: Morning Appointment

• Start: Today, 8:00 AM

• End: Today, 12:00 PM

• Result: Out of office for morning only

• Display: "Jan 15, 8:00 AM - Jan 15, 12:00 PM"

Example 2: Multi-Day Conference

• Start: Monday, 1:00 PM

• End: Wednesday, 5:00 PM

• Result: Out from Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon

• Display: "Jan 15, 1:00 PM - Jan 17, 5:00 PM"

Example 3: Extended Vacation

• Start: Jan 15, 9:00 AM

• End: Feb 5, 5:00 PM

• Result: Three-week absence

• Display: "Jan 15 - Feb 5" (times hidden due to 4+ day duration)

Editing Time-Based Rules

To modify times in an existing rule:

1. Locate the rule in your rules list

2. Click Edit

3. Adjust the time values as needed

4. Click Submit

Conflict Detection

The system warns you if your new time-based rule overlaps with existing rules:

• Check your existing schedule before creating rules

• Adjust start/end times to avoid conflicts

• Delete or modify conflicting rules if necessary

Best Practices

1. Use time-based rules for partial days: Instead of creating a full-day rule when you're only unavailable for a few hours

2. Check your timezone: Especially important for global teams

3. Consider integration options: If you already track absences in Tempo or Outlook, let the integration create rules automatically

4. Review the display: Remember that long absences (4+ days) show dates only