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Restricting Out of Office to Specific Projects

Overview

The Out of Office Assistant can be restricted to specific projects using Atlassian's Data Security Policy feature. This allows administrators to block app access from designated projects, ensuring the Out of Office panel and functionality only appear where intended. When properly configured, the Out of Office panel will not be shown in the right panel of restricted projects, and rule creation or re-assignment features will not work for those projects.

Prerequisites

System Requirements

  • Jira Cloud instance with Data Security Policy feature available

  • Organization Administrator permissions for creating and managing security policies

  • Active Out of Office Assistant installation in your Jira instance

Permission Requirements

  • Organization Administrator role to create Data Security Policies

  • Access to Security settings in Jira administration

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Create a Data Security Policy

  1. Navigate to https://admin.atlassian.com

  2. Navigate to Admin > Security > Data security policies

  3. Click "Create policy" to start the configuration process

  4. Name your policy (e.g., "Out of Office Project Restrictions")

  5. Provide a description explaining the purpose of the policy

Data Security Policies - 01.webp

Step 2: Add Coverage

  1. After policy creation, click "Add coverage" to define scope

  2. Select "Space and projects" as the coverage type

  3. Choose the matching Jira instance from the dropdown

  4. Select all projects where Out of Office Assistant should be blocked

  5. Click "Add coverage" to save the selection

Data Security Policies space and project.webp

Important: Select the projects where you want to restrict the app, not where you want to allow it.

Step 3: Add Rule

  1. Click "Add rule" within your policy

  2. Select "Marketplace and custom app access" as the rule type

  3. Choose "Blocklist" as the access control method

  4. Search for "Out of Office Automation for Jira" in the app selector

  5. Toggle the checkbox next to the app name

  6. Click "Add rule" to save the configuration

Data Security Policies Add Rule.webp

Step 4: Accept Policy Confirmation

  1. Review the Marketplace app access rule details in the confirmation dialog

  2. Accept the data coverage pop-up when prompted

  3. Verify the rule configuration shows the correct app and projects

Step 5: Activate Policy

  1. Click "Activate policy" to enable the restrictions

  2. Confirm activation when prompted

  3. Monitor the policy status to ensure it's active and working correctly

Data Security Policies Activate Policy.webp

Verification Steps

Test Restricted Projects

  1. Navigate to a project included in the policy coverage

  2. Verify the Out of Office panel does not appear in the right sidebar

  3. Confirm rule creation features are not accessible

  4. Test issue assignment behavior to ensure no automatic reassignment occurs

Test Unrestricted Projects

  1. Access projects not covered by the policy

  2. Verify the Out of Office panel appears normally in the right sidebar

  3. Confirm all app functionality works as expected

  4. Test rule creation and management features

Important Considerations

Policy Scope

  • Coverage applies to entire projects: All users within selected projects will lose access to Out of Office features

  • Immediate effect: Policy activation takes effect immediately across all covered projects

  • No user-level restrictions: This method restricts at the project level, not individual users

Alternative Options

Currently, there are no alternative methods for restricting Out of Office Assistant access beyond using Data Security Policies. Project-level restriction through Data Security Policies is the only supported approach for limiting app functionality to specific areas of your Jira instance.

Impact on Existing Rules

  • Existing rules remain active: Rules created before policy implementation continue to function

  • New rule creation blocked: Users cannot create new rules for restricted projects

  • Reassignment disabled: Automatic issue reassignment will not occur in restricted projects

Troubleshooting

Policy Not Working

Symptoms:

  • Out of Office panel still appears in restricted projects

  • App functionality continues to work in blocked projects

Solutions:

  1. Verify policy status is "Active"

  2. Check project selection in coverage settings

  3. Confirm app name matches exactly in the rule configuration

  4. Wait 5-10 minutes for policy propagation across the system

Users Report Lost Access

Symptoms:

  • Users cannot access Out of Office features in projects where they should be available

  • App panel missing from expected projects

Solutions:

  1. Review policy coverage to ensure projects aren't incorrectly included

  2. Check app name spelling in the blocklist rule

  3. Verify user permissions haven't been affected by other policies