Dates auto-adjustment
When cloning templates that contain date fields, you often want to shift all dates so the cloned work fits a new timeline. Clone Expert for Jira provides flexible date adjustment options so you never need to update dates manually.
Clone Expert supports two scheduling directions and two calculation modes, giving you four combinations to fit different project needs.
Available Adjustment Types
Clone Expert can align your template based on either:
Auto-adjust to earliest date (forward scheduling)
Your template’s earliest date is aligned to a new start date.
Use when the project has a fixed start date.
Auto-adjust to latest date (backward scheduling)
Your template’s latest date is aligned to a new finish date.
Use when the project must end on a specific deadline.
Date Calculation Mode
For each direction, you can choose how dates should shift:
-
- Calendar Days – all dates shift by the exact number of calendar days between the old and new reference dates. Weekends are treated the same as any other day.
- Skip Weekends (Working Days) – dates preserve working-day spacing between tasks. Weekend days are ignored when calculating date offsets. Useful for operational or delivery workflows that follow business days.
Putting It Together
This gives you four possible adjustment modes:
| Scheduling Method | Mode | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest date | Calendar days | Start the project on a chosen date and shift everything forward by the same number of calendar days. |
| Earliest date | Skip weekends | Start on a chosen date and preserve working-day spacing from the template. |
| Latest date | Calendar days | Ensure the project ends on the specified date, then shift everything backward by the same number of calendar days. |
| Latest date | Skip weekends | Backward scheduling that preserves working-day spacing. |
How does it work?
Auto-adjustment options extend the Bulk edit features available in the Preview Table. They allow you to realign all dates in your template before cloning, based on a new start or end date.
To use this option:
- Open the cloning view
Select the work item you want to clone and use Clone template or Clone work item. - Open Bulk edit for a date field
In the Preview Table, locate a date column (for example, Due date or Start date), then click the Bulk edit icon. - Choose the adjustment type
Select either:- Auto-adjust to earliest date, or
- Auto-adjust to latest date
Clone Expert will automatically display the Earliest date found or the Latest date found in your template.
- Provide the target date
Select the new start date (for the earliest) or the new end date (for the latest).
You can optionally use Skip weekends if your scheduling logic is based on working days. - Apply the changes
Once you apply the configuration, all dates in the selected column will update according to the chosen rule.
The Preview Table will immediately show the adjusted timeline so you can verify the results before cloning.
You always retain full control:
Even after auto-adjustment, you can manually edit any individual date in the Preview Table if a non-standard adjustment is required. Clone Expert prepares the structure for you, but you decide the final schedule.