Cloning Jira issues can save a huge amount of time when creating repeatable tasks or project templates. With Easy Clone for Jira Cloud, you can duplicate issues in just a few clicks — including their fields, subtasks, and links.
However, many users run into a common limitation:
👉 The "Original Estimate" field (part of Jira’s time tracking system) does not get cloned by default.
This isn’t a limitation of Easy Clone itself, but rather how Jira is configured by default in company-managed projects. Let’s walk through why this happens and how you can fix it in just a few steps.
Why the "Original Estimate" Doesn’t Clone by Default
In Jira, the Original Estimate field is tied to Jira’s Time Tracking feature. By default, this field isn’t visible on the issue creation screen in most company-managed projects. Since Easy Clone can only copy fields that are available in the project’s issue screens, the estimate won’t carry over unless it’s properly configured.
How to Enable the "Original Estimate" Field for Cloning
Follow these steps to configure Jira so that Easy Clone can include the Original Estimate field when cloning issues:
1. Ensure Time Tracking is Enabled
- Go to Jira Settings → Issues.
- Under Issue Features, select Time Tracking.
- Make sure Time Tracking is turned on for your instance.
2. Add the "Original Estimate" Field to Your Screens
The field must be present on both the Create Issue and Edit Issue screens for the relevant project.
- Navigate to Jira Settings → Issues → Screens.
- Find the screen scheme associated with your project.
- Edit the Create Issue screen and add the field Time Tracking.
- Note: In Jira, the Original Estimate field is bundled inside the Time Tracking field.
- Repeat the same for the Edit Issue screen.
3. Verify the Field Context
- Go to Jira Settings → Issues → Custom Fields.
- Search for Time Tracking.
- Ensure its Context includes the project and issue types you want to clone.
4. Test It Out with Easy Clone
Now that the field is enabled:
- Open an issue in your project.
- Set an Original Estimate (for example,
5h). - Use Easy Clone to duplicate the issue.
- ✅ The cloned issue should now include the same Original Estimate.
Tips & Best Practices
- If you’re using team-managed projects, configuration works differently and fields are managed per project. In that case, simply go to Project Settings → Issue Types and add the Time Tracking field to your issue type.
- For consistency, make sure all your teams/projects use the same screen scheme if you expect to clone estimates across projects.
Conclusion
Cloning the Original Estimate field in Jira isn’t difficult — it just requires making the field visible in your project configuration. Once that’s done, Easy Clone will take care of duplicating it along with the rest of your issue data.
This small tweak can save project managers and development teams hours of manual re-entry when working with recurring tasks or issue templates.
👉 Ready to try it out? Install Easy Clone for Jira and start cloning smarter today!
