Documentation - Automation Step Cost Analyzer

Important: Estimates are based on static analysis of rule structure — not Atlassian's live billing data. For definitive step counts, use the Atlassian Admin console or Automation Insights dashboard.

Quick Start

Install Automation Step Cost Analyzer from the Atlassian Marketplace (requires Jira Cloud admin access).
Open Jira Settings → Apps → Automation Step Cost Analyzer.
Export your Automation rules from Jira:
- Go to Project Settings → Automation (or global Automation settings)
- Click the ⋯ menu → Export rules
- Save the downloaded JSON file
Import rules into the app:
- Drag and drop the JSON file, or paste the contents
- Click Analyze rules
Review the ranked list of rules by estimated steps. Click a rule for details and optimization tips.

Features

Step Cost Estimates

Static analysis of rule complexity with branch/loop multipliers.

Risk Flagging

Identifies high-cost patterns like empty JQL, branch fan-out, and loops.

Rewrite Tips

Actionable suggestions to reduce step consumption.

Scan History

Track analysis results over time (last 20 scans).

Scheduled Digests

Weekly comparison reports showing changes in step estimates.

Deep Links

Quick links to rule settings in Jira Automation (when UUIDs available).

How Step Estimation Works

Base Steps

The analyzer counts all components (triggers, conditions, actions) in each rule as base steps.

Multipliers

Branch Multiplier: 2ⁿ where n = number of if/else branches
Loop Multiplier: 10ⁿ where n = number of lookup/related issues actions
Frequency Multiplier: Based on trigger type (scheduled, event-driven, etc.)

Total Formula

totalEstimatedSteps = baseSteps × branchMultiplier × loopMultiplier × frequencyMultiplier

Risk Patterns Detected

Scheduled rule with no JQL (High) — Runs on schedule even with zero matching issues
Branch fan-out (Medium-High) — Steps multiply exponentially per branch
Loop multiplication (Medium-High) — Steps multiply per matched issue
High-volume trigger (Medium) — "Issue updated" fires frequently
Weak filter on high-volume trigger (High) — No JQL = runs on every event

Digests & History

After running at least one scan, you can:

View past scans from the Scan History panel
Enable Scheduled Digests for weekly comparison reports
Track trends in step estimates over time

Security & Privacy

Runs on Atlassian. The app is a native Atlassian Forge app and runs entirely within Atlassian's Forge platform.

Rules are analyzed only from the Automation export you import
All data is stored in Forge app storage on your Jira site
Your data stays within your Atlassian site and is not sent elsewhere
Scopes requested: read:jira-work and storage:app

For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Tips for Regular Analysis

Export rules before and after major changes to compare estimates
Use the Scan History to track trends over time
Enable Scheduled Digests for weekly comparison reports
Focus on high-risk rules first for the biggest impact

Need help? Visit our Support page. Security questions: security@clearstepsapps.com.