How to integrate GitHub Enterprise with Jira?

Is your development team constantly jumping between GitHub Enterprise and Jira, losing time and missing updates? You know both tools are powerful, but getting them to truly talk to each other is a headache.

This article shows you how to integrate GitHub Enterprise with Jira for real, seamless automation, making your workflow smoother than ever.

What we’ll cover:

Option #1: Integrate GitHub Enterprise with Jira with Atlassian’s native approach

Atlassian offers a direct integration for Jira and GitHub Enterprise. This solution, provided via the “GitHub for Atlassian” app, is free to use and facilitates basic visibility between the platforms.

Prerequisites:

A Jira account (free or paid).
Your GitHub Enterprise account must be an organization account.

Get the integration instructions for your setup here:

Connect GitHub (Enterprise) Cloud to Jira
Connect GitHub Enterprise Server to Jira (for GitHub Servers 2.19 or higher)
Connect GitHub Enterprise Server to Jira with a manually created app (for GitHub Servers 2.18 or lower)
Or watch this video to follow along

The benefits of integrating GitHub Enterprise with Jira using Atlassian’s native solutions

Once configured, this native integration allows you to:

Link development activity (branches, commits, pull requests) to Jira issues by including Jira issue keys (e.g., JIRA-123) in your GitHub commit messages.
See this development information displayed within the Jira issue “Development” panels.
Utilize basic “Smart Commits“ to update Jira issue statuses or add comments directly from GitHub commit messages.

FAQs about Atlassian’s native integration between GitHub and Jira

Is the GitHub for Atlassian app free to use? Yes, it’s absolutely free. Check the marketplace listing of the app; it shows $0 costs to use the app on either the free or paid Jira accounts.
Can I use the GitHub Jira integration on a personal account? In Jira, yes, but on GitHub, you’ll need an organization account.
I’m stuck with the integration. How do I solve issue X? Start by checking the integration FAQs, which list the majority of issues one sees during the integration (IP allowlist, SAML SSO, SSL problems, backfilling delays). Still stuck? Give us a shout, we can help.

Issues with Atlassian’s native GitHub Enterprise to Jira integration

The GitHub Enterprise to Jira integration is largely a “one-way street.” Atlassian’s integration primarily focuses on pulling data from GitHub into Jira.

While it provides a window into development progress, it cannot trigger complex actions in GitHub based on Jira events or implement deep, conditional logic across both systems.

Option #2: Integrate GitHub Enterprise with Jira using advanced n8n and Make automations

For organizations needing more than basic linking, low-code/no-code platforms like n8n and Make offer powerful solutions.

These tools pick up where Atlassian’s native integrations leave off, enabling unparalleled flexibility and control over your GitHub Enterprise and Jira workflows. They provide an accessible way to build sophisticated automations without writing extensive custom code.

Key automation capabilities with n8n and Make

So what type of GitHub Enterprise and Jira integrations can you build with n8n or Make?

True bidirectional synchronization

Unlike the native one-way flow, n8n and Make facilitate real-time, two-way data exchange.

Jira to GitHub. A change in Jira can trigger an action in GitHub. For example, when a Jira issue transitions to “In Progress,” you can automatically update the status of a linked GitHub Pull Request or assign specific reviewers based on Jira’s assignee or team fields.
GitHub to Jira. Go beyond Smart Commits. A new comment on a GitHub PR could automatically add a detailed internal comment to the linked Jira issue, or a specific tag applied in GitHub could update a custom field in Jira.

Advanced workflow orchestration and conditional logic

These platforms excel at building complex, conditional workflows.

More granular control. Define integration rules that follow your process rules. For example, automatically create a new GitHub branch only if the Jira issue type is “Feature” and the assignee belongs to a specific development team.
Data transformation. Parse and transform data between systems. Extract specific patterns from GitHub commit messages or PR descriptions to populate custom fields in Jira, ensuring data consistency and enriching reporting.
Dynamic actions. Automate steps like generating specific PR templates or conditionally applying labels in GitHub based on Jira issue properties.

Build robust and scalable integrations

For enterprise environments, n8n and Make offer features vital for reliable operations.

Error handling and retries. Implement robust mechanisms to automatically retry failed API calls to GitHub Enterprise or Jira, ensuring data eventual consistency.
API rate limit management. Configure workflows to intelligently manage API rate limits, preventing interruptions during high-volume operations.
Alerting and monitoring. Set up automated notifications (e.g., to Slack or email) for workflow failures or data inconsistencies, allowing for prompt resolution.

For extreme scale, self-hosting n8n provides additional control over infrastructure and performance optimization.

Deeper insights into your development lifecycle

Platforms like n8n and Make provide powerful tools for manipulating data as it flows between systems.

Convert Jira’s rich text comments to GitHub’s Markdown, or vice versa, preserving formatting.
Aggregate information from various GitHub sources to create consolidated views or custom reports within Jira, offering deeper insights into your development pipeline.
Export lifecycle data to a custom dashboard to track important metrics like lead time, cycle time, velocity, or sprint burndown/burnup grouped by rich metadata.

Getting started: implementing your advanced integration

Connecting n8n or Make to GitHub Enterprise and Jira is straightforward.

Both platforms offer user-friendly visual builders, complete with pre-built connectors and HTTP Request nodes, allowing you to quickly define triggers, actions, and custom logic.

This means you can swiftly create tailored solutions that bind your development and project management processes seamlessly.

Need a hand? Contact us today. We build custom, advanced automation solutions that fit your exact needs.