We in the process of setting up a sync between two Jira cloud instances.
When processing comments that belong to a role or group, the Exalate proxy user doesn’t have permission to move these comments.
However when we look at the list of users in each instance, we cannot find the Exalate proxy user.
If we could find this, I can set the correct permissions.
According to the documentation this user should have been automatically created, but doesn’t appear to have been.
Thanks
Hi @callum
Welcome to the Exalate Community !
You’re correct that Exalate uses a proxy user to perform actions (like creating comments) on behalf of the remote instance. On Jira Cloud, the proxy user is typically created automatically during the Exalate app installation, and it’s usually named something like ‘Exalate’.
Here are some key points and troubleshooting steps:
Proxy User Visibility
On Jira Cloud, the proxy user is not a regular user you can find in the standard user management screens.
It is an Atlassian Connect App user, which means it appears as an “App” rather than a person.
How to Identify the Proxy User
When Exalate performs an action (like creating a comment), the author will appear as something like “Exalate” or “Exalate Integration” in the issue history or comment author field.
You can check the author of a comment or change made by Exalate to see the exact name.
Permissions for the Proxy User
To grant permissions, you need to add the Exalate app user to the appropriate project roles or permission schemes.
In Jira Cloud, go to Project Settings → Permissions, and look for entries like “atlassian-addons-project-access” or “Exalate Connector” in the permission scheme.
The Exalate app user is usually part of the atlassian-addons-project-access group, which should have the necessary permissions.
If the Proxy User Is Missing
If you don’t see any actions performed by “Exalate” or similar, or if the app user is not present, try the following:
Reinstall the Exalate app on your Jira Cloud instance.
Ensure the app has been granted all required permissions during installation.
After reinstalling, check the project permissions again for the atlassian-addons-project-access group.
Let me know if you need further assistance.
Thanks,
Sonal
Hi Sonal,
Thank you for your reply.
We have managed to find the Exalate user in the permissions scheme and have granted it access to all the areas it needs for comments.
However group comments are still not syncing.
How do I add the Exalate user or atlassian-addons-project-access to other groups so it can see group protected comments
Hi @callum
To allow Exalate to sync group-restricted comments in Jira Cloud, you need to ensure that the Exalate user (or the atlassian-addons-project-access group, which is used by Exalate’s app user) is included in the groups that have permission to view those restricted comments.
Here’s what you need to do:
Identify the Groups Used for Comment Restrictions
Check which groups are used to restrict the comments you want to sync (e.g., “Developers”, “Support”, etc.).
Add the Exalate User or App Group to Those Groups
In Jira Cloud, you cannot directly add the atlassian-addons-project-access group to other groups.
Instead, you need to ensure that the Exalate app user has the same permissions as those groups for comment visibility.
Update Project Permissions
Go to Project Settings > Permissions.
For the “Browse Projects” and “Add Comments” permissions, ensure that “atlassian-addons-project-access” is included.
For “View (all) Comments” or any custom permission scheme related to comments, also include “atlassian-addons-project-access”.
Check Comment Visibility Restrictions
When restricting a comment, make sure to select a group or project role that the Exalate app user is part of (typically, “atlassian-addons-project-access”).
If you use custom groups, Exalate will not be able to see those comments unless the app user is also a member of those groups, which is not possible in Jira Cloud due to Atlassian’s security model.
Important Note:
In Jira Cloud, Atlassian restricts app users (like Exalate) from being added to regular user groups for security reasons. The app user can only access what is granted via the “atlassian-addons-project-access” project role. This means Exalate can only sync comments visible to this project role.
Workaround:
When adding restricted comments that you want Exalate to sync, restrict them to “atlassian-addons-project-access” or a project role that includes the app user.
Avoid using custom groups for comment restrictions if you need Exalate to sync those comments.
If you need to sync group-restricted comments, you may need to adjust your comment restriction practices to use project roles or the “atlassian-addons-project-access” group.
Let me know if you need more specific steps or have questions about your setup!
Thanks,
Sonal
Hi @callum
I wanted to follow up—were you able to resolve the issue? Please let us know if you need any further assistance.
Thanks,
Sonal