Question: How do I make Ceptah Bridge skip some tasks during synchronisation?
Answer: To skip a particular task, enter 'skip' in the field containing issue key (Text10 by default).
Question: I start synchronisation, but no changes are coming up in the list. What's wrong?
Answer: Most likely this is because you have not specified resources for the tasks in your project. By default, such tasks are skipped during synchronisation. The number of skipped tasks is displayed in the left bottom corner of the synchronisation window.
To solve the problem, either assign resources to the tasks or change the synchronisation settings.
Question: How do I leave Security Level, Components, Fix Versions or Affects Versions blank when a default value is specified?
Answer: When an issue is created or synchronised and the mapped field in MS Project is blank, the JIRA field is set to the default value specified in the mappings.
To make the JIRA field empty regardless of the default settings, enter '(none)' in the respective column in MS Project.
Question: How do I map MS Project Server Enterprise fields?
Answer: The Enterprise Fields are supported, but they are not available in the drop-down lists. Please enter the field names manually where required.
Question: Why after each cycle of synchronisation, when one field is updated, another field gets out of sync, and the data can never be properly synchronised?
Answer: The fields can become misaligned due to MS Project's internal logic and field dependencies. Mapping interdependent fields such as Finish, Actual Finish, Predecessors, %complete, and Actual Work at the same time often causes recalculation and conflicts. This is the internal MS Project logic that Ceptah Bridge cannot change or control.
To resolve this, do the following:
For example, you cannot map Start, Finish and Work at the same time, make the task auto-scheduled, and expect that the results will be consistent. MS Project will keep recalculating the fields unless Finish in Jira is exactly what MS Project thinks it should be given the Start and Work, which is highly unlikely in practice.
To fix this, you can either unmap Finish or, even better, change the direction for this field so that it is calculated by MS Project and pushed back to Jira. Alternatively, you can make the task manually scheduled, which will disable some of the MS Project logic and allow arbitrary Start, Finish and Work values (still, possibly after 2 cycles of synchronisation).
Question: Can deleting a task in MS Project automatically delete the linked Jira issue?
Answer: No, it is not possible to automatically delete a Jira issue when the corresponding task is deleted in MS Project. This limitation exists because there is no reliable way to track task deletions in MS Project. However, the reverse — deleting a task in MS Project when the linked Jira issue is deleted — is supported by enabling the corresponding option in the Options tab of the Project Settings dialog.
Question: Can I import JIRA components as tasks in MS Project using Ceptah Bridge?
Answer: Ceptah Bridge does not support importing JIRA components as summary tasks in MS Project; components are only imported as field values. To organise tasks by components, you can import issues ordered by component using JQL and manually create component summary tasks in MS Project. You can also automate component grouping with a VBA macro.
Question: How to import new issues from Jira using Ceptah Bridge? I ran synchronisation, but the new issues were not imported to MS Project?
Answer: Ceptah Bridge has two separate functions - Import and Synchronisation. The Import function is used to import issues from Jira to MS Project, while Synchronisation creates new issues in Jira for MS Project tasks or synchronises the existing issue-task pairs.
If there are new issues in Jira that were created after the initial import or synchronisation, you need to use the Import function to bring them into MS Project. The Synchronisation function will not import new issues from Jira, it only synchronises the existing linked tasks and issues or creates issues for new tasks.
When importing, make sure that the filter in the Import window, e.g. the JQL query, covers the new issues that you want to add.
Question: How can I import only specific Jira issues into MS Project based on their fields, such as labels or versions?
Answer: In the Import dialog, you can use a JQL (Jira Query Language) query to filter issues by label, version, or other criteria.
Question: How can I recreate Jira issues from MS Project tasks using Ceptah Bridge?
Answer: If you deleted issues in Jira and want to recreate them, make sure that the field mapped to the Issue Key field (text10 by default) is blank for those tasks. Ceptah Bridge will generate new issues in Jira for tasks without an issue key during the next synchronisation.
Question: Why am I receiving error 410 (Gone) when synchronising MS Project with Jira Cloud using Ceptah Bridge?
Answer: Most likely, this error is caused by breaking changes in the Jira Cloud REST API, which made older versions of Ceptah Bridge incompatible. To resolve this error, download and install the latest version of Ceptah Bridge from our website.
Question: Why do I get a 403 (Forbidden) error when updating issues, even though other Ceptah Bridge features work?
Answer: This error often occurs when the 'Suppress Jira notifications' option is enabled in Ceptah Bridge, but the user lacks the necessary admin or project admin permissions in Jira. To resolve the issue, disable the 'Suppress Jira notifications' option in the Ceptah add-in, or ensure you have the required permissions.
Question: How can I map Jira fields like Description and Comments to MS Project fields, considering character limits?
Answer: In MS Project, only the Notes field can fit more than 255 characters. Enterprise and custom text fields in MS Project are limited to 255 characters, so longer Jira fields (like Description and Comments) should be mapped to Notes.
Question: Is the synchronisation between MS Project and Jira bidirectional?
Answer: It is bidirectional in the sense that you can select the direction of synchronisation for most fields, and both Jira and MS Project fields will be updated at the same time during the synchronisation run. You can change the sync direction for each field by clicking the direction button in the settings.
Some fields, such as Project, Issue Type or Status, can only be synchronised from Jira to MS Project. Updates for these fields are complex operations in Jira, such as workflow transitions or the move issues command, which may require user input.
Bidirectional synchronisation for the same field at the same time is not supported because it is not technically possible for the system to determine which platform has the most recent data.
Question: Why are unwanted issues being imported when my JQL filter excludes them?
Answer: Unwanted issues may be imported if the settings for importing linked issues or sub-tasks are enabled. To ensure only issues matching your JQL filter are imported, set the 'Import Additional issues' option to 'Do Not import' and disable sub-task import. Also, double-check your JQL filter.
Question: How can I resolve out-of-memory errors when synchronising or importing a large number of tasks or issues?
Answer: Out-of-memory errors often occur when using the 32-bit version of MS Project. Please upgrade to the 64-bit version of Microsoft Project. Additionally, reducing the number of items processed at once can help mitigate the problem.
Question: How can I import JIRA tasks into my project in the same order as they appear in Jira?
Answer: To maintain the same order when importing tasks from Jira, use the JQL option and ensure that the query includes the correct 'ORDER BY' clause that matches your desired order, for example, make it the same as in the query that is used for the Jira board in question.
Question: Can I link a single MS Project file to multiple JIRA projects?
Answer: Yes, issues from multiple JIRA projects can be linked to the tasks in a single MS Project plan.
When you import issues, this happens naturally if they come from different Jira projects, for example, when using JQL queries that cover multiple projects.
To create issues in multiple JIRA projects based on the tasks in a single MS Project plan, you need to map the Project field in JIRA to a text field in MS Project,
and populate the field with the desired destination project for each task. If the field is left blank, the default project will be used.
Question: How can I link existing Jira issues with MS Project tasks for synchronisation?
Answer: You can link existing Jira issues to MS Project tasks by entering the key of the corresponding issue into the MS Project field mapped to Issue Key (Text10 by default) for each task to be re-connected. This enables synchronisation between pre-existing issue-task pairs.
Question: Why do I get 'The 'Xxxx' field cannot be set for the issue '{XX-999}' error when trying to update fields in Jira?
Answer: You need to make sure that the field can be edited in Jira using the default edit screen for the issue. If you cannot change the field by hand, you need to ask your Jira administrator to add the field to the default issue screen applicable to the issue.
Please note that for the fields like Remaining Estimate, being editable from the Log Work screen is not enough. The field must be editable on the default edit screen for the issue.
Question: Why do I receive an 'Invalid value' error when updating an MS Project task and how can I resolve it?
Answer: The 'Invalid value' errors during synchronisation often occur when Ceptah Bridge tries to assign a value to a field, and that value is not allowed or is incompatible with the other fields values.
For example, the error is generated when trying to set Start or Finish to a non-working day.
To determine the cause of the error, try entering the same value manually in MS Project and observe the results. MS Project will display a more detailed error message or request a confirmation to perform an action. The latter is a problem for Ceptah Bridge as well, because it cannot handle such prompts.
Make sure that the values that you assign to the fields in MS Project are valid and do not trigger any warnings or prompts. You may be able to work around the problem by changing MS Project settings, working time, or task type.
Question: How can I ensure consistent Ceptah Bridge settings for all Ceptah Bridge users?
Answer: There are two ways to share the configuration between multiple projects:
Configure the settings for a blank project and use that project as a template for all new projects in your organisation.
You can also set password on the settings in the project so that the user cannot easily change them:
Export the settings to a file and then import them to new projects as required:
Question: Are there any limits on the number of tasks or issues that can be updated or synchronised between MS Project and Jira?
Answer: There are no hard limits on the number of tasks or issues that can be processed. However, for very large numbers (such as 10,000 tasks), it is recommended to use the 64-bit version of MS Project to avoid memory issues. The main constraint is the time required for updates, as each Jira issue update takes time via the REST API, especially with Jira Cloud.
Question: Why am I getting a 404 'Issue Does Not Exist' error during synchronisation?
Answer: There are two possible reasons for this error:
The issue was deleted in Jira after it was linked to the MS Project task, and the field mapped to Issue key (Text10 by default) now contains the key on an issue that no longer exists. To fix the problem, clear the field, which will recreate the issue, or delete the task.
This error can occur because Jira Server/DC 9.0 introduced breaking changes to its REST API, making older versions of Ceptah Bridge incompatible. To resolve the problem, upgrade Ceptah Bridge to version 3.14.6 or higher. If you synchronise the Security Level field, use version 3.15.10 or higher.
Question: Why am I experiencing issues synchronising a master project in MS Project using Ceptah Bridge?
Answer: Due to limitations in the MS Project API, Ceptah Bridge cannot synchronise assignments, dependencies, or hierarchy across master and child projects. The recommended solution is to open and synchronise each child project individually.