# New vs old workflow editor | Demo Den | Atlassian

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQodxh6q_Ew
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/FQodxh6q_Ew
Generated: 2026-02-18T17:10:10.062+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The Jira new workflow editor sunsetting the old workflow designer in June 2026, enabling immediate publishing of draft changes, allowing deletion of statuses in active workflows, and providing a unified interface for configuring statuses, transitions, and rules, which map directly to the old editor's concepts like conditions, validators, and post-functions.

**Key Points:**
- The old Jira workflow designer will be removed starting June 2026, making the new workflow editor the standard interface.
- The new editor allows for instant publishing of changes without relying on drafts stored across multiple pages.
- Administrators can now delete statuses in active workflows, provided those statuses have no outgoing transitions (excluding global ones).
- The new editor unifies configuration, allowing users to set up statuses, transitions, and rules from a single view.
- All rules (Conditions, Validators, Post-functions) from the old editor map directly to the new editor's terminology (Restrict transition, Validate details, Perform actions).
- The new editor supports creating shared transitions across multiple 'From' statuses during creation, eliminating the need for the old 'Reuse transition' method.
- Users can restore workflows to earlier versions (e.g., V.10, V.9) which are kept available for 1 month.

![Screenshot at 00:21: The screen displays a banner announcing the retirement of the old workflow designer starting in June 2026, prompting users to switch to the new editor, which is the central topic of the demonstration.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-00-21.jpg)

**Context:** This video, part of the 'Demo Den Feature Demos & Q&A' series, features Darren Grant, a Senior Frontend Engineer at Atlassian, demonstrating the key differences and improvements in the new Jira workflow editor compared to the deprecated old workflow designer. The presentation focuses on enhancements to editing, publishing, rule management, and transition creation, encouraging users to migrate before the June 2026 cutoff.

## Detailed Analysis

The video explains the transition from the old Jira workflow designer to the new workflow editor, which is scheduled for removal in June 2026. A major improvement in the new editor is the ability to 'Edit and publish instantly'; changes are applied directly to the active workflow instead of being saved in drafts across multiple pages, which was a limitation of the old system. This immediate publishing also removes the need to copy workflows when making changes to active ones. A significant benefit is the ability to delete statuses in active workflows, a feature previously unavailable. Furthermore, the new editor consolidates configuration, allowing users to manage statuses, transitions, and rules (formerly conditions, validators, and post-functions) in one view. For example, old 'Conditions' map to 'Restrict transition,' 'Validators' map to 'Validate details,' and 'Post-functions' map to 'Perform actions.' The process for creating shared transitions is also simplified, allowing selection of multiple 'From' statuses when creating a new transition, unlike the old method which required adding a transition and then reusing it. Finally, users can revert to previous versions (like V.10, V.9) of the workflow, which are stored for one month.

### Workflow Editor Sunset

- Old workflow designer retires starting June 2026
- New editor offers text view and Rovo-enabled AI features
- Users unable to switch can raise a support request for assistance

### Key Differences

- Edit and Publish Instantly: No draft workflows; changes update immediately upon selection of 'Update workflow'
- Ability to delete statuses in active workflows if they have no outgoing transitions

### Rule Mapping

- Conditions map to 'Restrict transition'
- Validators map to 'Validate details'
- Post-functions map to 'Perform actions'
- Rules are combined and renamed from the old editor's terminology

### Transition Creation

- New editor allows creating transitions applicable to multiple 'From' statuses simultaneously
- Old editor required adding a transition and then reusing it

### Version Control

- Workflows can be restored to previous versions (e.g., V.10, V.9) which are available for one month

![Screenshot at 00:07: The Jira administration screen showing the 'Work Items' section with a notification banner about the switch to the new workflow editor.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-00-07.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:54: The new workflow editor interface displaying a visual diagram of a workflow path with statuses like 'TO DO', 'IN PROGRESS', and 'MANAGER REVIEW', alongside a helpful sidebar explaining the diagram's features.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-00-54.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:05: The 'Add a status' dialog box open over the workflow diagram, showing options to 'Add existing status' or 'Create new status'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-01-05.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:18: The 'Transition' panel open on the right side, showing the configuration details for the 'Finish' transition, including its path, rules, and events.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-01-18.jpg)
![Screenshot at 02:27: The 'Update workflow' button being clicked, revealing a dropdown menu with options to 'Save as new workflow' or 'Discard changes'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FQodxh6q_Ew/00-02-27.jpg)