How to set up and use the app
1. Installation
- Open Jira → Settings → Apps → Find new apps (or visit the Atlassian Marketplace).
- Search for Component Archiver and click Get app / Try it free.
- The app installs site-wide. It works in company-managed projects (team-managed projects have no components).
2. The project page
Open Project settings → Apps → Component Archiver. The page lists every component of the project with:
- Work items — how many work items carry the component (all time)
- Open — how many of them are not done
- Last used — the most recent update of a work item with this component
- Status — Active, Archived, or Suggested (no open work items and not used for the configured number of months)
3. Archiving a component
- Click Archive in the component’s row.
- Optionally enter a reason and choose a successor component.
- Confirm. The component is renamed with the marker
[Archived], and the description records the date, the reason and the successor. The original name and description are kept by the app so you can restore them.
Existing work items keep the archived component. Nothing is deleted.
4. How new use is blocked
| Mode | How it works | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Guard | If an archived component is still set on a work item (inline edit, bulk edit, REST API, Automation), the app removes it within seconds, sets the successor if one is defined, and leaves a comment explaining why. No configuration required. | Any company-managed project |
| Workflow validator | A pre-transition check. An admin adds the validator to the Create transition (and any other transition) so Jira rejects archived components immediately with a clear message. | Company-managed projects, optional |
Adding the workflow validator (optional)
- Go to Project settings → Workflows and edit the workflow.
- Select the Create transition (or any transition you want to protect).
- Open Validators → Add validator and choose "Component Archiver – no archived components".
- Save and publish the workflow.
5. Moving work items to a successor
For an archived component, click Move work items. Choose a successor to replace the archived component on all its work items, or leave the field empty to just remove it. The app works in batches and sends no notifications.
6. Restoring a component
Click Restore. The original name and description come back and the component can be used again. Work items that were moved to a successor are not moved back.
7. Settings (per project)
- Auto-Guard — remove archived components that are still set on work items (default: on)
- Set the successor when removing an archived component (default: on)
- Comment on the work item when the app changes its components (default: on)
- Suggest archiving after this many months without use (default: 6)
8. Known limits
- Jira Cloud has no archive flag. Archived components remain visible in the native component picker, marked with
[Archived]. The app blocks their use instead of hiding them. - Changes made through the REST API or Automation are reverted within seconds, not prevented.
- Team-managed projects have no components and are not affected.
9. Languages
English and German. The language follows the user’s Jira profile setting.
10. Privacy & security
The app runs entirely on Atlassian’s Forge platform (Runs on Atlassian). It uses no external services and shares no data with third parties. It stores, per project, the IDs of archived components, their original name and description, the archive date, reason, successor and the account ID of the admin who archived them, plus the project settings. See the privacy policy and the security policy.
11. More apps by KeulTech
- Dependency Guard for Jira — enforce "is blocked by" links: block Done while blockers are open, notify waiting work items
12. Support
Questions or problems: keul.tech/support or info@keul.tech. We respond within one business day.