Automatic subjects for work packages (Enterprise add-on)

Nota
Automatic subjects for work packages an Enterprise add-on and can only be used with Enterprise cloud or Enterprise on-premises. Um upgrade da edição gratuita Community é fácil e ajuda a apoiar o OpenProject.

Introdução

Automatic subjects are predefined, dynamic titles for work packages. They help enforce consistent naming and clarity for repetitive tasks.

Administrators can enable automatic subjects per work package type by defining a subject pattern that includes static text and references attributes, such as Author, Start date, custom fields, or parent and project details. When creating a work package, its subject is automatically generated and updated according to the defined pattern.

Examples:

Vacation request: [Author] [Start date] - [Finish date]
Candidate interview: [Custom Field: Candidate] with [Assignee] on [Start date]
Supplier invoice: [Author] Invoice [Creation date] - [Custom Field: Invoice ID]

A locked subject indicates that your administrator has enforced an automatic subject pattern for that work package type (e.g. vacation requests or invoices).

Importante
If the subject field is locked, it can also indicate that you might lack permission to edit this specific work package.

Example of a newly created work package with a locked subject field in OpenProject

How to use automatic subjects

Work packages with automatic subjects function similarly to standard work packages, with two notable differences:

Creating or editing: Enter all work package details as you normally would, with the exception of the subject field - leave it empty.
Subject is read-only: The subject is automatically generated and cannot be manually edited.

Dica
Any changes to work package attributes trigger an automatic update of the subject, even if the changed attribute isn’t referenced in the subject pattern.

How attributes appear in subjects

Automatic subjects reflect actual values from attributes as configured by your admin:

Dates (e.g. [Start date], [Finish date])
Users (e.g. [Author], [Assignee])
Attributes (e.g. [Priority], [Category], [Custom Field: X])
Project details (e.g. [Project name], [Project identifier])

If a referenced attribute isn’t available, the subject displays “N/A” (see FAQ).

If a referenced attribute currently has no value, the subject displays [Attribute Name].

Example of an automatically generated work package subject

Automatic subject FAQs

How is an automatic subject updated?

When attributes referenced in the subject pattern change (e.g. dates or custom fields), the subject updates automatically upon saving. No additional action is required.

What if the subject pattern references parent or project attributes?

If your subject pattern includes attributes from a parent work package or the project, changes in those attributes don’t immediately affect the child’s subject. The subject refreshes only after updating and saving the child work package. This behavior is planned to be improved in a future release.

Why does “N/A” appear in my subject?

“N/A” indicates a referenced attribute is unavailable. Common reasons include:

The pattern references a parent attribute, but no parent is assigned.
A parent exists, but the referenced attribute isn’t available in the parent’s work package type.
The attribute referenced isn’t activated in the current project.

Once the attribute becomes available and is populated, updating and saving the work package automatically refreshes the subject.

[!DICA]

Example: Pattern: INVOICE: [Custom Field: Invoice ID] - [Start date]
If “Invoice ID” is unavailable, you’ll see INVOICE: N/A - 2025-01-23.