Clone Expert for Jira: From Hours to Seconds (Save 3-4 Hours Weekly)

Mike

Mike

— 13 min read
Clone Expert for Jira: From Hours to Seconds (Save 3-4 Hours Weekly)

Sponsored by  Vilisoft

Real client scenario:

"Mike, we clone the same epic structure every sprint. 50 issues. Different assignees, dates, priorities. Takes us 2-3 hours of manual work every two weeks."

My response:

"What if I told you that could be 2 minutes instead?"

Their reaction:

"No way. Show me."

I showed them Clone Expert for Jira. They now save 3-4 hours per week. Every week.

Let me show you why this is the best epic cloning tool on the market.

The Problem: Cloning Epics in Jira Is Painful

Let's be honest about how we use epics:

The theory: Epics are large user stories in Agile methodology.

The reality: We use them to group issues into sprint cycles, project phases, or recurring workflows.

Common scenario:

You have an epic with 50 issues. Every sprint (or every 2-4 weeks), you need to repeat that structure:

  • Same epic
  • Same issue types
  • Same workflow
  • Different dates
  • Different assignees
  • Different priorities

Manual cloning process:

  1. Clone epic (Jira does this)
  2. Manually clone 50 issues (one by one)
  3. Update dates on each issue
  4. Change assignees
  5. Adjust priorities
  6. Update custom fields
  7. Re-link issues to new epic
  8. Fix broken links
  9. Update components
  10. Repeat forever

Time required: 2-3 hours

Frequency: Every sprint (bi-weekly)

Annual waste: 50-75 hours per year

That's almost 2 full work weeks wasted on repetitive cloning.

The Solution: Clone Expert for Jira

What is Clone Expert?

A Jira plugin (Cloud + Data Center) that clones epics WITH all child issues in one operation.

The process with Clone Expert:

  1. Open epic
  2. Click "Clone Template"
  3. Select which issues to clone
  4. Bulk update fields (dates, assignees, priorities)
  5. Click "Clone"
  6. Done

Time required: 2 minutes

Time saved: 2-3 hours → 2 minutes = 98% faster

That's 3-4 hours saved per week for most teams.

Why Clone Expert Is the Best on the Market

I've tested every epic cloning solution. Clone Expert wins. Here's why:

Clone Expert Is the Best!

Feature #1: True Bulk Cloning

Other tools:

  • Clone epic ✅
  • Clone issues one-by-one ❌
  • Manual updates ❌

Clone Expert:

  • Clone epic ✅
  • Clone ALL issues simultaneously ✅
  • Bulk field updates ✅
  • Maintains relationships ✅

In one operation.

Feature #2: Selective Cloning

You don't always want to clone everything.

Clone Expert lets you:

  • Select which issues to clone (checkboxes)
  • Clone some, skip others
  • Mix and match

Example:

Epic has 50 issues. You only need 30 for next sprint.

With Clone Expert:

  • Uncheck 20 issues
  • Clone remaining 30
  • Done

Without: Clone all 50, manually delete 20. (More work)

Feature #3: Bulk Field Updates

This is the game-changer.

Scenario: Cloning 50 issues for next sprint. All need:

  • Priority: High
  • Assignee: New team member
  • Component: Backend
  • Due Date: 2 weeks from now

Manual process: Update 50 issues individually (30+ minutes)

Clone Expert: Select all 50, set values once, apply to all (30 seconds)

Fields you can bulk update:

  • Summary (prefix/suffix)
  • Description
  • Assignee
  • Priority
  • Due Date
  • Labels
  • Components
  • Fix Version
  • Custom fields
  • And more

Set once, apply to all selected issues.

Feature #4: Smart Placeholders

This is where Clone Expert becomes magical.

Placeholders = Smart values for fields

Available placeholders:

  • {project.key} - Project key (e.g., "DS")
  • {project.name} - Project name (e.g., "Demo Scrum")
  • {parent.key} - Epic key
  • {parent.summary} - Epic summary
  • {current.date} - Today's date
  • {current.time} - Current time
  • {current.user.name} - Your username
  • {issue.key} - Original issue key

Example use cases:

Use Case 1: Add project name to summaries

Original issues:

  • "Design homepage"
  • "Build API"
  • "Write tests"

With placeholder {project.name} - as prefix:

  • "Demo Scrum - Design homepage"
  • "Demo Scrum - Build API"
  • "Demo Scrum - Write tests"

One click. All issues updated.

Use Case 2: Add sprint identifier to descriptions

Add to description: Cloned from {parent.key} on {current.date}

Every cloned issue gets: "Cloned from DS-26 on 2026-01-15"

Automatic documentation.

Use Case 3: Version tracking in summaries

Epic name: "Blog Section Update - Version 7"

Add - Sprint {current.date} to summaries

Result:

  • "Build feature X - Sprint 2026-01-15"
  • "Test feature Y - Sprint 2026-01-15"

No manual date entry needed.

Feature #5: Cross-Project Cloning

Clone epic to different project.

Scenario: Template epic in "Templates" project. Clone to active projects regularly.

Clone Expert:

  1. Open template epic
  2. Clone to "Project A"
  3. Issues created in Project A
  4. Maintain all configurations

Use cases:

  • Template library (one place for all templates)
  • Client onboarding (same process, different projects)
  • Department workflows (HR, IT, Finance templates)

Feature #6: Subtask Support

Clone issues WITH subtasks.

Scenario: Each issue has 3 subtasks. 50 issues = 150 subtasks.

Manual cloning: Clone 50 issues, manually create 150 subtasks

Clone Expert: Check "Include subtasks" option. Done.

All subtasks cloned, linked correctly, ready to use.

Issue links matter.

Types of links Clone Expert preserves:

  • "Blocks" relationships
  • "Relates to" connections
  • "Duplicates" links
  • Custom link types

Options:

  • Clone links to new issues
  • Maintain original links
  • Clone links to existing issues in target project

Your workflow relationships stay intact.

Feature #8: Comments & Attachments

Clone with or without history.

Options:

  • Clone comments
  • Clone attachments
  • Clone both
  • Clone neither

Use case: Template epics with instructions in comments.

Clone with comments: New team sees instructions automatically.

Feature #9: Speed

I tested this with 250 issues.

Clone Expert cloned all 250 in under 60 seconds.

That's 4+ issues per second.

Jira's native clone: Would take 30+ minutes (clone each issue individually)

The difference is absurd.

Real Client Success Story

Company: SaaS startup, 30 developers, 2-week sprints

Challenge: Every sprint, clone "Sprint Template" epic with 45 standard issues (tasks, bugs, stories, subtasks).

Manual process:

  • Product Manager: 2.5 hours every sprint
  • Mistakes: Forgot to update dates, wrong assignees, missing links
  • Frustration: High
  • Cost: $100+/sprint in wasted salary

After Clone Expert:

Process:

  1. Open Sprint Template epic
  2. Click "Clone Template"
  3. Update epic name: "Sprint 23"
  4. Select all 45 issues
  5. Bulk update:
    • Due dates: +14 days
    • Assignees: Current sprint team
    • Priority: Default to Medium
    • Component: Current focus area
  6. Click "Clone"
  7. Wait 15 seconds
  8. Done

Time: 2 minutes

Savings: 2.5 hours → 2 minutes = 2.47 hours saved per sprint

Annual savings: 2.47 hours × 26 sprints = 64 hours = 1.6 work weeks

ROI: Clone Expert pays for itself in first sprint.

Bonus benefits:

  • No mistakes (bulk updates prevent errors)
  • Consistent structure (template ensures nothing missed)
  • Team confidence (Product Manager loves it)

They now save 3-4 hours per week because they clone multiple epics (sprint planning, release planning, client onboarding).

Step-by-Step: How to Use Clone Expert

Let me walk you through the exact process.

Step 1: Install Clone Expert

From Atlassian Marketplace:

  1. Go to Marketplace
  2. Search: "Clone Expert for Jira"
  3. Click Try it Free (30-day trial)
  4. Approve installation

From Jira:

  1. Settings → Apps → Find new apps
  2. Search: "Clone Expert for Jira"
  3. Click Try it Free
  4. Wait 30 seconds
  5. Plugin ready

Works on:

  • ✅ Jira Cloud
  • ✅ Jira Data Center
  • ✅ Jira Server (legacy)

No configuration needed. Instant use after installation.

Step 2: Open Your Epic

Navigate to the epic you want to clone.

My recommendation: Open in full-screen mode

  • Click epic key to open
  • This gives you clean, focused view

Example: Epic "DS-26: Blog Section Update - Version 6"

Step 3: Click "Clone Template"

Find the action menu (three dots, top right)

Click: Clone Template

Clone Expert dialog opens.

Step 4: Configure Clone Settings

Basic Settings:

Destination Project:

  • Default: Same project
  • Option: Select different project (cross-project clone)

Epic Name:

  • Update to new version/sprint
  • Example: "Blog Section Update - Version 7"

Epic Fields:

  • Assignee
  • Due Date
  • Fix Version
  • Priority
  • Custom fields

Step 5: Select Clone Options

What to include:

☐ Subtasks - Clone issues with their subtasks
☐ Links - Preserve issue relationships
☐ Comments - Include comment history
☐ Attachments - Clone file attachments

My recommendation for sprint templates:

  • ✅ Subtasks
  • ✅ Links
  • ❌ Comments (unless instructions)
  • ❌ Attachments (usually not needed)

Link Strategy:

Option 1: Link cloned issues to new epic (usual choice) Option 2: Maintain links to original issues Option 3: Clone links to same project as epic

For sprint templates: Option 1

Step 6: Select Issues to Clone

All issues from epic appear as checkboxes.

Select:

  • Check all (clone everything)
  • Check some (selective clone)

Example:

Epic has 50 issues. You only need 30 for next sprint.

Action:

  • Uncheck 20 you don't need
  • Check 30 you do need

Clone Expert clones only checked issues.

Step 7: Bulk Update Fields

This is where the magic happens.

For each issue, you can set:

  • Summary (prefix/suffix)
  • Description
  • Priority
  • Assignee
  • Due Date
  • Labels
  • Components
  • Fix Version
  • Estimates
  • Custom fields

Two modes:

1. Set individual values (each issue different) 2. Apply to all (bulk update all selected)

Example: Bulk Priority Update

  1. Click Priority column header
  2. Select Set Value
  3. Choose "High"
  4. Click Apply to All
  5. All 30 issues now have Priority = High

Do this for any field. Massive time saver.

Step 8: Use Placeholders (Advanced)

Add smart values to fields.

Example 1: Add Project Name to Summary

  1. Click Summary column header
  2. Select Set Prefix
  3. Enter: {project.name} -
  4. Click Apply to All

Result:

Original: "Build homepage" New: "Demo Scrum - Build homepage"

Example 2: Add Clone Date to Description

  1. Click Description column header
  2. Select Append Text
  3. Enter: Cloned on {current.date} from {parent.key}
  4. Click Apply to All

Result: Every description gets: "Cloned on 2026-01-15 from DS-26"

Available placeholders:

Copy from Placeholders button (right side of dialog):

  • {project.key}
  • {project.name}
  • {parent.key}
  • {parent.summary}
  • {current.date}
  • {current.time}
  • {current.user.name}
  • {issue.key}

Click placeholder to copy to clipboard (prevents formatting issues).

Step 9: Clone

Final check:

  • Epic name updated? ✓
  • Issues selected? ✓
  • Fields configured? ✓

Click: Clone

Progress bar appears.

Clone Expert clones:

  • Epic
  • All selected issues
  • Subtasks (if enabled)
  • Links (if enabled)
  • Comments (if enabled)
  • All field values

Speed:

  • 10 issues: 3 seconds
  • 50 issues: 10 seconds
  • 100 issues: 20 seconds
  • 250 issues: 60 seconds

When done:

  • New epic created
  • All issues created
  • Links preserved
  • You're redirected to new epic

Done. Ready to work.

Advanced Use Cases

Beyond basic sprint cloning, here's how teams use Clone Expert.

Use Case 1: Client Onboarding Template

Scenario: Consulting firm onboards 5-10 new clients monthly. Same 30-task process each time.

Template epic: "Client Onboarding - Template"

30 tasks:

  • Kickoff meeting
  • Requirements gathering
  • Contract setup
  • System access
  • Training sessions
  • etc.

Process with Clone Expert:

  1. Clone template epic
  2. Rename: "Client Onboarding - Acme Corp"
  3. Bulk update:
    • Assignees: Project team
    • Due dates: Based on contract start
    • Client name in descriptions: Use placeholder {project.name}
  4. Clone
  5. 30 tasks ready, customized for Acme Corp

Time: 3 minutes vs 2 hours manual

Used: 5-10 times per month

Monthly savings: 15-30 hours

Use Case 2: Release Planning

Scenario: Software team releases quarterly. Each release has same 80-task checklist.

Template epic: "Release Checklist - Template"

Tasks include:

  • Feature freeze
  • QA testing cycles
  • Documentation updates
  • Staging deployment
  • Production deployment
  • Monitoring setup
  • Rollback plans
  • Post-release review

Process:

  1. Clone template
  2. Rename: "Q2 2026 Release Checklist"
  3. Bulk update due dates: Aligned to Q2 timeline
  4. Assign to release manager
  5. Clone

80 tasks created, configured, ready

Time: 5 minutes vs 3+ hours manual

Use Case 3: Department Templates

Scenario: Large organization, multiple departments use Jira differently.

Templates:

  • HR: Employee onboarding (25 tasks)
  • IT: New employee setup (40 tasks)
  • Facilities: Workspace preparation (15 tasks)
  • Finance: Vendor onboarding (20 tasks)

Process:

HR hires new employee → Clone all 4 templates simultaneously

Each department gets their epic with tasks

Cross-functional onboarding in 5 minutes

Use Case 4: Recurring Projects

Scenario: Marketing team runs monthly campaigns. Same structure every time.

Template epic: "Monthly Campaign - Template"

Tasks:

  • Strategy session
  • Content creation
  • Design assets
  • Ad setup
  • Launch
  • Monitoring
  • Results analysis

Process:

1st of every month:

  1. Clone template
  2. Rename: "Campaign - January 2026"
  3. Bulk update dates: 1st-31st of month
  4. Assign to campaign manager
  5. Clone

New campaign ready to go

Time: 2 minutes

Frequency: Monthly (12 times/year)

Annual savings: 22+ hours

Use Case 5: Training Modules

Scenario: Training team creates courses. Each course has same structure.

Template epic: "Course Template"

Tasks:

  • Outline creation
  • Content writing
  • Video recording
  • Quiz development
  • LMS upload
  • Beta testing
  • Launch

Process:

New course needed:

  1. Clone template
  2. Rename: "Course - Advanced Excel"
  3. Update descriptions with course-specific details
  4. Assign to instructor
  5. Clone

Course project ready

Pricing & ROI Calculator

Clone Expert pricing is ridiculously affordable.

Cloud pricing: $10-50/month (depends on tier) Data Center: $1,500-12,000 (one-time, depends on tier)

ROI calculation:

Scenario: Team saves 3 hours/week with Clone Expert

Annual time savings: 3 hours × 52 weeks = 156 hours

Cost of that time: 156 hours × $50/hour = $7,800

Clone Expert cost (Cloud): $600/year (assuming $50/month)

Net savings: $7,800 - $600 = $7,200/year

ROI: 1,200% (12x return)

Payback period: < 1 month

Even if you only save 1 hour per week: Still 4x ROI

This is one of the highest-ROI Jira apps available.

Common Questions

Q: Does this work with Jira native clone?

A: No, completely separate. Jira's native clone doesn't clone child issues. Clone Expert does.

Q: Can I clone to different project types?

A: Yes. Clone from Scrum to Kanban, team-managed to company-managed, etc.

Q: What about custom fields?

A: Fully supported. Bulk update custom fields just like standard fields.

Q: Does it work with subtasks?

A: Yes. Enable "Include subtasks" option.

Q: Can I clone only some issues from an epic?

A: Yes. Uncheck issues you don't want. Clone only checked ones.

A: Preserved. "Blocks", "Relates to", custom links all maintained.

Q: Does it affect Jira performance?

A: No. Lightweight plugin. No performance impact. Tested on instances with 700+ projects.

Q: Can I use this for non-epic scenarios?

A: Primarily designed for epics. But you can clone issues in bulk from filters too.

Q: What if I make a mistake?

A: Just delete the cloned epic (deletes all cloned issues). Re-clone with correct settings.

Q: Is there a limit on how many issues I can clone?

A: Tested with 250+ issues successfully. No practical limit.

Tips & Best Practices

After using Clone Expert extensively, here's what works:

Tip #1: Create Template Epics

Don't clone production epics repeatedly.

Better: Create dedicated template epics in "Templates" project

Benefits:

  • Templates stay clean (no work-in-progress)
  • Easy to update (improve template over time)
  • Cross-project cloning

Tip #2: Use Descriptive Placeholder Prefixes

Instead of: Generic summaries Use: Placeholders for context

Example:

  • Bad: "Build feature"
  • Good: "{project.name} - Build feature - {current.date}"
  • Result: "Acme Corp - Build feature - 2026-01-15"

Makes issues searchable and identifiable.

Tip #3: Leverage Bulk Updates

Don't set fields individually on 50 issues.

Use bulk update for:

  • Priority (usually same for all)
  • Component (usually one per epic)
  • Fix Version (sprint/release version)
  • Assignee (if same team)

Only customize individually when necessary.

Tip #4: Test on Staging First

For large epics (100+ issues):

  • Test clone on staging/sandbox first
  • Verify all fields clone correctly
  • Check custom fields especially
  • Then do production clone

Avoids cleanup if something's wrong.

Tip #5: Document Your Templates

Add instructions in epic description:

TEMPLATE EPIC - Do not modify directly

To use:
1. Clone with Clone Expert
2. Update epic name to current sprint/version
3. Bulk update due dates (+14 days)
4. Assign to current sprint team
5. Clone

Last updated: 2026-01-15

Makes templates self-documenting.

Tip #6: Review Cloned Issues

After cloning:

  • Open new epic
  • Spot-check 3-5 issues
  • Verify fields updated correctly
  • Check links preserved

Catch any issues immediately.

Tip #7: Save Commonly Used Placeholder Patterns

Keep a doc with your favorite patterns:

Summary prefixes:

  • {project.name} -
  • [Sprint {current.date}]
  • {parent.summary} >

Description additions:

  • Cloned from {parent.key} on {current.date} by {current.user.name}

Copy-paste when needed.

Alternatives Comparison

Why Clone Expert vs other options?

vs Jira Native Clone

Jira Native:

  • ✅ Clones single issue
  • ❌ Doesn't clone child issues
  • ❌ No bulk updates
  • ❌ No placeholders

Clone Expert:

  • ✅ Clones epic + all children
  • ✅ Bulk updates
  • ✅ Placeholders
  • ✅ Selective cloning

Winner: Clone Expert (not even close)

vs ScriptRunner

ScriptRunner:

  • ✅ Can script epic cloning
  • ❌ Requires Groovy knowledge
  • ❌ Time-consuming to write
  • ❌ No GUI

Clone Expert:

  • ✅ No coding needed
  • ✅ Visual interface
  • ✅ Placeholders built-in
  • ✅ Immediate use

Winner: Clone Expert (for non-developers)

vs Automation for Jira

Automation:

  • ✅ Can clone issues
  • ❌ Can't clone epics with children easily
  • ❌ Complex rules needed
  • ❌ No bulk field updates

Clone Expert:

  • ✅ One-click epic cloning
  • ✅ Bulk updates
  • ✅ Simpler

Winner: Clone Expert (for epic workflows)

vs Manual Process

Manual:

  • ❌ 2-3 hours
  • ❌ Error-prone
  • ❌ Tedious

Clone Expert:

  • ✅ 2 minutes
  • ✅ Consistent
  • ✅ Automated

Winner: Obviously Clone Expert

The Bottom Line

If you clone epics regularly, Clone Expert is essential.

The math is simple:

Time saved: 2-3 hours → 2 minutes per clone Frequency: Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly (depends on team) Annual savings: 50-150+ hours ROI: 4-12x minimum

Cost: $10-50/month (Cloud) or $1,500+ one-time (Data Center)

Payback period: < 1 month for most teams

Teams that need Clone Expert:

  • Scrum/Agile teams (sprint templates)
  • Consulting firms (client onboarding)
  • IT departments (user setup workflows)
  • HR teams (employee onboarding)
  • Marketing teams (campaign templates)
  • Anyone cloning epics more than once per month

Try it free for 30 days. If it doesn't save you hours immediately, I'd be shocked.

Get Started

Install Clone Expert:

Resources:

Questions about Clone Expert or need help setting it up? Join my Skool community where I answer Jira questions regularly.

Need consulting on Jira workflows or epic templates? I help teams optimize their Jira setups regularly. Book a consultation.

Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Vilisoft. However, I genuinely recommend Clone Expert—I've deployed it for multiple clients who report 3-4 hours saved weekly. It's one of the highest-ROI Jira apps available.

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