Create a Protected Custom Field

To create a new protected custom field that can be used in any space:

Navigate to the administration Cog and select Work items.
Under Fields in the side navigation, select Fields, then Create new field.
In the Create Field panel, select the Field Type. In this case, select one of the field types prefaced with Protected Custom Fields. There are three field types available for Protected Custom Fields:
- Number Field
- Text Field (multi line)
- Text Field (single line)
Enter a Name, and Description for the new field.
Click Create.

With the new field created, you can now add it to a field configuration.

Note:

Protected Custom Fields encrypts values when they're entered into a protected custom field in the Jira UI.

If a protected field is updated any other way, such as through the REST API, an automation rule, or Rovo, the new value is saved as plain text within the same field. It replaces the protected value and can be seen by anyone who can open the work item. This is expected behaviour.

If this happens, your original encrypted value is still recoverable. The encrypted string will show up in your work item history, and can be pasted back into the field via the UI, and will once again only be readable to anyone with authorisation, based on their user group.

Reading is different. Once a value is encrypted, only users in the groups you've authorised can decrypt it. Anyone else trying to read it, whether through the REST API, board view, Rovo, or any other method, will only see encrypted text.

To keep your values protected, check what can write to your protected fields, and limit who can run automations or integrations against them.