Group Sign-Off vs. native Jira approvals
Jira Cloud and Jira Service Management include approvals, and for many teams they are enough. This page lays out what native approvals cover and what Group Sign-Off adds for teams whose sign-offs have to hold up to auditors and regulators.
| Capability | Native Jira / JSM | Group Sign-Off |
|---|---|---|
| Approve / decline on a workflow transition | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple, sequential approval steps | ✓ e.g. manager, then finance | ✓ |
| Require a number of approvers (quorum) | basic a fixed count | ✓M-of-N plus boolean rules, e.g. (boss OR rep) AND owner |
| Works on Jira Software & Work Management, not only Service Management | basic Cloud company-managed spaces. On Data Center, approvals are a JSM feature | ✓ |
| Conditional approver rules by issue field | – | ✓ |
| Optionally require a reason on every decline | – | ✓ |
| Re-authentication before a decision | – | ✓optional: app secret on Cloud, Jira password on Data Center |
| Delegation when an approver is unavailable | – | ✓ |
| Timestamped decision history | basic recorded on the work item | ✓who, when, and the decision, reflected in Jira's issue history |
Comparison based on Atlassian's documented native approval capabilities as of October 2026. Native Jira's approval features change over time. Check the current Atlassian documentation for the latest.
What Group Sign-Off adds
E-signature re-authentication. Approvers can be required to re-authenticate before a decision, with an individual app secret on Cloud or their Jira password on Data Center. This adds an identity check that native approvals don't provide.
Conditional approver rules. The required approvers can vary per issue by component, priority, or any field. Decisions already recorded stay valid if a referenced field changes later.
A reason on every decline, and delegation. When enabled, a rejection is refused until the approver enters a reason, and a pending decision can be delegated when someone is out. Delegations are recorded in the decision history.
Beyond Service Management. On Data Center, native approvals are a Jira Service Management feature. Group Sign-Off works across Jira projects, including Software and Work Management, on Cloud and Data Center.