Step 4
Advanced Data Strategy: Append-Only Mode & Closed Statuses
To build a historical database of your Jira issues. This mode is perfect for tracking trends over time, creating audit trails, and analyzing how issues change, rather than just seeing their current state. To get the best value, set this feature up after you are sure about the configuration.
In the "Data Strategy" section of the sidebar, check the box for "Append-Only Mode."
Next, it's highly recommended to define your "closed" statuses. Click the "Fetch & Refresh Statuses" button if the statuses aren't loaded.
In the "Closed Statuses" section, check the boxes for any status that means work is complete and no further updates are expected (e.g., "Done," "Closed," "Won't Do," "Cancelled").
Save the configuraiton for future or run your sync.
What Happens Next?
When you use Append-Only mode, two sheets are created:
Issue Data Logs: This is your historical database. Every time you sync the data (manually or via trigger) the addon looks for any issue that was updated between last sync and current sync (or is still not closed) and adds a new row with a timestamp to this sheet. It is designed to grow over time and provides a complete record of changes.
Latest Issue Data: This sheet provides a clean, deduplicated view showing only the most recent entry for every unique issue key. It’s your go-to sheet for a "current state" report.
How it Works: The Smart Sync Logic
Defining your Closed Statuses makes the sync process much more efficient and keeps the time related metrics up to date. The add-on intelligently runs two queries: one for all issues updated recently, and a second for any older issues that are not yet in a "closed" state. This ensures your data is always up-to-date without re-syncing thousands of completed tickets unnecessarily.
Important Note
Use Append only mode once you are sure of the configuration and the columns you want on sheet. If you change the configuration (example - added or removed a field) it is better to do a fresh sync in non append only mode and then select append only mode for future.
