---
title: "Synchronize JIRA subtasks to TFS / VSTS links"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/TSH/1800308374/Synchronize%20JIRA%20subtasks%20to%20TFS%20%2F%20VSTS%20links"
format: markdown
---
Subtasks synchronization can be enabled on *Subtask Mapping *screen (during new profile creation via wizard) or on *Field Mappings* on profile edit screen. The following settings are available:

1. Synchronization direction:
  - synchronization disabled,
  - synchronize only from TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) to Jira,
  - synchronize only from Jira to TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS),
  - synchronize in both direction.
2. TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) link type that maps to Jira subtasks (Default: Parent->Child).
3. Subtasks Mappings - Jira allows to define many various issue types of subtasks (Please see [Jira documentation](https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/Jira/Configuring+Sub-tasks#ConfiguringSub-tasks-Definingsub-taskissuetypes) for details). You can define here how they will be mapped to TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) work item types.

> ❌ Due to technical limitations Jira does not support changing issues to subtasks and subtasks to issues.  
> ❌ This means that if you link a "standalone" TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) work item to a parent work item, or unlink a TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) task from its parent work item, a corresponding Jira issue will not be changed to/from subtask.


> ❌ Jira subtasks cannot have their own subtasks, so you cannot synchronize multi-level TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) work item hierarchies to Jira subtasks.

# Case study

The following examples show how subtasks synchronization works in practice with default Jira and TFS /Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS)  workflows and default settings of synchronization profile.

### **New Subtask has been created in Jira**

1. Let's assume that we have a Jira Task that is synchronized to a TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Work Item.
  
2. Jira Subtask has been created by user.
  
3. After synchronization the Jira Subtask is synchronized to new TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Task, and a parent/child link is established in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS).


### **New child Task has been created in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS)**

1. Let's assume that we have a TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Work Item that is synchronized to a Jira Task.
  
2. A Task with parent/child relationship has been created by user in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS).
  
3. After synchronization a new Subtask is created in Jira.

### **Jira Subtask has been promoted to a regular Task**

1. Jira Subtask is correctly synchronized to child TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Task.
  
2. Jira Subtask has been promoted by user to a regular Jira Task.
  
3. After synchronization the parent/child link is removed in TFS.

### **The parent/child link has been removed in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS)**

1. Jira Subtask is correctly synchronized to child TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Task.
  
2. The parent/child link has been removed in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS).
  
3. Due to technical limitations Jira Subtask corresponding to child TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Task is **not** changed to a regular Task after synchronization.

### **A parent/child link has been created in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS)**

1. We have two distinct Jira Tasks that are correctly synchronized to two TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Tasks.
  
2. New child/parent relationship has been added by user in TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS).
  
3. Due to technical limitations Jira Task corresponding to child TFS / Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS) Task is **not** changed to Subtask after synchronization.