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How to convert items in Craft.io
How to convert items in Craft.io

Learn how to convert items to either higher or lower level items, if the original estimated scope has changed

Roni Ben-Aharon avatar
Written by Roni Ben-Aharon
Updated over a week ago

Item conversion is an action performed in an event where work items are found to be bigger or smaller, compared to the original estimation and scope. Then, one would want to change the item's type to fit the correct level in the hierarchy.

Item types and hierarchy in Craft.io

In Craft.io, there are 8 different item types arranged in four levels of hierarchy.

  • Product

  • Epic

  • Feature, Bug, Task, Requirement, Idea

  • Sub- feature

Each item type in Craft.io has its own set of predefined and custom fields.
For example, a Feature item type in Craft.io has Visual Spec capability, a way to display a set of workflows and wireframes. While the Product item type acts as a logical container for Epics and does not have any custom fields associated to it.


Item conversion in Craft.io

In Craft.io you can change the type of an existing item to any other item type.
Items can be converted to a higher or a lower hierarchy level, one step at a time.

The following conversion options are available:

  • Product to Epic

  • Epic to Product

  • Epic to Feature

  • Feature to Epic

  • Feature to Sub-feature

  • Feature to Bug-Task-Requirement-Idea

  • Sub-feature to feature

How to convert an item

There are two locations in which you can convert an item type- in the Spec Editor or in a table view. Hover over an item's title and click the 3dots menu.
Select ‘Convert item’ and choose the desired item type from the available options.

Example: Conversion of an Epic to a Feature

Bulk item conversion

You can convert multiple items at once via the Bulk operator. Bulk conversion option is available when the selected items are of the same hierarchy level (e.g. only Epics, Features etc..).

How does item conversion work?

When converting an item, all its children items are converted as well, according to the new item type's hierarchy.

When an item is converted to a higher hierarchy level (e.g. Feature to Epic)

When converting a Feature to an Epic, the Sub-features will consequently convert into higher hierarchy level- Features.

Before conversion

After conversion

When an item is converted to a lower hierarchy level (e.g. Epic to Feature)

When this action is performed, Craft.io will create a new parent item to place the converted item nested within.

For example: Converting an Epic with the title 'Workflow' to a Feature.
After the conversion is completed, Craft.io will place the 'Workflow' feature under a new Epic titled "Parent of Workflow".

Before conversion

After conversion

Item conversion and Development tools synchronization

Items that are already synced with a software development tool (e.g. Jira, AzureDevOps) require to be unsynced first, including all their children's items, to enable item conversion.
Only once the items are unsynced, the action can be accomplished.

Resyncing converted items with a Development tool

Items that were previously synced with a development tool will 'remember' their dev tool counterparts.
Once the item is converted on Craft.io side, you can re-sync it with its dev tool counterpart simply by clicking the 'sync' button.
Please note- in order to re-sync an item, the item counterpart on the dev tool side must be of the same type as the item in Craft.io.

Implications of item conversion

The functionality entails implications on how the items will be managed after conversion. Please bear the below in mind before converting the items-

  • Custom fields - Fields that are not present in both item types will be lost. If a custom field was defined to be included only in Epics, for example, once converted to Feature the values will be lost.

  • Visual spec - visual spec is a unique property of the Feature item type. When converted into a higher or lower level item, images added as visual specs will be converted to attachments and no additional data will be kept.

  • Persona - persona association will be lost when a Feature item type is converted to a lower level Sub-feature.

  • Connection to feedback portal - Upon conversion, connection with feedback items will be lost. You can reconnect them to the new item via the feedback portal.

  • Converting to Product - Since Product item type does not have the majority of predefined or custom fields, all Epic’s fields will be lost upon conversion, except for Objectives and key results.

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