Understanding Zephyr and Zephyr Essential Releases
Zephyr and Zephyr Essential are built on Atlassian Forge and listed on the Atlassian Marketplace. SmartBear ships three types of releases: major, minor, and versionless. Each type reaches your Jira site differently, and this page explains what to expect from each.
How Releases Work
Every Forge app has a manifest, which describes how the app connects to Jira: where it appears, what data it can access, and what it is allowed to do. The type of change SmartBear makes to the manifest determines the release type.
Release Types at a Glance
Release Type | What Changes | Action Required | Visible Version Number (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|---|
Major | New permissions or access | A site admin must approve the update | Yes |
Minor | How the app appears in Jira (no new permissions) | None, applied automatically | Yes |
Versionless | Fixes and features inside the app | None, applied automatically | No |
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a major release?
A major release happens when the app needs new permissions. Examples include reading content from Confluence for the first time, accessing new data, making new external connections, or enabling licensing. See Major version upgrades in Atlassian's documentation for the full list of changes that trigger a major release.
Do I need to do anything for a major release?
Yes. A Jira site admin must approve the update. Until the admin approves the update, your site stays on the previous version of the app. Atlassian requires this approval because the app's permissions are changing. Admins can find the steps in Atlassian's guide to managing app upgrades.
I heard about a new feature, but I don't see it. Why?
If the feature shipped in a major release, your site admin may not have approved the update yet. Ask your Jira admin to check for pending app updates. Once approved, the new version and its features become available.
What is a minor release?
A minor release changes how the app appears in Jira without changing its permissions. An example is adding a new page to Jira project settings. See Minor version upgrades for more detail.
Do I need to do anything for a minor release?
No. Minor releases are applied automatically to all customer sites running the same major version. You may notice the change appear. Atlassian treats these updates as safe because nothing about what the app can access has changed.
What is a Versionless release?
A Versionless release delivers bug fixes, code improvements, or new features without changing the app's manifest. An example is adding a button to a page the app already has.
Do I need to do anything for a versionless release?
No. Versionless releases are deployed instantly and do not create a new version number. This is the fastest and most common way SmartBear delivers fixes and improvements.
Why don't I see a new version number after a recent fix or improvement?
Versionless releases do not change the visible version number. Your site already has the update even though the version number looks the same.
How can I tell which type of release a change belongs to?
Change | Release Type |
|---|---|
Adding a button on an existing page | Versionless |
Adding a new page in Jira project settings | Minor |
Reading content from Confluence for the first time | Major |
The examples in the table above are illustrative and not exhaustive. They do not cover every possible change or release classification.
Where can I learn more?
See Atlassian's documentation on Forge app versions for full technical details.