How to Request a New Feature

Created by BradleyW (Unlicensed)
Last updated: May 30, 2018 by Christine Di Bella

(If you want to report a bug, see How to Report a Bug.) 

The ArchivesSpace community encourages requests for new features to be added to the ArchivesSpace application.  New features can increase the application’s suitability for supporting management of archival materials, as well as optimize the experience of the application’s users. 


Before requesting a new feature,

  • Upgrade to the latest release of the application and make sure the feature you want to request is not already present in the application, and 
  • Review feature requests logged in the ArchivesSpace development project to see if the feature has already been requested and, perhaps, prioritized for development.


Once you have determined the feature does not already exist in the application or has not been already requested, login to your JIRA account, or sign up for one on JIRA. Then you can request a new feature, in one of two ways:

1)      Directly in JIRA (select Create issue; select ArchivesSpace New Workflow as the project)

2)      Indirectly via the “Send Feedback or Report a Problem” option appearing at the bottom of pages in the ArchivesSpace application in many installations. If that link is not there or not pointing to the current address, go directly to JIRA and select Create to create an issue, as in #1.


An actionable feature request requires the following:

1)      Issue Type identified as “New Feature”

3)      Summary description of the feature requested in the format of “As [role]  I request [feature]”, e.g.,

    • As a repository manager, I would like to link event records to name records
    • As a project manager, I would like the ability to declare default values comprehensively through the ArchivesSpace application
    • As a repository patron, I would like to be able to view a broad range of digital content within the ArchivesSpace application
      [The roles typically used in ArchivesSpace are System Administrator, Repository Manager, Project Archivist, Archivist, Advanced Data Entry Staff, Beginning Data Entry Staff, and Repository Patron]


The following optional information may be recorded in the request:

1)      A fuller description of the feature requested, describing any parts of it that might not be clear in the summary description

2)      Attached files, such as screen shots, specifications, or longer descriptions than amplify the summary description.