Quick answers
- Where should a first Rovo agent start?
- With an out-of-the-box agent that drafts or suggests for one team, while a person checks every output.
- Can an agent see more than its user?
- No. "Agents don't grant additional access or permissions to any data or information".
- Is agent use metered?
- Yes, in Rovo credits. Atlassian has published that extra usage billing for Rovo credits takes effect on 3 December 2026.
What a Rovo agent is and how it works
In Atlassian's words, "configurable AI teammates that can be called on or created by any team member", assembled from three things.
- KnowledgeThe content it can reference: Confluence spaces or pages, Jira spaces, and sources like Google Drive.
- Skills and toolsThe actions it may take, such as drafting a Confluence page or sending a Slack message.
- InstructionsWhat it should always do, whatever the request.
- Permissions"When someone interacts with an agent, the agent is acting on that person's behalf", within what they could already see.
- The wider pictureFor Rovo search and chat too, start with our guide What is Atlassian Rovo.
Five practical Rovo agent use cases
Atlassian lists more than twenty out-of-the-box agents, usable "as soon as you have access to Rovo". In every row the agent suggests and a person decides.
| Use case | Atlassian's agents | A sensible first use | Depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning and refining Jira work | Work item Planner, Readiness Checker, Jira Triage Agent | Break an epic into work items for review before any are created | A shared definition of "ready"; consistent fields |
| Delivery reporting | Progress Tracker, Jira Delivery Agent, Release Notes Drafter | Draft a weekly status update or release notes to edit | Current work items; status that means the same everywhere |
| Service requests in Jira Service Management | Service Request Helper, Request Resolver, Request Router (for automation) | Suggested replies, or routing suggestions on one request type | Clear request types and queues; trusted knowledge |
| Documentation and decisions in Confluence | Product Requirements Guide, Decision Director, Meeting Insights | Turn meeting notes into a decision record | Agreed page structure and owner; Meeting Insights uses Loom's AI notes |
| Operations and incidents | Ops Expert | Summarise incident context for the responder | Consistent incident fields; a clear incident owner |
When to use an existing agent or build your own
Start with an out-of-the-box agent if one does the right kind of task. Custom agents are built in Studio, on Standard, Premium and Enterprise Cloud plans, not Atlassian Government Cloud.
Creating and using are separate controls. "Rovo Studio and the ability to create agents is open by default to everyone in your organization"; admins can limit it to up to 10 groups, or Studio admins only. New agents are visible to everyone by default, and "Restricting agent access to specific groups or teams is currently not supported".
"Every agent has access to all organizational knowledge unless you configure it differently", within each user's clearance, and Atlassian recommends "no more than five tools to maintain high performance".
Using Rovo agents in automation safely
With the Use Rovo agent action, agents in automations "can be configured without requiring user confirmation for every action". Three documented details shape the rule design.
- Use the response, not the action{{agentResponse}} passes the agent's text to later steps, "necessary when the agent isn't set up to take actions".
- Choose whose permissions it usesThe requesting user's, with "all the same permissions and app access", or an agent account with its own identity and access.
- Switch write actions off"Admins and users can prevent agents from acting in automations"; the audit log shows what an agent actually did.
Is your environment ready for Rovo agents?
Readiness means an agent will do its task reliably on your content, workflows and permissions. Five questions from the six layers on our Rovo page.
- Is the task repeated and bounded: one team, one kind of request, steps you could write down?
- Is its knowledge current, owned and scoped to a space or page tree you can name?
- Whose permissions will it run with? Over-broad access becomes over-broad answers.
- Who owns it, who reviews it, and who can switch it off?
- How will you know it worked: time to first draft, routing corrections, edits needed?
Frequently asked questions
Is Rovo Dev the same as a Rovo agent?
They are different things. Rovo Dev is Atlassian's AI coding agent for software teams, and Atlassian is moving its capabilities into eligible Jira and Teamwork Collection subscriptions. Our guide to the Rovo Dev changes covers what moves and when.
Is a Rovo agent the same as the virtual service agent in Jira Service Management?
No. They have different plan and activation conditions, and both differ from a Jira Service Management agent, which in Atlassian's licensing is a person.
Where should a first Rovo agent live: Chat, Jira or automation?
Where a person reviews every output: in Chat, or while editing in Jira or Confluence. Move to automation once you know what good output looks like and how often the rule will fire, starting with recommendations posted for review.
Sources and currency (1), last checked 18 October 2026
- Atlassian facts here were read on Atlassian's pages on 17 and 18 October 2026 and are linked where used. Rovo changes often; where this guide and Atlassian differ, Atlassian is correct.
Choosing your first Rovo agent
Start small: one team, one task, a checked output and an owner. Our Rovo and Atlassian AI page explains more.