There are now two practical ways to build Forge apps for Jira: write them with Forge UI Kit or Custom UI, or generate them using AI Apps Builder. Both approaches produce secure, native Forge apps that run inside Atlassian’s architecture. Coding gives maximum control but requires time, JavaScript skills, and ongoing maintenance. AI Apps Builder accelerates delivery by generating Custom UI Forge apps from plain-language prompts, while still allowing developers to download and refine the code.
Two Ways to Build Forge Apps
Jira teams now have two realistic paths to create custom Forge apps for Jira Cloud.
The first path is traditional development using Forge UI Kit or Custom UI. The second path is to generate a Forge app using the AI Apps Builder with natural-language prompts.
Both approaches produce secure, native Forge apps governed by Atlassian scopes and permissions.
How Forge Apps Actually Work
Claim: All Forge apps follow the same architectural model.
Why It Matters: Understanding the shared architecture removes confusion about security and governance.
Evidence: A Forge app consists of:
- A frontend rendered in a secure iframe inside Jira
- Backend resolver functions running in Forge Runtime
- API access through
requestJira()viaforge/api - Permissions controlled by declared scopes in
manifest.yml
When a user clicks a button in an issue panel, the UI calls invoke(), the resolver executes business logic, calls Jira APIs, and returns the result.
This flow remains identical whether the app was hand-coded or generated by AI.
Coding with Forge UI Kit
Claim: Coding with UI Kit gives full control over logic, structure, and architecture.
Why It Matters: Full control allows precise optimization, complex integrations, and architectural flexibility.
Evidence: Building Forge apps manually typically involves:
- Writing JavaScript resolvers
- Designing UI with Forge UI Kit components
- Managing
manifest.ymlmodules and scopes - Debugging permission and deployment issues
Learning Curve
Developers with basic JavaScript knowledge typically need:
- 3–6 months of steady practice (5–10 hours weekly) to ship simple apps
- 1–2 years of experience to confidently design production-grade architectures
Typical Time to Build Forge App
| App Complexity | Typical Time |
|---|---|
| Simple issue panel | 1–3 days |
| Multi-resolver app | 1–2 weeks |
| Production-grade app | Months + small team |
Most development time goes into requirement clarification, documentation reading, and debugging scopes rather than typing code.
UI Kit History and Maintenance Reality
Claim: UI Kit provides alignment with Jira’s design system but increases exposure to platform changes.
Why It Matters: Platform evolution can require refactoring, scope re-approval, and customer updates.
Evidence:
- UI Kit 1 became unsupported after Feb 28, 2025.
- Migration required API updates and manifest restructuring.
- New scopes required admin approval and major version bumps.
- Visual components such as Tag and Avatar changed behavior over time.
UI Kit remains powerful in 2026, offering charts and layout primitives, but developers must plan for future refactors.
AI Apps Builder (Custom UI + LLM)
Claim: AI Apps Builder generates full Forge apps from natural-language prompts.
Why It Matters: This approach removes boilerplate and accelerates time-to-value.
Evidence: In AI Apps Builder:
- AI generates Custom UI frontend code
- AI creates backend resolvers
- AI writes
manifest.ymlwith correct scopes - AI validates and prepares deployment
The output is standard Forge code that developers can download and modify.
Why AI Apps Builder Helps Developers Too
Claim: AI Apps Builder benefits technical teams, not just non-coders.
Why It Matters: Reducing setup time lets engineers focus on high-value logic.
Evidence: Developers can:
- Generate boilerplate instantly
- Skip manual module wiring
- Focus on integrations and optimization
- Use AI output as a production baseline
AI reduces friction without replacing architectural ownership.
AI Apps Builder vs. Forge UI Kit
| Question | Code + UI Kit | AI Apps Builder |
|---|---|---|
| First working app | Days to weeks | Often minutes |
| Coding required | Yes | Not initially |
| UI stability | Tied to Atlassian UI changes | Custom UI control |
| Governance model | Standard Forge | Standard Forge |
| Best for | Dev-heavy teams | Fast internal tooling |
Which Option Should You Choose?
Choose Code + UI Kit if:
- You want deep architectural control.
- You plan long-term product development.
- You maintain a structured engineering workflow.
Choose AI Apps Builder if:
- You need internal Jira tools quickly.
- Developer time is limited.
- You want to prototype before full engineering investment.
Both approaches produce secure Forge apps. The difference lies in time, effort, and maintenance strategy. Which way do you choose to build Forge apps?
