Atlassian has confirmed that Connect end of support begins on January 31, 2027. For enterprises running Jira, Confluence or Jira Service Management in the cloud, this affects the Marketplace apps and custom integrations behind critical workflows, from software delivery and IT service management to compliance and reporting.
Acting early avoids last-minute upgrades, unplanned downtime and lost functionality. This guide explains what's changing, six steps to take now, and how enreap's Connect to Forge migration services help you make the move without disruption.
Why Connect End of Support Is an Enterprise Concern
Connect is Atlassian's older framework for extending Jira and Confluence. Atlassian is moving its ecosystem to Forge, its cloud-native platform, and more than 95% of paid app seats have already moved.
- January 31, 2025: Atlassian announced its intent to end Connect support
- September 2025: Marketplace stopped accepting new Connect apps
- March 2026: Apps with a Connect descriptor stopped receiving updates
- January 31, 2027: Connect end of support begins
This applies to Jira and Confluence Connect apps. Bitbucket has separate guidance.
Understand What Changes After January 31, 2027
After end of support begins, Atlassian will address only critical security vulnerabilities in Connect. Support service levels will be relaxed, and Connect will no longer evolve with the platform. That creates four risks:
- Compatibility issues as Jira, Confluence and the underlying platform change
- Shorter deprecation windows, with capabilities removed at less notice
- Apps that stop working without warning
- Growing security and performance gaps
Atlassian has said apps should not be maintained long term on an unsupported platform. The sooner you start, the more runway you have.
Identify Which Apps Are Your Responsibility
Connect apps fall into two groups, and responsibility for each is different:
- Marketplace apps: The vendor migrates them. Your role is to validate their plan, test the Forge version and coordinate upgrades.
- Custom apps built in-house: Your organization migrates them. Each must be assessed, then migrated, rebuilt on Forge or retired.
Custom apps are the most common blind spot, because no vendor will migrate them for you.
Even if you use only Marketplace apps, there is still work to do: validating vendor plans, finding replacements where no plan exists, and retiring apps you no longer need. enreap can handle all three for you.
Build a Connect App Inventory
Start in Atlassian Administration, where Connect apps currently show an end of support warning. For each app, record:
- Business owner and primary users
- Critical workflows it supports
- Integrations and data dependencies
- License and renewal dates
- Whether it's a Marketplace app or built in-house
- Vendor migration status
This becomes the baseline for every decision that follows.
Validate Vendor Migration Plans
Vendors can publish the Forge version as an update to their existing listing, so you upgrade rather than reinstall. Before renewing a Connect app, ask the vendor:
- Is the app migrating to Forge, and by when?
- Will data and configurations migrate automatically?
- Will admins need to approve new permissions?
- Will it run on Atlassian, or use Forge Remote?
The last answer matters for security reviews. Atlassian notes that Runs on Atlassian apps, which don't send data outside its infrastructure, help speed up enterprise trust and procurement.
Plan for Forge Capability Gaps
Not every Connect capability will be replicated in Forge. Atlassian tracks feature requests in its public FRGE Jira project, but requests raised now are not guaranteed before end of support.
- Marketplace apps: Closing the gap is the vendor's job.
- Custom apps: It's yours, and a gap found late can push you past the deadline.
Assess parity early, and design alternatives, such as a different Forge module, a Forge Remote service or a redesigned workflow, before build begins.
Prioritize by Business Impact
Not every app needs the same urgency. Classify each one:
- Critical: Directly supports service delivery, release management, compliance, security or revenue.
- Important: Improves productivity, but workarounds exist.
- Low impact: Rarely used, easily replaced or due for retirement.
Focus testing and change management where disruption would hurt most, and retire low-impact apps to cut license spend.
What Should You Expect From a Connect to Forge Partner?
The right partner should do more than move code. Look for a governed approach in which every stage ends with a clear business outcome:
- Discover and assess: Every Connect app mapped to workflows and risk, so you know scope and cost before committing budget.
- Plan and communicate: A phased roadmap around your release calendar, so teams and customers face no surprises.
- Architect: The right Forge path for each custom app, so you reuse what works and avoid rebuilds.
- Migrate and assure: Module-by-module migration and full testing, so you go live without surprises.
- Transition and evolve: A staged, reversible rollout and ongoing support, so users keep working throughout.
Ask any partner how they preserve data, handle the Forge security review and roll back if something goes wrong.
Why enreap for Connect to Forge Migration?
enreap is an Atlassian Platinum Solution Partner with 13+ years of Atlassian delivery. We run every Connect to Forge engagement through the five stages above, so your business keeps running, your data stays intact and your timeline stays predictable.
Recently, two enreap experts migrated a decade-old Jira Marketplace app to Forge for a US-based HealthTech ISV in 30 days. More than 200 customer sites were upgraded in place, with 100% of customer data preserved, zero support tickets and a passed Atlassian Forge security review.
Beyond Forge, enterprises including Amdocs and Paytm Money trust enreap with their Atlassian environments, across 300+ Atlassian implementations and 120+ cloud migrations.
Is Your Atlassian Environment Ready for January 31, 2027?
The deadline is fixed. Start by understanding where Connect apps support your business, then build a prioritized plan with clear ownership and testing checkpoints.
Not sure where your Connect apps stand?
In 30 minutes, an enreap Forge advisor will help you see which of your Connect apps are at risk, who owns each migration, and the right next step for your team.
Book a free 30-minute Connect to Forge review
Related Reading: Atlassian Managed Services for Growing Enterprises