# Porting a small Connect app to Forge end to end: 10 things that broke, and what it took

**URL:** <https://community.developer.atlassian.com/t/porting-a-small-connect-app-to-forge-end-to-end-10-things-that-broke-and-what-it-took/102871>\
**Category:** Forge\
**Tags:** forge-connect\
**Created:** [September 24, 2026, 10:07am UTC](https://community.developer.atlassian.com/t/porting-a-small-connect-app-to-forge-end-to-end-10-things-that-broke-and-what-it-took/102871 "2026-09-24T10:07:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HermogenesLpez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@HermogenesLpez](https://community.developer.atlassian.com/u/HermogenesLpez)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 10:07am UTC](https://community.developer.atlassian.com/t/porting-a-small-connect-app-to-forge-end-to-end-10-things-that-broke-and-what-it-took/102871/1 "2026-09-24T10:07:55Z")

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With Connect end of support starting on 31 January 2027, I ported a small open-source Connect app to Forge from start to finish, to see what a real migration involves. The app is [samid737/jira-checklist-plugin](https://github.com/samid737/jira-checklist-plugin): one issue panel for checklists, running on Express, `atlassian-connect-express`, SQLite and jQuery UI.

The code and full write-up are here: **[GitHub - hermogenes-lopez/checklist-forge: Forge port of the open-source Jira checklist Connect app, with a Connect-to-Forge migration write-up · GitHub](https://github.com/hermogenes-lopez/checklist-forge)**

## Before and after

| | Connect | Forge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hosting | Own Node/Express server | None |
| Auth | JWT per request (ACE) | Handled by the platform |
| Install lifecycle | `/installed` hook + tenant DB | Not needed |
| UI | Handlebars + jQuery UI in an iframe | UI Kit |
| Storage | Issue entity property `todos` | Same property, same JSON |
| Runtime deps | 12 | 3 |
| App code | 489 lines, 10 files | 141 lines, 1 file |
| Egress | Server + 3 CDNs | None (eligible for Runs on Atlassian) |

The most useful decision was **keeping the entity property key and shape unchanged**. A site can uninstall the Connect app, install the Forge one, and every existing checklist is still there. No data migration step is needed.

## What broke

1. **Everything server-side goes away.** The panel calls Jira directly with `requestJira` from `@forge/bridge`, as the current user, the same thing `AP.request` did.
2. **UI Kit has no drag-and-drop.** jQuery UI `sortable` became up/down buttons. If drag-and-drop is essential for you, that module needs Custom UI.
3. **UI Kit `Textfield` has no `onKeyDown`.** To add an item on Enter, wrap the field in a `Form` and use `onSubmit`. I found this by reading the types in `@atlaskit/forge-react-types`, not in the docs.
4. **The issue-panel template scaffolds a resolver you may not need.** If the frontend can call Jira itself, delete the resolver and the `function` module.
5. **REST v2 ‚Üí v3.** The entity property endpoints are identical, so the payload didn’t change.
6. **Scopes are renamed and confirmed at install time.** `READ`/`WRITE` became `read:jira-work`/`write:jira-work`. Use `--confirm-scopes` on the first install and `forge install --upgrade` when scopes change.
7. **`forge create` needs an interactive terminal** to choose a Developer Space. In scripts, pass `-s <developer-space-id> -y`.
8. **Keep the generated `app.id`.** If you rebuild `manifest.yml` from your own template, copy the `app:` block, or deploys go to a different app.
9. **Two bugs in the original weren’t carried over.** Item text was rendered with `innerHTML`, and load errors silently showed an empty list.
10. **The UI Kit bundle is cached by the browser.** Hard-reload after every deploy, or you’ll be testing the previous version.

## One thing worth checking on your own app

Under the 2026 revenue-share rules, an app that uses a Forge manifest **but still contains Connect modules** pays the Connect rate, which is 25% from 1 October 2026. The 0% Forge rate on the first $1M only applies once the app is Forge-only. While preparing this port I looked at paid Jira apps on the Marketplace. Quite a few are on a Forge manifest with a handful of Connect modules or scopes left over, and are still paying the Connect share. If you’ve “mostly” migrated, it’s worth checking `versions/latest` for your app.

Happy to answer questions about any of the above. I also help other vendors with Connect ‚Üí Forge migrations, so if you’re stuck on a specific module, post it here and I’ll take a look.