jira jql cheat sheet

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31-03-2025

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Meta Description: Unlock the power of Jira with our comprehensive JQL cheat sheet! Learn essential JQL commands, advanced search techniques, and practical examples to efficiently manage your Jira projects. Master filtering, sorting, and reporting with this ultimate guide. Become a Jira JQL expert today!

Introduction to Jira Query Language (JQL)

Jira Query Language (JQL) is the powerful search language within Jira. It allows you to precisely find issues based on various criteria like status, assignee, priority, due date, and much more. Mastering JQL significantly improves efficiency when managing your Jira projects. This cheat sheet provides a quick reference to essential JQL commands and techniques. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced Jira user, you'll find this resource valuable. Let's dive into the essentials of Jira JQL.

Basic JQL Operators

This section covers the fundamental JQL operators you'll use frequently. Understanding these is crucial to building more complex queries.

Equality (=)

This operator checks for exact matches.

• Example: status = "In Progress" finds all issues with the status "In Progress".

Not Equals (!=)

This operator finds issues that don't match a specific value.

• Example: status != "Done" finds all issues that are not marked as "Done".

Greater Than (>) and Less Than (<)

These operators are useful for comparing numerical values like issue numbers or due dates.

• Examples:
  • issuenum > 1000 finds issues with an issue number greater than 1000.
  • duedate < "2024/03/15" finds issues due before March 15th, 2024.

Greater Than or Equal To (>=) and Less Than or Equal To (<=)

Similar to the above, but inclusive of the specified value.

• Examples:
  • priority >= "Major" finds issues with priority "Major" or higher.
  • created <= "2024/02/28" finds issues created on or before February 28th, 2024.

Advanced JQL Operators and Functions

Let's explore some more powerful features of JQL.

in Operator

This operator allows you to search for issues matching multiple values.

• Example: status in ("In Progress", "Review") finds issues with a status of "In Progress" or "Review".

not in Operator

The inverse of the in operator; finds issues not matching any of the specified values.

• Example: assignee not in (currentUser(), "admin") finds issues not assigned to the current user or "admin".

is Operator

Used for checking boolean fields or null values.

• Examples:
  • resolved = true finds resolved issues.
  • description is EMPTY finds issues with no description.
  • duedate is NULL finds issues without a due date.

was Operator (for History Tracking)

This powerful operator allows querying based on past values of fields.

• Example: status was "Open" before "2024/03/01" finds issues that were previously "Open" before March 1st, 2024.

changed Operator (for History Tracking)

Similar to was, but focuses on changes.

• Example: status changed AFTER "2024/03/01" finds issues where the status was changed after March 1st, 2024.

Using JQL Functions

JQL supports various functions to enhance your queries.

currentUser()

Returns the current user's username. Useful for finding issues assigned to you.

• Example: assignee = currentUser()

aggregate and count functions (for reports)

These help you aggregate data for reporting.

• Example: This requires more explanation. More advanced.

Combining JQL Clauses with AND, OR, and NOT

These logical operators combine multiple search criteria.

• AND: Both conditions must be true. status = "Open" AND priority = "High"
• OR: At least one condition must be true. status = "Open" OR status = "In Progress"
• NOT: Negates a condition. NOT status = "Closed"

Practical JQL Examples

Here are some example queries to illustrate common use cases.

• Find all issues assigned to me that are overdue: assignee = currentUser() AND duedate < today()
• Find all high-priority bugs in a specific project: project = "MyProject" AND issuetype = "Bug" AND priority = "High"
• Find issues created in the last week: created >= "-7d"
• Find all issues with a description containing "error": description ~ "error" (the ~ operator indicates a wildcard search)

Tips for Effective JQL Usage

• Start simple: Build your queries gradually, testing each part.
• Use parentheses: Improve clarity and order of operations, especially with multiple conditions.
• Utilize the Jira search interface's auto-completion: It helps with syntax and suggests relevant fields.
• Test your queries frequently: Make sure they return the expected results.
• Explore advanced functions and operators: Unlock even more powerful search capabilities.

Conclusion

This Jira JQL cheat sheet provides a strong foundation for efficient issue management. With practice and exploration, you can master JQL and significantly enhance your workflow. Remember to consult the official Jira documentation for the most up-to-date information and advanced JQL features. By effectively using JQL, you'll become much more productive in navigating and utilizing your Jira instance. Happy querying!