That’s why we have developed an app for Jira cloud that lets you search any such entities on your Jira instance. And the good thing is that it takes all its structure from the Jira JQL. Advanced JQL queries section led the discussion with the nuances & then dived deeper into practical examples. These examples illustrated how you can tackle real-world scenarios. By practicing with these examples, you can better understand how to apply these queries to your specific needs.
That’s the primary role of keywords in the context of Jira query language. We will start with the basic concepts & then debate about utility of JQL in the age of AI, along the way covering some advanced topics. And yes, we’ve included a Jira JQL cheat sheet for handy reference. Using an AND would give only the area covered by both circles, but an OR returns all items in either circle. Generally speaking, AND will narrow your query and return fewer results, while using an OR broadens it and will return more results. The “CHANGED” operator is used to find issues that have a value that had changed for the specified field.
Getting Started with JQL
Jira Query Language (JQL) is a versatile and powerful tool that allows users to create sophisticated queries to find issues in Jira. To get the most out of JQL, it’s important to follow some best practices. Here, we will explore advanced JQL best practices that can help you write efficient, maintainable, and effective queries.
So you could just start with a wide search and narrow down from there. Although Jira JQL is pretty good at narrowing down from huge piles of issues, sometimes your query will still return a volume of issues that’s simply too large. The rest of the query remains the same, except for the addition of an “OR” keyword and a query for high priority issues. When you click on “Advanced Search”, you’ll get a search bar with no pre-made filters. On the other hand, “OR” will return all issues that fulfill either of your conditions.
Key Components & Operators of JQL Queries
Text to JQL is a powerful tool that allows users to quickly and easily search for issues in Jira using JQL (Jira Query Language). With Text to JQL, you can simply type in a natural language query, and the app will automatically convert it into a valid JQL search. Jira Query Language, fondly abbreviated to Jira JQL, is an exceptionally flexible query language created by Atlassian specifically for Jira software. This language is designed to help users construct precise search queries to sift through the multitude of issues within their projects. If you’ve ever worked with SQL (Structured Query Language) for database management, you’ll find JQL very familiar.
The query uses the issuetype field, the EQUALS operator, the value Bug,the AND keyword, the component field, and the IN operator. It uses the project field, the EQUALS operator, and the value TEST. That is, it is used to search for issues where the specified field has a value. That is, it is used to search for issues where the specified field has no value.
Tutorials for advanced search in Jira
In the above search, you’re searching for issues with an Epic Name (field) that is equal to (operator) “Audio Development” (value). All queries are made up of fields, operators, values, and keywords. If you seem to be using some specific Jira jql queries often, turn them into a saved filter. There are numerous benefits of jql queries over the basic search available in Jira. In your query, you will seek to retrieve specific issues that meet certain conditions.
You can use it to find issues based on their status, assignee, label, or any other field that is available in Jira. You can also use it to search for issues within a particular time frame or to find issues that have been updated recently. With the above search, you’ll get a very specific view of high or urgent priority issues that were carried over from the last sprint. A field is a piece of information that describes issues – this is what you fill in when you use basic searches.
Precedence in JQL queries
Note that not all fields are compatible with this operator; see the individual field reference for details. Regularly review saved filters to ensure they are still relevant and performing well. Not every user has a technical background and can easily understand the JQL query syntax.
In the above query, Jira would return a list of issues sorted by assignee first, then sort by due date for all issues with the same assignee. The “in” keyword will include any item that matches any item in the list. In simple words, Jira Query Language (JQL) is a query language used to extract jira query language specific data from a database using text queries. AI features are currently available only on the Cloud versions of Jira, so DC instances of large organisations still rely on human written JQL queries. Even on cloud, companies from highly regulated industries are on the fence about using AI.
The “WAS IN” operator is used to find issues that currently have or previously had any of multiple specified values for the specified field. The “NOT IN” operator is used to search for issues where the value of the specified field is not one of multiple specified values. A simple query in JQL (also known as a “clause”) consists of a field, followed by an operator, followed by one or more values or functions. Let’s say I’m trying to search which urgent issues are due in two days within a certain project (writing this article, for instance) and assigned to a specific user (me). Or let’s say you needed to figure out if your project has scoping problems.
- In fact, Atlassian marketplace boasts of a number of popular apps that are built to extend the power of JQL & a few others that are built on the power of JQL.
- Do thought experiments & try to guess what a Scrum master might ask from you as opposed to a project manager who is managing 3 different projects.
- This language is designed to help users construct precise search queries to sift through the multitude of issues within their projects.
- The “NOT IN” operator is used to search for issues where the value of the specified field is not one of multiple specified values.
Whereas the JQL function on its own would return only what is due at the end of the current day. They are always represented as a word followed by parentheses containing fields or values. A JQL query can easily find the issues that are not meeting that SLA. And I cannot agree enough with @Evgenii regarding the use of parentheses – this has solved my issues more times than I can count. If still navigating Jira using JQL feels daunting, there is a solution within your reach.
A. Complex Queries in Jira JQL
They’re essentially what you’re looking for in relation to your fields. Jira Query Language (or JQL) is one of the most powerful tools available in Jira. Knowing how to search your Jira instance effectively can literally save you hours of work. You can filter on any field available in Jira (depending on the selected project(s)). You can also search issues from the “Issues” section in the dropdown menu. These are my observations formed from current experience in answering the most frequent questions of users.