Advanced Issue Search overview

The Advanced Issue Search is where you can use the filter functionality to find the information you need by adding filters to a search query. You find this from the Filters option in the main navigation in the header. The Advanced Issue Search provides a set of filter options by default, but you can also switch to JQL mode, which allow you to write a query with JQL syntax.

Default Mode

The default mode provides a number of drop lists that you can use to filter out data with. The default fields that you can filter on are:

• Project - This let you select what Jira project you want to include.
• Type - This let you select what issue types you want to include
• Status - This let you select what status of the issues you want to include
• Assignee - This let you select who is assigned to the issues you want to include
• Created Date - This let you set a time span and filter on issues created within that timespan.

These are not all the fields that are available to you, however, as you can use the + More link to add any field in the system. Any field you select to add will then be added to the list of drop-downs, where you can then select the values you want to filter on. You can also remove fields using the + More link. You can also remove fields using the small circled X icon to the right of the drop-down.

Next to the + More link, you find a search field. This search field will let you search for text content within issues and filter based on that.  This search will work on the following fields:

• Summary.
• Description.
• Environment.
• Comments.
• Custom fields that use the "Free Text Searcher". These are custom fields of the following built-in custom field types: Free Text Field, Text Field, and Read-only Text Field.

When using the test search, you can use wild card searches (see Search syntax for text fields for more information)

JQL Mode

The JQL Mode, or Advanced Mode as it is also called, allow you to write JQL instead of using the drop lists. JQL is a custom query language used by Atlassian, and in the search bar you will see any selection you have made using the drop lists before switching to JQL mode.

If you are familiar with database queries then this follow a similar syntax, but if you are not then you get help from Jira to make it easier. When you enter a blank space, Jira will automatically detect what you are trying to do and it will provide you with a selection for what to add next. You can read more about how to use JQL in the JQL queries in Jira Software Cloud section.

Advanced Search Filter options

The Advanced Filter options have several functions to help you manage your filters:

• Starred - This will allow you to add a filter as starred, which will make it show up in the starred section on the filter sidebar.
• Save As - this will let you save your filters.
• Open in Microsoft Excel - This will allow you to open your filtered results in Microsoft Excel.
• Open in Google Sheets - This will allow you to open your filtered results in Google Sheets.
• Share - This allows you to share your filtered results.
• Export - This allows you to export your filtered results in different formats.
• Bulk Change - This allows you to bulk change multiple issues you have selected in the results list.
• Clear Sorts - This will clear any sorting options you may have set by clicking the header of columns.
• Import Issues from CSV - This will allow you to create new issues by importing from a CSV file.

Filter sidebar

On your left you have the Filter section where a number of default filters can be found as well as your created filters. At the top, you have the Search Issues link that will take you to a new advanced search view.

Below that you find the Starred section where the filters you have starred by clicking the star at the top right of a saved filter.

In the Other section, you will find standard filters that are added by default. These filters are generic, which means that they are not tied to projects, so the filter list can be rather large if your Jira instance have a lot of created issues.

• My Open Issues - assignee = currentUser() AND resolution = Unresolved order by updated DESC
• Reported by me - reporter = currentUser() order by created DESC
• All issues - order by created DESC
• Open Issues - resolution = Unresolved order by priority DESC,updated DESC
• Done Issues - statusCategory = Done order by updated DESC
• Viewed issues - issuekey in issueHistory() order by lastViewed DESC
• Created issues - created >= -1w order by created DESC
• Resolved Issues - resolutiondate >= -1w order by updated DESC
• Updated recently - updated >= -1w order by updated DESC

At the bottom you will see the View all Filters which will take you to a page where you will see all filters that you have access to listed. Any filter you have not starred will be found here.

Views

Views will let you change the way the search results are displayed. This selection is located on the right side between the filter functions and the result list itself.

The default view is the List View that show the search result as a list with the columns you have selected. The columns can be used to sort the content by clicking on the table header.

The Detail view will show the list as a single column listing the issues to the left and a card view of the selected issue to the right. The list of issues in the left column can be ordered by any field you like by selecting the field in the dropdown that is shown when you click the drop list at the top of the list.

Columns

When you are in List View you will see a drop list just above the list on the right side named Columns. This will allow you to define the columns in the result list so you can get the data you want from each result. When you open this drop list you will see one to three option in the header: My Defaults, Filter and System.

My Defaults set the columns for you and only you. This will change the columns and it will affect all searches you make once you set a new column setup.

Filter will only show up when you are in a filter, meaning that the search result has been saved as a filter. Making changes to a filter will change the column setup for anyone using that filter and not just for you.

System is only available to certain groups and if you make changes to this setup it will affect all users by setting a new standard setup for what columns to show.

You can search for any available field and if you select it, then it will appear in the result list. If you deselect it, then it will be removed from the result list. You can grab the columns in the column header and then drag the column to where you would like it to be placed. You can also click on the table header to add a sorting to that column in ascending or descending direction. The direction changes every time you click on the column header.

If you want to remove the sorts from the columns then you can go to the three dots next to export and just below your profile picture in the top right corner and select the option "Clear Sorts".