JQL Basics: Search Jira Like a Pro (and Save a Filter)
Learn JQL, the Jira query language, with one real example: every open bug in a project, newest first. Field, operator, value, AND, ORDER BY, then save it as a filter you can reuse.
Step by step
What is JQL
- JQL basics. JQL lets you ask Jira a precise question, such as which bugs are still open or what the team finished this week. Here it is built up with one real example: every open bug in a project, newest first.
- Switch to JQL. On the search page, switch from basic search to JQL. You now get a text box where you type the query yourself.
- Field, operator, value. Every JQL condition reads like a short sentence: a field, an operator and a value. In project = SCRUM, project is the field, = is the operator and SCRUM is the value.
Build a query
- Only bugs. To find the bugs, click in the JQL box, press Ctrl+A to select the text that is already there, and type project = SCRUM AND type = Bug. AND joins 2 conditions, and both must be true for an issue to show.
project = SCRUM AND type = Bug - Search. Click Search. Jira lists 3 bugs in the SCRUM project.
- Not done. To keep only the unfinished ones, add AND statusCategory != Done to the end of the query. != means "not equal to", so finished bugs drop out.
AND statusCategory != Done - Newest first. Then add ORDER BY created DESC. This sorts the results by the date each bug was created, newest at the top.
ORDER BY created DESC - Search. Click Search again. Now 2 open bugs show, newest first.
Save it
- Save filter. You will run this query often, so save it as a filter. Give it a name that says what it shows, here Open bugs - Online Shop. Click Save.
- Your filter. The filter Open bugs - Online Shop now has its own page. Open it any time to rerun the query, or share it with your team.
Recap
- Field, operator, value. In short: each condition is field, operator, value. AND joins conditions, ORDER BY sorts, and saving the query as a filter lets you reuse it.
Common mistakes
- Using status != Done instead of statusCategory. Many workflows finish issues with statuses like Closed or Resolved, so status != Done still shows them. statusCategory != Done covers every finished status at once.
- Values with spaces and no quotes. A value like In Progress breaks the query when typed bare. Put it in double quotes, for example status = "In Progress".
- Putting ORDER BY in the middle. ORDER BY only sorts and must come last. Add every AND condition first, then end with ORDER BY created DESC.
- Mixing AND and OR without brackets. A query like type = Bug OR type = Story AND statusCategory != Done does not group the way most people expect. Use brackets: (type = Bug OR type = Story) AND statusCategory != Done.
When a business analyst uses this
Before a release sign-off, a business analyst saves project = SCRUM AND type = Bug AND statusCategory != Done ORDER BY created DESC as a filter and shares it with the product owner. Everyone then reviews the same live list of open bugs, instead of a spreadsheet someone copied by hand.
Questions people ask
What are the basics of JQL?
Each condition is a field, an operator and a value, like project = SCRUM or type = Bug. AND joins conditions so all of them must be true, and ORDER BY at the end sorts the results.
What is a good JQL example to start with?
project = SCRUM AND type = Bug AND statusCategory != Done ORDER BY created DESC lists every unfinished bug in the SCRUM project, newest first. Change the project key to use it on your own project.
How do I reuse a JQL query in Jira?
Save it as a filter and give it a clear name. The filter gets its own page, so you can open it any time or share it with your team.
