Saving Searches ('Issue Filters')
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JIRA provides a powerful issue search facility. The utility of this is further enhanced by the ability to
save a search for use at a later time. A saved search is called an issue filter.
With an issue filter you can:
- display the search results in the Issue Navigator, where you can view and export them in various formats (RSS, Excel, etc)
- display the search results in a report format
- display the search results in a dashboard portlet
- share the search with colleagues (see below)
- have the search results emailed to you according to your preferred schedule
Searching for issues
-
On the top navigation bar, click on the 'Find Issues' tab. This will
display the Issue Navigator on the right-hand side of the page,
while the left-hand side of the page will display the following search form:
Several of the form items have contextual help available, denoted by the 
icon.
- Type your search term(s) into the 'Query' box (see Query Syntax for help with this),
and/or select other criteria from the drop-down boxes and check-boxes. The drop-down boxes and check-boxes
allow you to narrow your search, be it to issues in a certain project, only issues that are marked as 'stoppers',
only issues marked as 'enhancements', and so on.
- Click the "View" button to perform the search and keep the search form visible; or click the
"View & Hide" button to perform the search and hide the search form.
Note
While you are interacting with JIRA, your current search will be remembered, along with whether the search you are
using is new, a saved search, or a modification of a saved search.
Searching particular projects or issue types
When using the search form, your selected Project(s) and Issue Type(s) determine what other fields are shown in the search form and what
options you can see for these fields. For example, the 'Version' and 'Component' fields will only be available when
searching for a single project, and will have different options for each project. When you change the project(s)
or issue type(s), you may need to refresh the search filter in order to get the most up-to-date versions,
components and custom fields. If a refresh is needed, a blue box will appear, containing a link for you to click.
Note
If you search on a single project, JIRA will remember that as your selected project and will default to that
project on the "Browse Project" and "Create Issue" screens.
Searching custom fields
Your administrator may have created custom fields for your JIRA system. Custom fields can be searched, but note that they will only appear
in the search form on the left when appropriate. That is:
- Custom fields that relate to a particular project will only appear in the search form after you choose that project.
- Custom fields that relate to a particular issue type will only appear in the search form after you choose that issue type.
Using the 'Work Ratio' section
The search form contains a 'Work Ratio' section, enabling you to search JIRA issues based on time-tracking details.
The 'Work Ratio' search is based on the Actual work logged against an issue versus the original Estimated work
duration.
It is possible to enter a minimum, maximum or percentage range; the search will respectively return all issues above, below or within the specified percentage
range.
Saving a search to an Issue Filter
- Refine your search as described in 'Searching for Issues' (above).
-
Click the 'Save' link at the top of the search form:
Sharing an Issue Filter
Filters can be shared with other users as follows:
- Ensure that you have the 'Create Shared Filter' global permission.
-
On the top navigation bar, click on the 'Find Issues' tab.
- At the top of the search form, click 'Manage'.
-
Locate the filter you wish to share, and click on the 'Share' link in the 'Operations' column.
- Select the group you wish to share the filter with, or share with all users.
Note
The ability to share filters is only available for the Professional and Enterprise editions of JIRA.
Defining filter-specific Issue Navigator Column Order
In JIRA Enterprise edition it is possible to add an Issue Navigator Column
Order to a saved filter. The results of a filter are displayed using the
saved column order, if the filter has one. Otherwise the results are
shown using the user's personal column order or the system default.
Note
To display your configured column order in a filter subscription,
you must select 'HTML' for the 'Outgoing email format' in your User Profile. If you are receiving
text emails from JIRA, you will not be able to see your configured column order.
Adding Column Order
To add a column layout to a saved filter, navigate to the 'Manage' tab of the issue navigator,
and click the 'Add Column Order' link.
Then configure the column order the same
way you would configure your personal Issue Navigator column order.
Editing Column Order
If the filter already has a saved column order, the 'Add Column Link'
will change to 'Edit Column Order'. To edit the column order, navigate
to the 'Edit Column Order' link and re-order the columns as needed.
Deleting Column Order
To delete the filter's saved column order, click the 'Edit Column Order'
link, and then choose the 'Remove Filter's Column Order' link from the
presented page.
Overriding Column Order
As mentioned earlier, if a filter has a saved column order, the results
will be presented using that column order when the filter is run.
You can, however, choose to use your own column order (or the
system default column order, if you do not have a personal one
configured) to view the results. To do this, click the 'Use your Column
Order' link at the right of the Issue Navigator search results screen:
To go back to using the filter's own column order, select the 'Use filter's
Column Order' link.
