Platform notice: Server and Data Center only. This article only applies to Atlassian products on the Server and Data Center platforms.

Support for Server* products ended on February 15th 2024. If you are running a Server product, you can visit the Atlassian Server end of support announcement to review your migration options.

*Except Fisheye and Crucible

Understanding how JIRA Quick Search and smart query work

The Quick Search box (at the top-right of your JIRA screen) can find issues and projects with "suggestions as you type", however when in a project or if you search for the project key it enables the smart query (you can disable smart query right when you type only the project key).

With the smart query enabled when you type just the number (e.g. '22') you will be directed to that issue number in the current project (KBB in the example).

If any other string is typed in the search, the text you entered will be set in the JQL for an overall text search ('text ~') and will be searched in all projects, even with smart query turned on.