Saving Searches ('Issue Filters')

The utility of JIRA's powerful issue search functionality 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 Gadget
• share the search with colleagues (see below)
• add another user's shared filter as a favourite (see below)
• have the search results emailed to you according to your preferred schedule

On this page:

Saving a search to an Issue Filter

1. Refine and run your search as described in 'Searching for Issues'.
2. Click the 'Save it as a filter' link at the top of the search form.
   
3. The 'Save Current Filter' page will display. Provide a name for the new issue filter and optionally enter a short description.
   
4. Your new filter will be added as a favourite filter by default upon creation. If you do not wish this filter to be added as a favourite, deselect the star icon. You can add the filter as a favourite after it has been created. Read more about adding an existing filter as a Favourite.
5. The sharing of your new filter is defaulted, depending on your sharing preference in your user profile. If you have not specified a personal preference, then the global default for sharing will apply (i.e. 'Private', unless changed by your JIRA Administrator under 'User Defaults' in the Administration menu). If you wish to change the sharing of your filter, refer to the instructions on sharing filters below.

Managing your Issue Filters

The 'Manage Filters' page allows you to view and configure filters that you have created, as well as work with filters that other users have shared with you.

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. The 'Manage Filters' page will display. From this page, you can perform the functions listed below:
   • Create a new search to be saved as a filter.
   • Add a filter as a favourite.
   • Share a filter that you have created with other users.
   • Search for filters that has been created by you or shared with you by other users.
   • Update an existing filter's details or edit a filter's search criteria for a filter that you have created.

Adding an Issue Filter as a Favourite

Issue filters that you created or that have been shared by other people can be added as a favourite filter. This means that the filter will appear in the 'Filters' dropdown in the top menu, as well as, display in the 'Favourite Filters' gadget on your dashboard (if you have this gadget added to your dashboard).

Follow the steps below to add an existing shared filter as a favourite:

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Locate the filter you wish to add as a favourite. If you created the filter, it will be listed under the 'My' tab, otherwise you can search for filters shared by other users via the 'Search' tab.
   • Filters that are already favourites are shown with a yellow star.
   • Filters that are not currently your favourites are shown with a grey star.
3. Click the star icon next to the filter name to select it as a favourite.
   

Sharing an existing Issue Filter

Issue filters that you have created can be shared with other users via user groups, projects and project roles. Issue filters can also be shared globally.

Follow the steps below to share an existing issue filter:

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Locate the filter you wish to share under the 'My' tab, and click the 'Edit' link in the 'Operations' column.
3. Select the group, project or project role that you want to share the filter with, or share it with all users, if you wish. Click the 'Add' link to add the share. You can add further share permissions if you wish.
   
4. Click 'Save' to save your changes.

Finding an existing Issue Filter

Issue filters that you have created or have been shared by other users can be found via the issue filter search function of the 'Manage Filters' page. If the filter has been added as a favourite by many users, you also may be able locate it on the 'Popular' tab of the 'Manage Filters' page. This tab lists the top twenty most popular filters, counted by the number of users that have selected the filter as a favourite.

Follow the steps below to search for an existing issue filter:

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Click the 'Search' tab. The issue filter Search will display. Enter your search criteria and click 'Search' to run the search.
   
3. Your search results will be displayed on the same page. Click the name of any issue filter to run it and select it as your current filter. You can also sort the search results by any of the columns, by clicking the column headers.

Updating an existing Issue Filter's details

You can always update the details, i.e. Name, Description, Sharing, Favourite, of an existing Issue Filter after its creation. Please note that you can only update the details of Issue Filters which you have created.

Follow the steps below to update the details of one of your existing issue filters:

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Click the 'My' tab. This tab displays all the filters that have been created by you.
3. Locate the filter you wish to update, and click the 'Edit' link in the 'Operations' column.
4. The 'Save Current Filter' page will display. Update the filter details as required. If you wish to change the sharing or favourite settings for the filter, refer to the relevant instructions above.
   
5. Click the 'Save' button to save your changes.

Editing/Cloning an existing Issue Filter

The search criteria of an existing issue filter can always be changed after creation by editing the issue filter. You can also clone an existing issue filter via the edit function.

Issue filters that have been created by you or shared with you by other users can be edited and/or cloned.

Follow the steps below to edit and/or clone an existing issue filter:

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
   
   
2. Locate the filter you wish to edit/clone, and click the name of the issue filter to run it and select it as your current filter.
   
   
   • If the current filter was not created by you (that is, the filter is shared by another user), you will only have the option to save the search as your own new issue filter by clicking the 'Create new filter from current' link.
     
     1. Follow the Saving a search to an Issue Filter procedure (above) from step 3 for details on saving your new filter.
        
        
     2. After creating your new filter, you can follow the steps below to modify the filter's search criteria.
        
        
   • If the current filter was created by you, the following options are available:
     
     
     • To clone the current filter with a new name (without modification to the filter's search criteria), ensure that the 'View' link has been selected. Once the search results have displayed in the Issue Navigator on the right hand side of the page, click 'Save as new filter' to clone the current filter with a new name and description.
       
       
     • To change the name, description and sharing criteria of the current filter, click 'Rename or Share the current filter'.
       
       
     • To edit the current filter's search criteria, such as updating which fields are searched or the search terms themselves and save it:
       1. Click the 'Edit' link at the top of the left hand menu. The left hand menu will refresh and the search criteria of the filter will display.
       2. Modify the search criteria as required.
       3. If you modified your search criteria in 'simple searching' mode, click the 'View & Hide' button. The filter operations will be displayed on the left hand side of the page.
       4. To save the modified search as a new issue filter, click the 'Save as new filter' link.
       5. To overwrite the current filter with the modified search criteria, click the 'Save changes to filter' link.
          

Defining filter-specific Issue Navigator Column Order

You can add an Issue Navigator Column Order to a saved filter. The results of a filter are displayed according to the saved column order, if the filter has one. Otherwise, the results are displayed according to your personal column order (if you have set this) or the system default.

Adding a Column Order

To add a column layout to a saved filter,

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Select the 'My' tab, locate the filter whose column layout you to reorder and save, and then click that filter's 'Columns' link in the 'Operations' column.
3. Configure the column order as desired. You can configure the column order the same way you would configure your personal Issue Navigator column order.

Removing Column Order

To remove a filter's saved column layout,

1. On the top navigation bar, click the 'Issues' dropdown and select 'Manage Filters' from the list.
2. Select the 'My' tab, locate the filter whose column layout you wish to remove and click that filter's 'Columns' link in the 'Operations' column.
3. Click the 'Remove Filter's Column Order' link near the top of the page. The default column order will be restored.
   

Overriding Column Order

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 default Column Order' link on 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.

Exporting Column Ordered Issues

When the results of a saved filter are exported to Excel, the column order and choice of columns are those that were saved with the filter. Even if a user has configured a personal column order for the results on the screen, the saved configuration is used for the Excel export. To export using your own configuration, save a copy of the filter along with your configuration and then export the results to Excel.

Additional Resources

• Creating SLA issue filters tutorial video — Watch this short tutorial video to see how to create an issue filter to support an SLA (service level agreement). Please note the JIRA version of the tutorial video before watching.