Advanced user features in Jira Cloud: build JQL with fields, operators and functions, share and subscribe to filters, and bulk move work items between spaces.
Every point below comes from Atlassian's official documentation; each section lists its sources.
Think first How do fields, operators, functions and keywords fit together into a JQL query that does what you mean?
Why it matters: Questions show a search need or a JQL query and ask which query works, what it returns, or why basic search cannot show it.
Every JQL clause is a field, an operator and one or more values or functions. Keywords join clauses, and parentheses decide what is evaluated first. Some advanced queries cannot be shown in basic search.
Step 2 of 8
Term
Meaning
Clause
A simple JQL query: a field, then an operator, then values or functions.
Field
A word for a Jira field, or a custom field already defined in Jira.
Function
A word followed by parentheses that may hold explicit values or Jira fields.
Keyword
A word that joins clauses or changes the logic of clauses or operators.
Step 3 of 8
A clause reads field, operator, then value or function. In project = "TEST" AND assignee = currentuser(), the AND keyword joins two clauses. It finds work items in TEST assigned to the logged-in user.
The parts of a JQL query
Part
What it is
Example
Field
A Jira field or an already defined custom field
project
Operator
Compares the field with values on its right; some take NOT
=
Value or function
An explicit value, or a word followed by parentheses
"TEST" or currentuser()
Keyword
Joins clauses or alters the logic of clauses or operators
AND
Step 4 of 8
Autocomplete gives no help inside function parameters. For other parts, it lists only the first 15 matches, in alphabetical order. Type more text if the match you need is missing.
Exam trap An empty suggestion list inside a function's parentheses is not an error. Autocomplete never suggests function parameters.
Step 5 of 8
Parentheses set the order in which operators apply. Without them, Jira evaluates the statement left to right. Grouping clauses also lets you apply NOT to the whole group.
Exam trap Do not assume Jira reorders your clauses. Without parentheses, it evaluates the statement strictly left to right.
Step 6 of 8
Relative dates such as -5d count back from today. The query "Target end" <= -5d finds work items whose target end is earlier than five days ago.
Step 7 of 8
Some JQL cannot be translated back to basic search. Advanced search also offers criteria basic search lacks, such as ORDER BY.
JQL that may not translate to basic search
Query feature
Basic search
What helps
An OR operator
Not translated
Use IN instead, such as project in (A, B)
NOT, EMPTY, or !=, IS, IS NOT, >, >=, <, <=
May not translate
Spot these operators before switching to basic search
A space field like fixVersion with no space named
May not translate
Add the space, such as AND project=JRA
Step 8 of 8
A clause is a field, an operator, and one or more values or functions.
Without parentheses, JQL is evaluated left to right.
Autocomplete shows only the first 15 matches and none for function parameters.
A query with OR will not translate to basic search, but the IN form will.
Think first Who can share a filter or subscribe a group to it, and why might two people see different results from the same filter?
Why it matters: Questions describe a sharing or subscription problem and ask which permission, setting or behavior explains it.
Sharing and group subscriptions are controlled by global permissions. Subscriptions rerun the search for each recipient, so results can differ from person to person.
Step 2 of 9
Term
Meaning
Global permission
A site-wide permission, such as the one for sharing dashboards and filters.
Filter subscription
A scheduled email of a saved filter's results, sent to you, other users or a group.
Cron expression
A string of fields that sets a custom schedule when you choose Advanced.
Public sharing
A site-level setting that lets users share filters and dashboards with the public.
Step 3 of 9
Sharing needs the Share dashboards and filters global permission. Viewing, granting and revoking global permissions needs Administer Jira. They can be granted to groups the Organization admin created. A user who cannot see a filter's sharing options needs Create Shared Object.
Global permissions for filters and subscriptions
Permission
What it allows
Watch out for
Share dashboards and filters
Share with other users
Only when they have permission to view it
Manage group filter subscriptions
Create and delete group subscriptions
You must also belong to the group
Create Shared Object
See a filter's sharing configuration
A Jira admin has to grant it
Step 4 of 9
Share your filters with groups, spaces, space roles or globally. You can share only with groups or roles you belong to. Anyone with Administer Jira can see every shared filter.
Exam trap Public means the internet. A filter shared publicly is visible and searchable by anyone online.
Step 5 of 9
A Jira admin must allow public sharing before anyone can use it. Turn it on under Options in General configuration. Allowing it shares nothing by itself. Standard, Premium and Enterprise sites can share publicly; Free sites cannot. Settings, System, then Filters or Dashboards lists what is shared with the public.
Exam trap Turning public sharing off does not unshare anything already public. Change who can view each filter or dashboard instead.
Step 6 of 9
Save the search as a filter first, then subscribe. Subscriptions can run at any frequency, for you or others. Each email holds only the first 200 results. Choose Advanced to schedule with a cron expression. Send subscription emails as HTML, because plain text can look broken.
Cron expression fields, left to right
Position
Field
Note
First three
Second, Minute, Hour
Time of day
Next three
Day-of-month, Month, Day-of-week
Use ? in one day field when the other is set
Last
Year
Optional
Step 7 of 9
Each recipient gets results evaluated as themselves. A filter using currentUser() runs with the recipient as the current user. That does not apply to distribution lists, meaning group email aliases. Because the search runs per user, a large group can make emails slow to generate.
Exam trap To pick a group as recipient, holding Manage Group Filter Subscriptions is not enough. You must also be a member of that group.
Step 8 of 9
New users first land on the default dashboard. After you create a custom dashboard, the default one may vanish from the header menu. That menu lists only favorite dashboards. Dashboards can refresh automatically at a frequency set in minutes.
Step 9 of 9
Sharing needs Share dashboards and filters; group subscriptions need Manage group filter subscriptions.
Subscription results are evaluated per recipient, so currentUser() gives each person their own results, except for group email aliases.
A subscription email includes only the first 200 results of the filter.
Public sharing must be allowed at site level, and Free sites cannot share publicly.
Think first What do you lose, and what do you keep, when you bulk move work items from a company-managed space to a team-managed one?
Why it matters: Questions describe a bulk move between space types and ask what happens to fields, sprints and reports.
A bulk move walks you through picking work items, a destination and values for required fields. Moving between company-managed and team-managed spaces is where data goes missing, because the two space types store fields differently.
Step 2 of 9
Term
Meaning
Bulk change
The option that applies one operation, such as Move work items, to many work items at once.
Global custom field
On a move to team-managed, most of its values stay, except component and version, but are not mapped.
Story point estimate
The team-managed estimation field; company-managed spaces use a different field called Story points.
Work item key
The identifier Jira updates to the new space after a move, with old links redirected.
Step 3 of 9
Start from More actions, then Bulk change work items. Choose the work items and select Move work items. Next, pick a destination space and work type. Then fill in any required fields and, when offered, decide whether to send email notifications.
Exam trap A bulk move cannot skip required fields. You must give each required field a value before the move continues.
Step 4 of 9
Moving work between space types needs a space admin. That role needs both the Administer spaces and Browse spaces permissions. There is no built-in way to turn a team-managed space straight into a company-managed one.
Exam trap Do not look for a convert option: Jira has no native feature that turns a team-managed space into a company-managed one.
Step 5 of 9
Keys update automatically; global field values stay but look blank. Links to the old keys redirect to the new ones. Most global custom field values are kept but not mapped to team-managed fields, so they show as blank. Move the work back to a company-managed space that supports the field, and the values reappear.
Step 6 of 9
Components, versions, estimates, sprints and report history do not survive. Questions often list one of these and ask whether it carries over. Plan for each loss before you move work out of a company-managed space.
Data lost when work moves from company-managed to team-managed
Data
What happens
Worth knowing
Components
Field data is lost
Not recoverable, even if you move the work back
Versions and releases
Version data is lost
Lost even with Releases and versions turned on
Story points
Estimates are lost
Turn on Estimation to start estimating again
Sprints
Sprints do not move
Moved work items land in the team-managed backlog
Report history
Velocity and Burnup history is lost
All reporting history is dropped
Exam trap Turning on Releases and versions in the team-managed space does not save version data. It is lost either way.
Step 7 of 9
Estimates are also lost when work moves into company-managed. Company-managed spaces keep estimates in Story points, while team-managed spaces use Story point estimate. Because the fields differ, the estimate data does not carry over.
Step 8 of 9
Company-managed boards and backlogs show up to 5,000 work items at a time. A filter itself has no item limit. Past the limit, a company-managed board shows the first 5,000 items, which people can still view and edit. To shrink a team-managed backlog, move work items to a sprint or to a new space.
Step 9 of 9
Component and version data lost in a move to team-managed cannot be recovered by moving back.
Global custom field values look blank in team-managed spaces but return when moved back.
A bulk move asks for required field values and, when offered, whether to send notifications.
Sprints do not move; the work items land in the team-managed backlog.
Each topic's Check tested it on its own; this mixes them.
Mixed quiz
Take the Domain 6 quiz
7 questions mixed from every topic in this domain, each answer explained. Mixing topics is harder than one at a time, and it is what the exam does. No account needed; with a free account your answers also build your estimated exam score.
Free to start: the study path, quizzes, flashcards and the first mock exam, no card needed. A free account keeps your place and saves your quiz scores.
