How to Export Jira Issues to Excel: Full Step-by-Step Guide
Need a clean Jira report? Learn how to export from jira to excel, choose the right fields, and avoid data errors. Read now to get started.
To export Jira issues to Excel, run an issue search in Jira, choose Export > CSV, then open the CSV in Excel and save it as an .xlsx workbook. Jira’s export usually creates a CSV rather than a native Excel workbook, but Excel can open and convert it.
It sounds simple, yet the wrong export option can leave out fields, while opening a CSV the wrong way can change dates, long IDs, or leading zeros. That can turn a quick report into a frustrating cleanup job.
But here's the truth: a reliable result depends on three things—choosing the right issues, exporting the fields you need, and checking how Excel interprets the values. Follow the steps below, and you can build a clean workbook for reporting, analysis, or sharing without losing important issue details.
How to export Jira issues to Excel
Use Jira’s issue search to narrow the results, export the matching issues as CSV, and import that CSV into Excel. Then check the columns and save a separate .xlsx workbook.
- Open Jira issue search. In Jira Cloud, go to Filters and open advanced issue search, or use the issue search option available in your workspace. In Jira Data Center, the menu may appear under Issues or Filters.
- Choose the issues to export. Search by project, status, assignee, dates, or another useful condition. For example, a project manager might search for unresolved issues updated during the current sprint.
- Review the results and fields. Check that the issue list contains the records you expect. Add useful columns such as key, summary, status, assignee, priority, and due date when Jira offers column controls.
- Open the export menu. Select Export near the issue results. Depending on your Jira version and screen, the menu may offer options such as CSV (Current fields) and CSV (All fields).
- Pick the appropriate CSV option. Choose current fields when you want the visible columns. Choose all fields when you need additional issue details for later analysis. The second option can produce a much wider export.
- Open the CSV in Excel. For more control, open Excel first and use Data > From Text/CSV. Check the preview, encoding, and delimiter before loading the rows.
- Check the result, then save it as an Excel workbook. Confirm that dates, IDs, and text appear correctly. Use Save As and select the .xlsx format if you need Excel features such as formulas, formatting, or multiple sheets.
Here's why: the CSV option carries Jira’s issue values into a format Excel can read, while the .xlsx workbook is the format you save after opening and checking the export.
Choose the right export before you start
First decide what the workbook needs to show. A status update for a weekly meeting may only need issue key, summary, status, assignee, and priority. A backlog review could need labels, components, creation dates, and resolution dates.
Current fields exports the columns shown in the Jira results. It is usually the faster choice for a focused report. All fields can capture more issue details, but it may create a wider, harder-to-read export.
Example: a sprint review
Imagine you need to review open work for a sprint. Search for the project and sprint, then display the issue key, summary, status, assignee, and story points. Exporting current fields gives you a compact report that is easier to discuss during the meeting.
Prepare your search and columns
A good export starts with a precise Jira search. Narrow the results before exporting so you do not have to sort through unrelated issues in Excel. You can use Jira’s search controls or JQL if you know the relevant project, status, and date conditions.
For example, a support lead could search for unresolved issues assigned to a specific team. A product manager might filter for a project and a release version. In both cases, review the first and last results to catch an overly broad or narrow search.
Include fields that support the next task
Pick columns based on what you plan to do in Excel. For a workload check, include assignee and status. For release planning, consider fix version and priority. Extra fields can make the export less manageable, so keep the view focused.
Custom fields may appear in Jira’s export options, but their availability can depend on your permissions and Jira configuration. If a needed field is missing, check with your Jira administrator before assuming the issue has no value.
Open the CSV in Excel without changing values
Excel may interpret CSV values when you open them, which can affect dates, long numeric IDs, or values with leading zeros. Importing through Data > From Text/CSV gives you a preview and more control than opening the CSV directly.
In the import preview, confirm that the columns are separated correctly. If text appears in one column, check the delimiter settings. For unusual characters, review the encoding option and make sure names and descriptions display as expected.
Check dates, IDs, and special characters
Pay particular attention to long issue identifiers and values such as 00127. Excel might display a long number in scientific notation or remove leading zeros if it treats the value as numeric. Set such columns to text during import when preserving the exact value matters.
Dates can also display differently depending on Excel’s regional settings. Compare a few rows with Jira before you format the column. If a cell contains a formula-like value from an issue field, inspect it before using the workbook in a shared or automated workflow.
Clean and validate the Excel workbook
After import, check the row count and compare a few issue keys against Jira. Confirm that the expected columns are present, filters work, and blank cells reflect Jira values rather than an import problem.
Then format the workbook for its purpose. You might freeze the header row for a long issue list, apply filters, or sort by status and priority. Save your checked version as .xlsx so Excel can retain those features.
Keep the export useful for its audience
A team lead may prefer a concise view grouped by assignee, while an analyst may need more fields for investigation. If people will edit the workbook, label the purpose and export date so they can tell whether the issue status is still current.
Jira issues can change after export. If the workbook informs a release decision or service commitment, refresh it shortly before the discussion and verify critical values in Jira.
Jira Cloud, Data Center, and export permissions
Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center can present different menus and export controls. The core workflow is similar—search, review, export CSV, then open the result in Excel—but the location and names of buttons may vary by version.
Permissions also matter. Your account needs access to the relevant issues, and administrators may limit available fields or export actions. If an issue is missing, check the search criteria and your project permissions before repeating the export.
For large searches, Jira may limit or paginate results depending on configuration. If the export seems incomplete, check the result count, search scope, and any system or administrator limits before relying on it.
When teams repeatedly move issue reports into Excel, the underlying challenge may be coordinating work and reporting in one place. ONES.com is a unified project management and knowledge management platform powered by ONES Assistant. Its products are sold separately: ONES Project is a project management option and Jira alternative, while ONES Wiki is a knowledge base and Confluence alternative.
Here’s how its capabilities can help with common workflow needs:
- Repeated manual status reports: ONES Project includes built-in reporting, helping teams review project progress within their work management environment.
- Workflows that do not fit the team: Jira-compatible workflows and custom workflows let teams shape issue processes around their review and delivery steps.
- Fields that need to match project requirements: Custom fields allow teams to capture details relevant to their work, reducing the need to track every extra attribute elsewhere.
- Sprint planning across active work: Sprint management supports teams that organize delivery in iterations and need to follow sprint progress.
- Routine actions that take repeated effort: Automation can handle selected workflow tasks, helping reduce manual follow-up.
- Limited visibility into progress: Built-in reporting gives teams a way to review work without assembling every update in a separate workbook.
- Dependence on multiple add-ons: Native capabilities can reduce the need for plugins in workflows covered by the platform’s built-in functions.
- Deployment restrictions: ONES.com offers Cloud, On-Premise, Private Cloud, and Air-gapped deployments, giving organizations deployment choices that suit their environment.
Consider a product team that exports Jira issues every Friday to prepare a release meeting. It could review sprint work and project reports in ONES Project instead, while keeping knowledge in ONES Wiki if it also needs a separate knowledge base.
For a company with strict hosting requirements, the On-Premise, Private Cloud, or Air-gapped deployment options may be relevant. ONES.com states that its cloud and self-hosted versions have full feature parity. A free plan supports up to 30 seats, which gives a small team room to evaluate the platform.
ONES.com is worth considering when recurring exports point to broader reporting or workflow friction. If your team only needs an occasional Excel report, Jira’s CSV export may be all you need.
Common challenges when exporting Jira issues
The export is missing issues
Problem: The downloaded results do not match the issues you expected. Solution: Recheck the Jira search conditions, project scope, and permissions. Compare the displayed result count with the exported row count, allowing for a header row.
Important columns are absent
Problem: The export does not include a field used by your team. Solution: Check whether the field is visible in the issue results and whether you selected current fields or all fields. An administrator may need to confirm field access or configuration.
Excel changes an ID or date
Problem: A value looks different after opening the CSV. Solution: Import it through Excel’s text import controls and set sensitive columns, such as IDs with leading zeros, to text. Compare date values with Jira before using them in a report.
The exported result is too wide
Problem: The workbook has many irrelevant columns. Solution: Refine the Jira result columns and export current fields for a focused report. Use all fields only when the additional issue details are needed.
FAQs about exporting Jira issues to Excel
Can Jira export directly to an .xlsx workbook?
Jira commonly exports issue results as CSV, which Excel can open. After checking the imported values, use Excel’s Save As option to save the result as an .xlsx workbook. This preserves Excel features such as formatting and filters. Available export options can vary with the Jira version and configuration.
What is the difference between CSV current fields and all fields?
Current fields exports the columns displayed in your Jira issue results. All fields exports a broader set of available issue fields, which can be useful for deeper analysis but may produce a wide result. Choose the option that matches your task: a short status report usually needs fewer fields than a detailed issue review.
Why are some Jira issues missing from my Excel export?
First check the search conditions and result count in Jira. A project, status, date, or assignee filter may exclude the issues you expected. Your account permissions or Jira’s export limits can also affect results. If the issue appears in Jira but not the export, ask a Jira administrator to check access and configuration.
How do I export only issues from one project?
Search for the project in Jira’s issue search, then confirm that the results show only the issues you need. You can narrow the list further by status, assignee, sprint, or dates. Once the result set is correct, use the export menu and choose a CSV option. Import that CSV into Excel and save it as .xlsx if needed.
Conclusion
Exporting Jira issues to Excel is a short process: run a focused issue search, select the right CSV export, import it carefully, and validate the result before saving an .xlsx workbook. Choosing fields in advance can save cleanup time, while checking IDs and dates helps prevent subtle mistakes.
If your first export needs a little adjustment, refine the search or import settings and try again. For occasional reporting, Jira’s built-in export can do the job. If your team regularly rebuilds reports by hand, reviewing the workflow—or considering a platform such as ONES.com—may help reduce that recurring effort.