5 Easy Methods to Export Work Items in Jira

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Whether you’re preparing reports, sharing updates with stakeholders, or conducting an audit, there are times when you need to export work items from Jira Cloud. Or, you may need to inform stakeholders of any changes, review progress made by teams, or maintain a clear record of changes made.

In this article, we are going to examine some simple ways to export work items in Jira. Regardless of the purpose or role you need, these options will help you save time, stay organized, and work with your data more effectively.

🛠️ Native Jira Export Methods

Method 1: Export a Single Work Item

A complete report is not always required. There is no need to send more than a single task to a colleague, add it to a document, or print it. 

✅ So, to export a single work item, you need to do the following:

• Open the work item that you want to export.
• Navigate to the More menu (•••) in the top-right corner.
• Click Export and select the desired format (PDF, Word, or XML). 

📌When to use:

• Sending work item details to someone who has no access to your Jira.
• Adding a task to a report or a meeting.
• Generating a printable version of the documentation or compliance.

⚠️ Note: Using this method, you can export the current state of the work item. You will be able to view what was changed, but you won’t have the possibility to see the previous version of all the field updates related to the work item. For example, you won’t see what was changed in the description or the comment fields. Therefore, it may not be the best option if you are preparing for audits. 

Method 2: Export a List of Work Items 

Sometimes you need to export several work items simultaneously, perhaps for a report, a spreadsheet analysis, or a backup. Jira offers a method to do so.

✅To export the list of work items, perform the following:

• Go to Filters → All issues.
• Use a Basic search or JQL query.
• After setting the filter (choosing the needed project, assignee, status, etc.), click Export button and choose the preferred format (e.g., CSV, Excel, Word).

📌When to use:

• Creating summaries of work items related to the specific projects, date ranges, etc. 
• Exporting tasks for reports or team reviews.
• Importing Jira data into other tools (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets).

⚠️ Note: Using this method, you can’t get the change history, just the current field values. The export doesn’t include comments, attachments, or transitions.

Method 3: Export via Jira REST API (for technical users)

Jira work items can be exported via Jira REST API, which is great for automation or custom reporting, but requires writing code and working with JSON.

📌When to use:

• You need to automate data exports (e.g., to get scheduled reports or dashboards).
• You want to integrate Jira with other tools.
• You need customized exports. 

⚠️ Note: REST API exporting is flexible and powerful only if you are an expert in coding. For non-technical people, it is better to use apps available on the Atlassian Marketplace.

💼Advanced Export Options with Issue History for Jira

Issue History for Jira app allows you to export a full changelog of work items in formats such as CSV or Excel. Therefore, it would be ideal for use during audits and for providing in-depth visibility into what changed, when, and by whom. 

Method 4: Export Full History of a Single Work Item

When you require a complete history of what has been changed in a single Jira issue, Issue History for Jira app goes beyond what Jira offers with the "History" tab.

✅ To export all work item details and history, do the following:

• Open the work item that you need to export. 
• After the app installation, you can go to Activity → Issue History tab. 
• You can export all the change history of the work item, or use a Field filter to retrieve information related to specific fields only. 

• To export the work item history, click the button in the top-right corner and select the preferred format (Excel, CSV, or PDF). 

📌When to use:

• During audits and compliance. It is essential to understand who made what changes, when, and in what fields. 
• Troubleshooting or investigations to determine what specifically happened that caused a change. 
• When you need to recover deleted or modified content (e.g., to restore lost descriptions).
• Creating easy-to-read, detailed reports.

⚠️ Note: This method is suitable for the export of only one work item. To export histories of several work items, refer to Method 5.

Method 5: Export List of Work Items with Full Change History

When you want to quickly view the entire history of changes to multiple work items simultaneously, such as over a project, sprint, or time period, the Issue History for Jira app can help.

✅ To export multiple work items at once, do the following:

• You can select your date range, fields, or the users to track in the app.
• Click Export and select either CSV or Excel format.

📌 When to use:

• You require a detailed history of the changes made in a project or sprint.
• Audits demand evidence of activity, user actions, and timestamps over a range of work items.
• You want to analyze the history of work items, such as how often status changes occur or who makes the most edits. 

📊 Advantages:

• Takes less time compared to exporting work items one by one.
• Provides formatted data that is audit-ready to teams or stakeholders.
• Outputs can be easily shared or linked with analytics tools.

🚀 The app is available for trying on Atlassian Marketplace: Issue History for Jira (Work Item History) 📈🗂️

Comparing Jira Export Methods

If you’re wondering which method works best for your needs, here’s a quick comparison of the five export options we covered. It shows what each method includes and when to use it. 

💡 Tip: Use native Jira methods for quick exports. For compliance, audits, or tracking every change, the Issue History for Jira app provides the most complete and audit-ready exports.

Summing Up

Jira allows you to export work items to retrieve information from the system for use elsewhere. It comes in handy when you need to keep others informed, prepare reports, evaluate the progress, or maintain a clean record of what has been accomplished. Being able to export Jira data when needed, whether to your team, stakeholders, or for audits, makes you more flexible and in control.