Right JQL for SLA

[Mar]

How can I get the right JQL for "time resolution" = empty?

example

project = Project  
AND
"time to resolution" = EMPTY

here the error:

"JQL ERROR Missing duration argument (example of valid durations : "5h", "1h 35m", "120m")"

[Kinga_Getint]

Hey @Mar 

Unfortunately, there’s no direct JQL function for “SLA not started.”

However, you can work around it depending on your SLA definition:

• Option 1: Filter by status or trigger condition

If your SLA starts when status changes to In Progress, you can use:

project = ABC AND status = "Open"
(or whatever status precedes the SLA trigger)

That effectively shows issues where the SLA hasn’t started.

• Option 2: Check SLA field absence via reporting

In the SLA reports, the “No data” category under Time to resolution means the SLA hasn’t started. It can’t be queried directly in JQL, but you can visualize it in SLA dashboards.

• Option 3: Use automation or a custom field flag

Create an automation rule:

When issue created → if SLA hasn’t started after X minutes → set a label or custom field.
Then you can query for those issues easily with normal JQL. 

So in short, it’s not possible via JQL alone, but you can approximate it with workflow or automation conditions.

[Christos Markoulatos -Relational-]

Hi @Mar 

Υou can’t use = EMPTY with SLA fields. SLA fields like “Time to resolution” only support the special SLA functions (e.g., running(), paused(), completed(), breached(), remaining(), elapsed()), not the usual EMPTY/NULL checks.

try

project = ABC
AND "Time to resolution" != running()
AND "Time to resolution" != paused()
AND "Time to resolution" != completed()

Write JQL queries for SLAs | Jira Service Management Cloud | Atlassian Support

Hope this helps!

[Mar]

no solution to get the list of data where SLA not yet started?

[s_gridnevskii]

I have a strange solution. Lets e.g. take into account "Time to resolution". In first column of SLA page set start to issue creation, in middle column pause on Open. This immediately starts SLA when issue is created and pauses it when it enters Open state. Now you can make request like "Time to resolution" < elapsed(1m) and status = Open.

Hope that helps.

[Alina Kurinna _SaaSJet_]

Hi @Mar !

Unfortunately, there is no direct native JQL for “Time to resolution is empty / not started yet”. In practice, teams usually work around this by:

• filtering by statuses that come before the SLA start condition, or

• setting a label / custom field with automation once they detect that the SLA has not started

If you are open to Marketplace apps, this is actually something that can be handled more cleanly with SLA Time and Report for Jira. In our app, SLA data can be synced into Jira custom fields, including SLA target date and SLA status, and then those fields can be queried with normal JQL.

So in short:

• for native JSM, “Time to resolution” = EMPTY is not supported;

• if your goal is to find tickets where SLA has not started / has no SLA value yet, an app-based custom-field approach is usually much easier to work with.

An even simpler approach is not to rely on complex native SLA JQL at all. With SLA Time and Report, you can configure SLA start, pause, and stop logic explicitly, then view SLA states directly in reports and grid views. This makes it much easier to see whether an SLA is running, paused, completed, breached, or simply not active yet for the issue.

So instead of asking Jira, “is Time to resolution empty?”, you can manage it more practically: define when the SLA should start, open the SLA report or grid view, and immediately see which issues have no active SLA progress yet versus those already in progress or completed.

I hope this helps.
Regards!