Are there alternative ways to export issues to Excel in Jira Cloud without using "CSV / Excel CSV"?

[nagata shumpei]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for alternative ways to export issues from Jira Cloud into an Excel-compatible format, without using the standard export options ("Excel CSV" or "CSV").

Context / Background:

• We usually use the export function from the issue navigator (list view)
• However, "CSV (current fields)" and "CSV (all fields)" exports are currently blocked in our environment
• According to Atlassian support, this is due to our organization's security policy after enabling Atlassian Guard
• This functionality worked before enabling Atlassian Guard, but has been blocked since then
• We are not able to change the security settings

What I'm trying to achieve:

• Export Jira issue data into a structured format that can be used in Excel
• Preferably including multiple fields (not just the summary)

Question:
Under these constraints, are there any alternative ways to retrieve issue data in an Excel-compatible format without using CSV export?

If you have handled similar restrictions, I would really appreciate your insights.

Thanks in advance!

[Philipp Sendek _catworkx_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @nagata shumpei,

there's a little known trick that might help you here:

If the option to export as HTML is still available, you can export your work items as HTML. Then you change the file extension of this file from .html to .xls (note: not .xlsx).

When you open this file with Excel now, it might warn you, but if you confirm that you want to open the file, it opens it nicely formatted as a table in Excel.

However, assuming that there is a safetly configuration in place I assume that HTML export is also disabled. But maybe you're in luck. :-)

I hope that helps. 

Greetings
Philipp

[nagata shumpei]

Hello @Philipp Sendek _catworkx_ 

I'm happy to report that I was able to resolve the issue.

Thank you very much for your help and suggestions. They were very helpful. I really appreciate your support.

Best regards,
Nagata

[Aron Gombas _Midori_ · Accepted solution]

@nagata shumpei 

Our Better Excel Exporter app exports work items and other Jira data to XSLX spreadsheets. It isn't a format that "can be used in Excel", but the native Excel fileformat! 

We have been developing the app for 10+ years, it has almost 5K installation and great reviews. It supports the Issue Navigator and a whole lot of other Jira Cloud screens.

It should be working on a site that has Atlassian Guard activated. It supports all built-in system and custom fields, and a bunch of integrations (data from other apps).

Try it free

(Discl. this paid and supported app is developed by our team. Free for 10 users.)

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Accepted solution]

Hello @nagata shumpei 

Actually Excel have an Addon for Jira which can pull out issues from System. 

[Natalia_Kovalchuk_SaaSJet_]

Hi @nagata shumpei!

If you are considering using apps from the Atlassian Marketplace, I recommend trying Issue History for Jira (Work Item History) from SaaSJet team. It lets you export all your issue data directly to Excel with full control over fields.

With the help of this app, you can:

• Export multiple Jira issue fields' data (including custom fields) in a structured Excel format
• Include full change history (who changed what and when)
• Filter data before export if needed (by project, date range, users, etc.)
• Generate reports that are actually usable for audits or analysis

Since the export is handled within the app, it's often not affected by the same restrictions as Jira's built-in CSV export.

Here you can also find more detailed info related to Jira export: How to export Jira project tickets to Excel

Hope it will be useful!

[Martin Sturm - JXL]

Hi @nagata shumpei ,

Glad you found a solution via the HTML export trick that @Philipp Sendek suggested!

For anyone else landing here with the same Atlassian Guard restriction, I'll add one more option. If you're open to apps from the Atlassian Marketplace, JXL  has a built-in export that produces native XLSX, CSV, or TSV files directly from any sheet view. You choose which columns to include, and the export runs from within the app rather than from Jira's issue navigator, so it typically isn't affected by the same Guard restrictions.

Beyond exporting, JXL is a spreadsheet/table view for Jira that lets you configure exactly which fields appear as columns, apply sorting and filtering, and organize issues with grouping and hierarchy. The export then captures that exact view, including any computed columns like sum-ups or time-in-status calculations.

Disclosure: I work for the team that builds JXL.

Cheers,

Martin