Issue with Search: basic vs JQL bring different results (Watcher0

[Michael Baur]

Goal:
To identify all issues a user is am a watcher on.

Starting from:

Filters > Advanced Issue Search

When running an advanced issue search within Jira, you have two options:

• Basic
• JQL

When looking to have a search query to present all issues a user is a watcher on.
It was suggested by this link to use this query:

watcher = currentUser() AND resolution = Unresolved ORDER BY priority DESC, updated DESC

 but when I try to emulate the same request via Basic, the results are not the same and have a different JQL query: 

"Watchers[People]" in (currentUser()) order by created DESC

 Can this be explained or is this expected?
Is there a way for a user to search for  issues that another user is a watcher for as well?

The only option present is is Current User and Jira groups, but none of the other users in our instance.. 

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Michael Baur 

I have a Jira Cloud instance with no apps to extend search functionality. I can tell you the option in the Basic Search to select Watchers is not an option available in Jira natively. That must've been added through a third party app added to your instance.

In JQL, "watcher" is an option that can be typed in.

Since the option in the basic search came from an app, without knowing the app it will be difficult to ascertain why the results are different.

I suspect that the only way you will be able to search for issues watched by another user is with the JQL option, and it should work for you to type in the user's Jira Username. In our case we use emails as usernames so something like this works

watcher="john.doe@mycompany.com"

[Michael Baur]

Many thanks for this context.

The solution provided on the watcher="user@email.com" was successful.
Many thanks!

[John Funk]

Hi Michael,

Why don't you just use the Watched Issue gadget in a dashboard? You should already have that gadget in your System Dashboard if you want to look at that first.

[Michael Baur]

Why haven't we been using this:
You just taught me about it, so thanks! works fine.

Thanks!

It was present.
More curious to understand the difference between the JQL and Basic search.
Also want to be able to change who is the assigned user for watcher, which this gadget does not allow. (from what I can tell so far)

[John Funk]

Great - glad that worked for you. 

For other people, you will nee to use the watcher = username (or email or acct id)