Why are some fields locked at the top of the Jira issue layout even after saving changes?

[confluenceadmins]

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to customize the issue layout in Jira by changing the order of fields.

When I drag and drop fields and click Save, Jira shows a success message, but after refreshing the issue, the fields are not in the position I selected.

Some fields appear to be locked at the top of the layout. I cannot move them or place them where I want. In some cases, Jira does not even restore them to their previous position and keeps them pinned at the top instead, despite showing a successful save message.

Is this expected behavior?
Are there limitations on moving or reordering certain fields in the issue layout?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Accepted solution]

Hello and Welcome @confluenceadmins 

Jira Cloud isn't completely free-form. System fields (like Summary and Status) are permanently locked at the top, but if your custom fields are stuck, reason is usually personal pinning. Hover over the field on the live issue view, unpin it, and refresh the page to see if it drops into place.

A couple of other quick things to check:

Screen Tabs: If your screen uses tabs, that configuration overrides the layout editor.

Scope: Double-check that you are editing the layout for the exact project and issue type you are viewing.

[confluenceadmins]

Thanks for the help, Arkadiusz.

I managed to fix it.

It looks like there was some inconsistent layout state internally. I moved a few fields around randomly, saved the layout again, and after that I was able to get the correct field order.

So it doesn’t seem related to Screens or pinning in my case, more like a UI/layout sync issue or a temporary bug.

Thanks again!

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski]

@confluenceadmins 

You´re welcome. Most important - it working. :)