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JQL query to find issues that are blocked by another (not done) issue

Nici Kalmes

Ultimately, I would like to find a way to change the card color of an issue when it is blocked by another issue and that blocking issue is not done.

I'm looking for a query to return back this information.

I have this query, but this does not limit to only issues still blocked. I need access to the blocking issue's status.

Project = XYZ and issueLinkType = "is blocked by" AND Resolution = "Unresolved" AND status != "done"

If there's another way this should be done with automation, I am open to that as well.

Accepted answers

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Nici Kalmes

Jira does not provide the ability to access the status of linked issues natively as part of its JQL features. You would need to use a third party app that extends the JQL searching fields to get that.

You might be able to solve this with automation by creating a custom field in the blocked issue that you update based on status changes in the linked "is blocked by" issues. The rule would be triggered by updates to the status of issues (the ones that show the "blocks" side of the relationship). You would look for issues linked to that one by the specified link. You could then update the field in the blocked issue to keep track of there being unresolved issues blocking it.

All comments

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Nici Kalmes

mauricio.groth

Hi @Nici Kalmes

As you're on Jira Cloud, the correct answer is to get an app that provides JQL extensions you're looking for.

With standard JQL, you can only get a list of issues and export them to Excel for further processing. This works if you want to do a one-off analysis. If your use case is more dynamic than that, look beyond standard Jira.

Standard JQL doesn't easily allow it, but you can quickly find the results using our professional indexing service JQL Search Extensions

You can use this query to find all the issues that are blocked by another (not done) issue

issue in linkedIssuesOfQuery("status != done") and linkType = 'is blocked by'

Check out the documentation for more examples.

If you have any other questions, please contact our support. We’ll be happy to help you!
Best regards,
Maurício

World of Digital Innovation LLC

Hi @Nici Kalmes

As others noted, native JQL can't check the linked issue's status in one query — you'd need an automation rule that mirrors the blocker's status onto the blocked issue, or a JQL-extension app.

If your actual goal is the visual "what's blocked and by what that's still open" view (rather than maintaining JQL/automation), I built a Forge app for exactly this — Blocked Work Radar. It traces the full blocker chain, automatically ignores blockers that are already Done, and shows what's genuinely still stuck, with the root-cause blocker and how long it's been open. Runs entirely on Atlassian, free up to 10 users. Might save you the automation overhead — happy to help with the native approach too if you'd rather keep it in JQL.

CelesteCS

Hi, I'm with CelesteCS (JQL Extensions for Jira Server/Data Center) - if a saved JQL filter works for you (not just automation/card color), our app gets you the status of the *linked* issue, not just the current one:

issue in jqlx.linkedIssues("status != Done", "Blocks")

Starting from all not-done issues, this returns every issue connected to them via a "Blocks" link type - i.e. issues that either block, or are blocked by, an unfinished issue. If you specifically want only the "is blocked by an unfinished issue" direction (not also "blocks an unfinished issue"), that needs the exact inward/outward link description for your instance as the argument instead of the type name - happy to help pin down the exact direction once you confirm what your link type is actually called (default Jira ships it as type name "Blocks", inward description "is blocked by", outward description "blocks").
Function reference: https://celestecs.com/support/documentation/jql-extensions/functions.

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