What is the best way to extract jira backlog work items quickly?

Question

I'm trying to extract the backlog items from a project & cannot find an export button on choosing all items under backlog.

When I use JQL query, the number of items in the query result do not match the backlog items listed.

Is there a quick/easy/straight forward way to extract the backlog items without having to add multiple conditions on the JQL & still do not get the full backlog items.

Trudy P Claspill · Answer

Hello @Sowbarnika.Kuppuswamy

From your board settings can you show us two items?

1. The Filter shown on the Details.

2. The Columns mapping shown under Layout.

You would need to start with the Filter from Details.

To that you would need to add criteria to exclude issues in Active and Future sprints. An issue might be in a Closed sprint but be not done, and therefore will be in the Backlog with a not-empty Sprint field:

and sprint not in futureSprints() and sprint not in openSprints()

You would then need to add criteria to exclude issues in the Statuses mapped to the right-most column of your board. It is possible that the statuses there might not have been set up in the Done Status Category (not green lozenges), or that Done statuses are mapped to other columns (not the right most column). If your green-lozenge statuses exist only in the right-most column then using the Status Category criteria will work. Otherwise use

and status not in (<statuses in the right-most column>)

If you have Statuses in the Unmapped Statuses area you need to add criteria to exclude issues in those statuses too.

You would need to add criteria to exclude Epics. Epics do not display in the Backlog list on the Backlog screen for a Scrum board. Instead they display in the Epics panel. So add

and issuetype != Epic

Subtasks are not counted in the issue count shown at the top of the Backlog list. If you want your JQL results to match by count, you would add criteria to exclude the subtasks.

and issuetype not in subtaskWorkTypes()

If you want to try to get the right JQL without a third party app, try those options and let me know if that gets you the results you want and need.

Lucas Modzelewski _Lumo_ · Answer

I’ve noticed that when people experiment with automations, they sometimes end up with tasks that are marked as resolved - even though they shouldn’t be. This often happens when the resolution isn’t cleared during transitions out of the “Done” category.

Maybe check if that’s the case in your project - try filtering for issues that are not in “Done”, but are still marked as resolved. That can help you uncover potential workflow issues.

Aron Gombas _Midori_ · Answer

@Sowbarnika.Kuppuswamy Using third party apps, you can export to Excel or PDF directly from the Backlog view:

That functionality is added by the Better Excel Exporter and Better PDF Exporter apps.

(These paid and supported app are developed by our team. Free for 10 users!)