Unable to export issues to CSV across projects

Question

Hello,

I am experiencing an issue where I cannot export issues to CSV in Jira.

When attempting to export, the following error message appears:
Unable to export issues. Please refresh the page and try again.

Context and symptoms：

* This occurs across multiple projects
* The number of issues is small (e.g., around 10 issues)
* It occurs even when selecting minimal fields

What I have tried：

* Using different browsers
* Using different user accounts
* Testing in another Jira site (export works normally there)

Additional information：

* This issue started about one week ago
* Atlassian Guard was implemented around the same time, and I suspect there may be a relationship

Questions：

* Has anyone experienced a similar issue?
* Could Atlassian Guard configuration affect CSV export?
* Are there any troubleshooting steps or workarounds?

Berk Atlasian · Answer

Because this happens across projects even with a small result set and minimal fields, I’d first separate the native issue search from the CSV export:

1. In Issue Navigator, run a small cross-project JQL such as `project in (KEY1, KEY2) ORDER BY created DESC` and confirm the results load.

2. Export that result using the current/List fields (not “all fields”), starting with one project, then add projects and fields in batches.

3. Verify the user has Browse Projects and can see the issues in each project; being a site or project admin does not bypass issue-security or field-context restrictions. Also try an incognito window with extensions disabled.

If the actual need is a project-level inventory (project key/name/category/lead/status) rather than issue rows, I build Project Directory for Jira as an indie vendor. It Runs on Atlassian, keeps data in Jira, and has a 30-day trial: https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/876054797/project-directory-for-jira?hosting=cloud&utm_source=community&utm_campaign=24h

Simon_NGPILOT_ · Answer

Hi @nagata shumpei ,

Since you've already verified that all Data Security Policy controls are set to "Allow" and the issue persists, this might be a bug rather than a configuration problem. The timing with Atlassian Guard rollout is suspicious — I'd recommend opening a support ticket with Atlassian if you haven't already.

In the meantime, if you need to get your data out while troubleshooting, there's a Marketplace app that provides an alternative export path independent of Jira's native export: Simple Bulk Issues Excel CSV Export for Jira (I work for NGPILOT, the vendor). It lets you export filtered issues to Excel or CSV with customizable field selection, so you're not dependent on the native export button working.

You can find it by searching "NGPILOT" on the Atlassian Marketplace.

That said, the root cause is likely on Atlassian's side — the native export should work when all policies are set to Allow, so definitely push on the support ticket.

nagata shumpei · Answer

Hello @Natalia_Kovalchuk_SaaSJet_ , @Arkadiusz Wroblewski @Ugnius Aušra

Thanks for your comments.
They are helping me make progress toward identifying the root cause.

I have some additional information:

- I have org-admin permissions
- All Data Security Policy controls (including export) are set to "Allow"
- No overrides are configured (0 overrides)

Am I checking the right areas, or is there something I might be missing?