I need to find all unused labels in Jira Cloud - labels that are not assigned to any issue

Question

I know labels IS EMPTY shows issues without labels, but I need the opposite: a list of label names that are not used on any issue.

What is the simplest way to find and delete these unused labels in Jira Cloud? IS there a native Jira option or JQL query for this?

Marc -Devoteam- · Answer

Hi @Akshitha Kankanala

Welcome to the community.

@Arkadiusz Wroblewski and @Gabriela - LeanZero are both providing part of the anser.

Atlassian itself manages this if work items (issues) carry a label, if a label is not used, this is removed (no manual action to take).

The labels API endpoint, sohwa used labels only (but based on the ootb label optin, no

If custom fields are create based on type label, the this is different, as these are managed within the realm of the CF.

The options can't be visualised via the API as the API endpoint doesn't relate to custom labels field, but only the ootb Label option.

Then use the search API endpoint.

Gabriela - LeanZero · Answer

Good catch on the endpoint, Arek. It's scoped to the global Labels field, so any Labels-type custom field someone's added is invisible to it, and an audit built on it alone would quietly under-report.

To cover those you'd pull the field list first, keep the ones whose type is labels, then query each by id rather than by the system field: labels = "x" catches the global one, cf[12345] = "x" the custom ones. More moving parts, but it stops the blind spot.

None of which changes the answer for @Akshitha Kankanala though. Whichever field a label sits in, it still only exists while something carries it, so there's no orphan list waiting to be cleaned up either way.

Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Answer

Hello and Welcome to Atlassian Community @Akshitha Kankanala

@Rob Hean Have Right 100 % Right.

Easiest Way ? Atlassian Marketplace and third-party-app.

[JRACLOUD-73090] Please implement a label administration page in Jira. - Create and track feature requests for Atlassian products.

@Gabriela - LeanZero  GET /rest/api/3/label are not really reliable Endpoint. Lets say Customer create Customfield Storing Labels. This Enpoint will give you only output from Global System field making this Enpoint as not really reliable.

Best,

Arek🤠