Done work items are not appearing in JQL search - in All work search

Question

In my Jira Product Discovery project (3D PD), a work item such as RU3D-363 is in Closed/Done status.

However, searching for it using JQL key = RU3D-363 returns no results in All work / Search work items.

I have already disabled the Hide done work items setting for the 3D PD space, but the issue still does not appear in the JQL results.

The work item can still be opened directly using its URL.

Please confirm whether this is a known Jira issue/bug and provide the correct fix or workaround.

Sami Shaik · Answer

Hi @Bhavana V , the combination you describe, the item opens fine by direct URL but key = RU3D-363 returns nothing, is a specific signature rather than a general "search is broken," and it narrows the cause to three mechanisms. @Karsten Gutjahr  questions and @Duc Thang TRAN  archive hunch are both pointing at this list; here is how to tell them apart in a few minutes.

1. The item is archived. Archived work items are removed from search results and views by design but still open read-only from their URL, which is exactly your symptom. Test: open the item from the URL and look for an archived banner at the top, on the space side, check the archived items list. If it is archived, restoring it brings it straight back into JQL. Reference: https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/archive-issues/

2. Search scope, not the item. A space-scoped All work or List view and the global work item search do not always return the same set for the same JQL. Test: run the identical JQL from the global search at /jira/issues/ rather than from inside the space. If it appears there, the item is fine and the space view's scope or an inherited filter is the culprit, and "Hide done work items" being off is not the same as the view having no other constraint.

3. Search index out of step with the item. Cloud's search index and the item store can briefly disagree after a status change, and a key lookup goes through the index. Test: search the item by something other than its key, for example summary ~ "part of its title" and updated >= -7d. If every attribute misses while the URL still opens, that is an index inconsistency. There is no self-service reindex on Cloud; open a support request and quote the key, and Atlassian can reindex it on their side.

Run the three tests in that order, since 1 and 2 take a minute each and 3 is the one that needs support. If you report back which test flipped, we can close this properly for the next person who searches for it.

Duc Thang TRAN · Answer

Hello @Bhavana V

I don't use Jira Product Discovery myself, but if it behaves like Jira, an archived issue can no longer be found through JQL but  it remains accessible if you have a direct link
BR

Karsten Gutjahr · Answer

Hi @Bhavana V welcome to the Atlassian Community.

That sound quiete strange, I never heard of that behavior before. The JQL should return the work item whether you hide done work items or not.

Is it like that with all done work items? Did you copy & paste the work item key oder did you type it?

Is the name of the status "Closed/Done"? That's a custom status, right?

Best wishes

Karsten