How to store deleted issues in Jira? (Part 2)

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How to delete an issue from Jira? (Part 1)

When you delete a file from your computer, it gets moved to the trash and you can turn it back. It doesn’t work with Jira’s issues this way. There is no built-in recycle bin for deleted issues in Jira. Though it sometimes happens that users delete stories by accident. 

Is there a way to recover deleted issues?

• The most widespread advice is to disable permission for the regular users and allow it to admin only. It can help to narrow down the problem because it’s a mess if every user has the ability to delete. Still, it doesn’t completely resolve the problem if you want to find deleted issue. Some businesses must adhere to tight auditing regulations (e.g., CFR 21 Part 11). One of them is to see if any issues have been removed.
• The second way out can be to restore the XML backup from before the issue was deleted. It’s a solution available for Jira Server users. Read more in How to restore accidentally deleted issue in JIRA section.

How to store deleted issues [for different hosting types]

Let’s look at how Marketplace tools can help to solve this problem. Here are options for different hosting types.

✅ Cloud, Data Center

SaaSJet team has developed the Keep deleted issues feature. It’s available with the Issue History for Jira add-on. 

The deleted issues will be stored after activating the option. You will get the report with the info on:

- what issue was deleted 

- who deleted your issue

- when it was deleted

✅ Data Center, Server

Who deleted my issues by Sevidev will help find both single and bulk deletes. Also, you can recover the data you lost after deleting.

✅ Server

Recycle Bin for Jira by t2consult provides the ability to create a place in Jira where you can store the issues some user has deleted. The other options are to grant permissions for viewing and recycling issues; restoring the deletes.

Takeaway

Jira’s “Delete” action is as irreversible as it gets. It deletes an issue from the database without leaving a trace, and there is no way to restore deleted issue or the audit trail linked with it.

So, there are two possible ways out:

1. Disable the Delete permission for users except for the admin.
2. Try one of the apps to avoid losing issues forever.

If you need to restore deleted issue, check out the article below:

Jira Cloud: How to restore deleted issue?