How do I bulk rename JIRA issues?

[Thomas Berger]

Is there a way to bulk rename JIRA issues by e.g. replacing a word (sub-string) in the issue 'summary'?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

Not natively.  You can search for a sub-string (although the search is fuzzy), but not do a bulk-edit to change it.

I'd 'cheat' and write something in Script Runner to do the search and replace as a one-off.

[Thomas Berger]

So using Script Runner I could solve it? 

This would be used often for a task w. sub-tasks as a template task list. Can I have an input field in script runner for the task issue ID and execute the script then?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, you can solve almost anything with Script Runner (in JIRA, Bitbucket or Confluence at least), but I thought that this was more of a one-off correction than something you'd do a lot.  I'm not sure there's a good use-case for doing this a lot, it feels a bit like a broken process.

But, I suspect you can still do it.  The latest versions of SR allow you to insert simple hooks into the interface as buttons.  I have only used them a bit, and I don't know if they can do the "input field" bit, but they can certainly trigger the scripts, and with a script, you can go read all sorts of stuff as input.  So I know you can get close.

(Apologies if this feels like an advert - I do work for Adaptavist, SR is one of our flagship products, and hence I use it a lot.  This really is one where SR feels right, and if I didn't work here, the only change I'd make to this answer would be to drop this comment about working here!)

[Thomas Berger]

Thanks, I'll test it out.

[David Skreiner]

Maybe you could just change it in the database - that would save you the cost and effort of having to buy a plugin.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

And potentially destroy your installation.  SQL on a JIRA database is to be avoided at all times.  Always use the API.  If you must use SQL, plan to shut it all down and take a backup before risking it, and then factor in the time for a full reindex afterwards.

[Pavel Tyumenev]

There is a way to bulk edit (replace) issues summary, I use - via Jira Automation Plugin.

you just need to make automation rule (scheduled by cron for example)

add there jql query like in jira filters, and add the action, you need to perform - edit issue (change summary),

 and then start the rule manually, or wait until it starts automatically.

Another way is to use script runner, as mentioned by Nic Brough [Adaptavist]  the idea is same.

[Parth Pandya]

Adding to what @Pavel Tyumenev mentioned above, we can just replace a text in Summary as below:

E.g.

Original Summary : "My Summary is - CLONE"

After Replacing: "My Summary is - SIT"

[Oleg Krutykh]

Nice hint with scheduled job, thank you Pavel!

For all the people who'd like to go on with this approach - keep in mind that if you have a notification scheme configured for your target project, this job will fire email notification on "issue updated" event for each issue you update this way.

[remi vaucher]

Using the BULK import with CSV is working also. and take 5 minutes

Export the issues concerned, rename what is needed in the csv and import again... you will have to have admin rights for this

[Srikar Namala]

will that replace the issues or create new issues ?