Project key still in use after changing

[Kajsa]

We have recently started a new project and wanted to give it a specific key, lets say ABC. When we tried to do this we got an error saying that key is used by project "A Bee Circus". This project is old and "abandoned" since a while back, so we changed that key to say "COB", something completely different. However When trying to give the key to our new project we still get the error that is't being used by "A Bee Circus", even after waiting a few days for the change to take affect. Is there a way to solve this or are all old keys eternally blocked?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

Jira keeps a record of old projects so it can tie up redirects (when an issue is moved out of a project and then the project is deleted later).  That data blocks the reuse of a project key

There's no way to fix that on Cloud, as you need database access to remove the project key and destroy all the redirect (old issue key -> moved issue key).  There is an open request to get this fixed on Cloud, not sure how it is progressing.

[tom.walker]

Nick, can we please get a link to the open request so we can upvote it? This is a pain.

[Roman Balakin]

This is a mess, not a pain

@tom.walker here's the topic, open since 2013. Doubtfully this will ever get fixed

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRACLOUD-34945

[Callum Carlile _Automation Consultants_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kajsa 

As stated in the official docs

You won't be able to create a new project with the old project key. However, you can change the renamed project back to the old project key. If you delete the project, all associated keys will be freed and you'll be able to re-use them.

So until the old project is deleted, all of it's previous project keys will redirect you to the new project key for the same project.

Hope this helps!

[Deleted user]

I deleted the old project and it still reports that the old project key is being used.

[Callum Carlile _Automation Consultants_]

As Nic said in the comment below, currently this solution isn't working on cloud but there's an open request with Atlassian to fix it.

[Ari Romanenko]

You can delete your project. Jira will move it to trash. As admin, go to Projects and delete it from trash. Then you can re-use the key.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm afraid it is not.  Even after emptying the trash, Jira keeps a record of the project key you used and will stop you using it again.  (unless the project never had any issues in it)

[Pedro Almada]

Odd, because I had a project that had been misconfigured and this worked. There were only like 10 issues so I manually typed each issue to a new project, deleted the old project, emptied the trash and then managed to rename the new project to the old key.

[Pedro Almada]

This was on the cloud

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I re-tested it just before posting that last comment, and Jira blocked us from using the old project key.

So, no, this remains an incorrect answer.

[Pedro Almada]

Hm, maybe something else need to be done before deleting the project? How long did you wait for the reindexing?

[Pedro Almada]

I've edited the answer to make the wording clearer

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You don't need to wait for the re-indexing, but even if you did, I left it plenty of time.

Your edit has made a nonsense of the conversation.

[mark.stackrow]

I am experiencing the same issue. I deleted my old project and it still will not allow me to update my new project with the old project's key. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Please read the accepted answers above.  They won't help you, but they do explain it.

[David Thomas]

I just tested and deleting the project from the trash worked (I could then re-use the same key in a different project)

It may have to do that it was a team-managed project, so it didn't have any external references.  

[Daniel Vlahovic]

This also worked for me. Project had to be 'Permanently deleted' from the trash. 
This was for a 'team managed' project on Jira Cloud.

[Tuochen Zhan]

I still have the same problem here.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

See @Callum Carlile _Automation Consultants_  answer, it still applies.

[Tuochen Zhan]

Yeah I know it's not working. I was under the impression that replying here can push JIRA team to improve the behaviors faster.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It won't.  Atlassian don't look to Community for helping rank their backlogs.  They do look at votes on issues in their Jira (and they do take items from Community into it)

See https://jira.atlassian.com/browse

[Ari Romanenko]

You can delete your project. Jira will move it to trash. If you need immediately to use a new key, as admin, go to Projects and delete it from trash. Then you can re-use the key.