When exporting from issue navigator, not all columns are exported

[Amir Katz (Outseer)]

I have an issue type with 13 custom fields. I need to export the issues with all the custom fields and with the relevant system fields (issue type, summary, description, etc.)

When I run the query and then export with Export --> Excel (Current fields)

some fields are missing.

I've also tried the add-on Better Excel Plugin for Jira (BEPJ), but also with it some fields are missing.

I can do Export --> Excel (All Fields) (which is also available in BEPJ) but then I have to perform a massive clean-up on the resulting Excel file to remove a large number of irrelevant fields.

It seems to me that the Jira API which is invoked by the built-in export (and probably is also used by BEPJ) is buggy.

I am on Jira 6.4.11 and I cannot upgrade to a newer version in the foreseeable future.

Anyone seen this? Any workaround?

I can write Python code to extract the data from Jira into an Excel but I prefer to avoid that route for now.

[Amir Katz (Outseer) · Accepted solution]

Here's the official answer from the guys at Midori (developers of Better Excel Plugin for Jira):

Hi Amir,

This problem is related to Jira's behavior, not to our app's functionality.

Please check these pages:
https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/column-order-when-exporting-a-filter-search-296913345.html

Exporting column ordered issues
https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftwarecloud/saving-your-search-as-a-filter-764478344.html#Savingyoursearchasafilter-clonefilternavigatorcolumnsDefiningafilter-specificcolumnorder

Best Regards,
Ferenc Nagy
Midori Software Engineer

[Amir Katz (Outseer)]

OK, after digging deeper, I found the reason - the Export-->Excel (current fields) takes the columns from My Defaults instead of from Filter, as shown below.

However, I did not find any way to force the export to use the Filter option.

Further investigation:

Using the BEPJ export, all fields are exported when the query finds 2 issues.

If I change the query to find more than 2 issues, it reverts to using My Defaults and only 20 fields are exported to the Excel file.

[Klaidas Bukauskas]

Dear all,

I found a way to export filter instead of my defaults.

After you have your filter done you have to save as new filter, then navigate to columns and click Done on your preferred columns filter.

This way it exported correct columns for me.

[Jordan Bond]

Awesome! I updated my JQL, searched, saved my filter, then exported  to XLSX and all of my columns were successfully exported. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction :) 

[Melissa Evans]

I've been trying to figure this out and this worked for me to! Thanks for sharing

[Amir Katz (Outseer)]

Just to let people know - due to the problems and complexity of exporting to multiple CSV files and then merging them together (since Jira limits a query to 1000 issues), I have switched to using JIRA REST-API to retrieve all the fields into multiple JSON files.

If you need a CSV as the final outcome, this thread is still for you.

But, if you, like myself, need to get the data, process it and then take it elsewhere, please see my posting here: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Core-articles/How-to-export-issues-and-their-links-via-JSON-instead-of-CSV/ba-p/940548

[JRodney Estrada]

I think my user is having the same/related problem. Would someone mind confirming?

1. User "A" created a filter.

2. User "A" exports that filter to Excel and the columns are correct

3. User "B" exports that same filter to Excel & G Sheets but the columns are different and in a different order from what User "A" has.

The problem is present when I tested it using my admin login too. Insights? Fix?

[Amir Katz (Outseer)]

Ugly workaround for now (I have 26 fields total):

1. Export all issues with Better Excel - I get 20 fields (including Key) --> save in A.xlsx

2. Change columns, select Key + 6 fields that are missing from #1 --> save in B.xlsx

 --> Notes:

• sort order must be the same,
• Make sure you got the same # of results (meaning that no new issues were added between step 1 & 2)

3. Copy A.xlsx --> C.xlsx

4. Open B, copy the 6 columns to cliboard

5. Open C, paste using "Insert Copies Cells"

6. Voila! C.xlsx has all columns

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

What type of fields are they, and have they got "searchers" set on them?  (Admin -> Custom fields -> <custom field> -> Edit will tell you what the searcher is.  Almost all fields have one set by default)

[Amir Katz (Outseer)]

Hey Nic,

The problem is not with the custom fields but rather with system fields such as Description, Priority, etc.

As I said, in the issue navigator I see all fields that I marked; the export omits some.

To your question, I did not check all fields, but those that I did have the default searchers.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, the system fields always have searchers.

Which system fields are missing?  (All the system fields have a "type" that's the same as their name, so we don't need to ask about them)