use-jira-cli

Purpose

Use the Jira CLI (jira) to interact with Jira issues, sprints, epics, and projects directly from the command line. This enables fast issue management without leaving the terminal.

Prerequisites

• Jira CLI installed (jira command available)
• Configured with jira init (API token set via JIRAAPITOKEN environment variable)

Critical: Non-Interactive Mode Required

NEVER use interactive mode. Always use one of these approaches:

• For viewing/listing: Use --plain or --raw flags

- --plain - Standard readable output (default choice) - --raw - JSON output when structured data is needed for parsing

• For creating/editing: Use --no-input flag along with all required fields

Interactive mode requires user input and will hang. Always use these flags to ensure commands complete without prompts.

Quick Reference

Core Commands

Configuration

# View current user
jira me

# Use current user in commands via command substitution
# Example: $(jira me) expands to your username
jira issue assign ISSUE-123 $(jira me)

# Server information
jira serverinfo

# Use specific project
jira issue list -p PROJECT_KEY

Workflow Instructions

Listing Issues

List issues with various filters (always use --plain or --raw):

# List all recent issues
jira issue list --plain

# Filter by assignee (current user)
jira issue list -a$(jira me) --plain

# Filter by status
jira issue list -s"In Progress" --plain

# Filter by priority
jira issue list -yHigh --plain

# Filter by creation date
jira issue list --created month --plain

# Combine filters
jira issue list -a$(jira me) -yHigh -s"To Do" --created month --plain

# JSON output when detailed data needed
jira issue list --raw

Creating Issues

Always provide required fields to avoid interactive prompts.

Important: Use Markdown for descriptions and comments. The -b flag accepts Markdown, not Jira wiki markup. Do not use Jira wiki syntax like {code:yaml}, h2., or {{monospace}} — they will render as broken literal text. Use standard Markdown instead: ` ` for code blocks, ## for headings, and `` for inline code.

# Create with required fields (use --no-input to prevent prompts)
jira issue create -t"Bug" -s"Fix login error" -b"Description here" --no-input

# Create and assign
jira issue create -t"Task" -s"New feature" -a$(jira me) --no-input

# Create with priority
jira issue create -t"Task" -s"Urgent fix" -yHigh --no-input

Viewing and Editing Issues

# View full issue details (plain text)
jira issue view ISSUE-123 --plain

# View full issue details (JSON for parsing)
jira issue view ISSUE-123 --raw

# Edit issue summary
jira issue edit ISSUE-123 -s"Updated title" --no-input

# Edit issue body/description
jira issue edit ISSUE-123 -b"Updated description" --no-input

# Add comment
jira issue comment add ISSUE-123 -b"Comment text" --no-input

Moving Issues Through Workflow

Always specify the target status explicitly:

# Move to specific status
jira issue move ISSUE-123 "In Progress"
jira issue move ISSUE-123 "Done"
jira issue move ISSUE-123 "To Do"

Sprint Management

# List all sprints
jira sprint list --plain

# View current sprint
jira sprint list --current --plain

# View sprint issues
jira sprint list SPRINT_ID --plain

# Filter sprint issues by assignee
jira sprint list SPRINT_ID -a$(jira me) --plain

# Get sprint data as JSON
jira sprint list --current --raw

Epic Management

# List epics
jira epic list --plain

# View epic issues
jira epic list EPIC-123 --plain

# Add issue to epic
jira epic add EPIC-123 ISSUE-456

Board Operations

# List boards
jira board list --plain

# View board details
jira board view BOARD_ID --plain

Output Formats

Always use non-interactive output:

• Plain text (--plain): Default choice for readable output
• JSON (--raw): Use when detailed/structured data is needed for parsing
• CSV (--csv): Use for spreadsheet export

Never use interactive mode - it requires user input and will hang.

Common Patterns

Daily Standup Check

# See what you're working on
jira issue list -a$(jira me) -s"In Progress" --plain

# Check current sprint
jira sprint list --current --plain

Start Working on Issue

# View issue details
jira issue view ISSUE-123 --plain

# Assign to yourself and move to In Progress
jira issue assign ISSUE-123 $(jira me)
jira issue move ISSUE-123 "In Progress"

Complete an Issue

# Move to done
jira issue move ISSUE-123 "Done"

# Add completion comment
jira issue comment add ISSUE-123 -b"Completed and deployed" --no-input

Troubleshooting

Check Configuration

# Verify current user
jira me

# Check server connection
jira serverinfo

# Debug mode
jira --debug issue list --plain

Common Issues

• Authentication errors: Ensure JIRAAPITOKEN is set correctly
• Project not found: Use -p PROJECT_KEY to specify project
• Invalid transition: Check issue status first with jira issue view ISSUE-123 --plain to see available transitions