This cheat sheet covers every Jira CLI command available in atlassian-cli. All commands are copy-paste ready -- replace placeholder values (DEV-123, user@example.com) with your own. For a full walkthrough with context, see the Complete Guide to Jira CLI Tools.
Authentication
Set up profiles and manage credentials. Create an API token at id.atlassian.com first.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
auth login |
Add a new profile with credentials | atlassian-cli auth login --profile work --base-url your-domain.atlassian.net --email you@company.com --token $TOKEN --default |
auth list |
List all configured profiles | atlassian-cli auth list |
auth test |
Test authentication works | atlassian-cli auth test --profile work |
Credentials are stored with AES-256-GCM encryption in ~/.atlassian-cli/config.yaml. Use the --profile flag on any command to target a specific instance.
Issue Search
Search issues using JQL (Jira Query Language). Add --format json to any search for machine-readable output.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira search |
Search with any JQL query | atlassian-cli jira search --jql "project = DEV order by created desc" --limit 5 |
jira search |
Open bugs assigned to you | atlassian-cli jira search --jql "assignee = currentUser() AND type = Bug AND status != Done" |
jira search |
Unassigned issues in sprint | atlassian-cli jira search --jql "sprint in openSprints() AND assignee is EMPTY" |
jira search |
Recently updated issues | atlassian-cli jira search --jql "project = DEV AND updated >= -1d" --format json |
jira search |
Issues by label | atlassian-cli jira search --jql "project = DEV AND labels = 'urgent'" |
Issue CRUD
Create, read, update, and delete individual issues.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira get |
Get issue details | atlassian-cli jira get DEV-123 |
jira get |
Get issue as JSON | atlassian-cli jira get DEV-123 --format json |
jira create |
Create a bug | atlassian-cli jira create --project DEV --issue-type Bug --summary "Login page returns 500" |
jira create |
Create a task | atlassian-cli jira create --project DEV --issue-type Task --summary "Update API docs" |
jira update |
Update issue summary | atlassian-cli jira update DEV-123 --summary "Updated summary" |
jira delete |
Delete an issue | atlassian-cli jira delete DEV-123 |
Transitions & Assignments
Move issues through workflow states and manage assignments.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira transition |
Move to "In Progress" | atlassian-cli jira transition DEV-123 --transition "In Progress" |
jira transition |
Move to "Done" | atlassian-cli jira transition DEV-123 --transition "Done" |
jira assign |
Assign to a user | atlassian-cli jira assign DEV-123 --assignee user@example.com |
Comments & Watchers
Add comments and manage issue watchers.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira automation list |
List automation rules | atlassian-cli jira automation list |
jira webhooks list |
List webhooks | atlassian-cli jira webhooks list |
jira audit list |
View audit logs | atlassian-cli jira audit list --from 2025-01-01 --limit 100 |
Bulk Operations
Process hundreds or thousands of issues with a single command. All bulk commands support --dry-run to preview changes before executing.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira bulk transition |
Transition matching issues (dry-run) | atlassian-cli jira bulk transition --jql "project = DEV AND status = Open" --transition "In Progress" --dry-run |
jira bulk transition |
Transition matching issues (execute) | atlassian-cli jira bulk transition --jql "project = DEV AND status = Open" --transition "In Progress" |
jira bulk assign |
Assign unassigned issues | atlassian-cli jira bulk assign --jql "project = DEV AND assignee is EMPTY" --assignee admin@example.com |
jira bulk export |
Export issues to JSON | atlassian-cli jira bulk export --jql "project = DEV" --output issues.json --format json |
jira bulk export |
Export issues to CSV | atlassian-cli jira bulk export --jql "project = DEV" --output issues.csv --format csv |
Bulk operations run with concurrent execution and built-in rate-limit handling. The --dry-run flag is essential -- always preview destructive changes before committing.
Projects & Admin
Inspect your Jira configuration: projects, fields, workflows, components, versions, and roles.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
jira project list |
List all projects | atlassian-cli jira project list |
jira project get |
Get project details | atlassian-cli jira project get DEV |
jira fields list |
List custom fields | atlassian-cli jira fields list |
jira workflows list |
List workflows | atlassian-cli jira workflows list |
jira workflows export |
Export a workflow definition | atlassian-cli jira workflows export --name "Software Simplified Workflow" |
jira components list |
List project components | atlassian-cli jira components list --project DEV |
jira versions list |
List project versions | atlassian-cli jira versions list --project DEV |
jira roles list |
List project roles | atlassian-cli jira roles list --project DEV |
jira roles get |
Get role details | atlassian-cli jira roles get --project DEV --role-id 10002 |
jira roles actors |
List role actors (members) | atlassian-cli jira roles actors --project DEV --role-id 10002 |
jira roles add-actor |
Add a user to a role | atlassian-cli jira roles add-actor --project DEV --role-id 10002 --user user@example.com |
jira roles remove-actor |
Remove a user from a role | atlassian-cli jira roles remove-actor --project DEV --role-id 10002 --user user@example.com |
Output Formats
Every command supports multiple output formats via the --format flag. Choose the right format for your use case:
| Format | Flag | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Table | --format table |
Default. Human-readable terminal output with aligned columns. |
| JSON | --format json |
Machine-readable. Pipe to jq for filtering. Best for CI/CD pipelines. |
| CSV | --format csv |
Spreadsheet-ready. Import into Excel, Google Sheets, or any data tool. |
| YAML | --format yaml |
Config-file friendly. Good for documentation and version-controlled outputs. |
| Quiet | --format quiet |
Minimal output. Returns only IDs or keys -- useful for scripting chains. |
Examples of piping output for scripting:
# Get issue keys and pipe to another command
atlassian-cli jira search \
--jql "project = DEV AND status = Open" \
--format quiet
# Export to JSON and filter with jq
atlassian-cli jira search \
--jql "project = DEV" \
--format json | jq '.[].key'
# Export issues to CSV for a spreadsheet
atlassian-cli jira bulk export \
--jql "project = DEV" \
--output issues.csv \
--format csv