JQL Search

With Checklists for Jira, you can search for work items using checklist-specific JQL queries directly in Jira’s search interface. This feature lets you build powerful filters based on checklist progress, item counts, and assignees — across any project or board.

Quick overview of Checklists JQL fields

The table below summarises all available Checklists JQL fields, their supported operators, and what they return.

JQL field	What it returns	Supported operators
checklistsItemsCount	Work items with a specified total number of checklist items on the work item (regardless of status)	=, !=, >, >=, <, <=, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY
checklistsOpenItemsCount	Work items with a specified number of incomplete (open) checklist items	=, !=, >, >=, <, <=, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY
checklistsCompletedItemsCount	Work items with a specified number of completed checklist items	=, !=, >, >=, <, <=, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY
checklistsItemAssignee	Work items where the user is assigned to any checklist item	=, !=, in, not in, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY
checklistsOpenItemAssignee	Work items where the user is assigned to at least one open item	=, !=, in, not in, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY
checklistsCompletedItemAssignee	Work items where the user is assigned to at least one completed item	=, !=, in, not in, is EMPTY, is not EMPTY

The assignee fields accept display name, email address, or Atlassian account ID as the value. Use currentUser() to refer to the currently logged-in user.

To find work items where any of several users have open checklist items, use the 'in' operator. Example: checklistsOpenItemAssignee in (alice@example.com, bob@example.com)

Use cases

Track checklist progress across your team

Goal	JQL expression
All work items that have no checklists or empty checklists	checklistsItemsCount is EMPTY OR checklistsItemsCount = 0
All work items with a checklist	checklistsItemsCount is not EMPTY
Work items where the checklist is fully done	checklistsOpenItemsCount = 0 AND checklistsCompletedItemsCount > 0
Work items in progress — some items done, some still open	checklistsOpenItemsCount > 0 AND checklistsCompletedItemsCount > 0
Work items planned — checklist exists, nothing started yet	checklistsOpenItemsCount > 0 AND checklistsCompletedItemsCount = 0
Work items assigned to a specific user that have incomplete checklist items	assignee = jane.doe@example.com AND checklistsOpenItemsCount > 0
Work items where a specific person still has open checklist items assigned to them	checklistsOpenItemAssignee = Jane Doe

Personal task management

Goal	JQL expression
All work items where I have open checklist items to do	checklistsOpenItemAssignee = currentUser()
All work items where I’ve completed all my checklist items	checklistsCompletedItemAssignee = currentUser() AND checklistsOpenItemAssignee != currentUser()
Work items where I have both open and completed items (in progress)	checklistsOpenItemAssignee = currentUser() AND checklistsCompletedItemAssignee = currentUser()
Any work item I’m involved in via a checklist item	checklistsItemAssignee = currentUser()

Combine checklist JQL fields with any standard Jira field (project, sprint, fixVersion, status, assignee) to build precise cross-functional queries.

Saved filters & dashboards for reporting

Any JQL query can be saved as a Jira filter and reused across the product:

Saved filters: Run your JQL in Jira’s work item search, then click Save filter and give it a name. The filter can be shared with your team.
Dashboard gadgets: Add the standard Jira Filter Results gadget to any dashboard, then select your saved JQL filter to create a persistent team view.
Checklists Progress dashboard: To view the progress of checklist items, you can use the Checklists Progress dashboard gadget in our app. The two features are complementary: JQL search returns work items, the dashboard gadget shows the list of checklist items, filterable and grouped by assignee, project, or work item. You can use it to see exactly which steps have been completed or are still pending.

How search data is stored. Our app stores checklist data in Jira issue entity properties. These properties are written on behalf of the user who modifies the Jira work item, and are indexed by Jira to enable JQL search. No additional configuration is required for JQL to work.

Data indexing latency. Entity properties are indexed by Jira asynchronously. After a checklist is modified, search results may take a few seconds to reflect the change. If a query returns unexpected results immediately after an edit, wait a moment and re-run it.

Questions about specific use cases? Feel free to reach out to our support team. We'd be happy to help!

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