| name | jira-bulk-operations |
| description | Bulk operations for multiple issues at scale. TRIGGERS: 'bulk update', 'bulk close', 'bulk transition', 'bulk assign', 'transition N issues' (N >= 10), 'update all bugs', 'close 50 issues', 'mass transition', 'update multiple issues', quantities like '50 issues', '100 bugs', '20+ tickets'. Use for operations on 10+ issues. NOT FOR: single issue transitions (use jira-lifecycle), searching only without modifications (use jira-search), single issue field updates (use jira-issue). |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | jira-assistant-skills |
| license | MIT |
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Glob","Grep"] |
jira-bulk
Bulk operations for JIRA issue management at scale - transitions, assignments, priorities, cloning, and deletion.
Risk Levels
| Operation | Risk | Notes |
|---|
| Dry-run any operation | - | Preview only, no changes |
| Bulk transition | !! | Affects many issues; use --dry-run first |
| Bulk assign | !! | Affects many issues; use --dry-run first |
| Bulk set-priority | !! | Affects many issues; use --dry-run first |
| Bulk clone | ! | Creates many issues; can delete |
| Bulk delete | !!! | IRREVERSIBLE - issues permanently lost |
Risk Legend: - Safe, read-only | ! Caution, modifiable | !! Warning, destructive but recoverable | !!! Danger, irreversible
CRITICAL: Always use --dry-run before executing bulk operations. Bulk delete is permanent and cannot be undone.
When to use this skill
IMPORTANT: Always use the jira-as CLI. Never run Python scripts directly.
Use this skill when you need to:
- Transition multiple issues through workflow states simultaneously
- Assign multiple issues to a user (or unassign)
- Set priority on multiple issues at once
- Clone issues with their subtasks and links
- Delete multiple issues permanently (with dry-run preview)
- Execute operations with dry-run preview before making changes
- Handle partial failures gracefully with progress tracking
Scale guidance:
- 5-10 issues: Run directly, no special options needed
- 50-100 issues: Use
--dry-run first, then execute
- 500+ issues: Use
--dry-run, then execute in smaller batches if needed
Quick Start
jira-as bulk transition --jql "project=PROJ AND status=\"In Progress\"" --to Done --dry-run
jira-as bulk transition --jql "project=PROJ AND status=\"In Progress\"" --to Done
For more patterns, see Quick Start Guide.
Available Commands
| Command | Purpose | Example |
|---|
jira-as bulk transition | Move issues to new status | --jql "..." --to "Done" |
jira-as bulk assign | Assign issues to user | --jql "..." --assignee john |
jira-as bulk set-priority | Set issue priority | --jql "..." --priority High |
jira-as bulk clone | Clone issues | --jql "..." --include-subtasks |
jira-as bulk delete | Delete issues permanently | --jql "..." --dry-run |
All commands support --help for full documentation.
Common Options
All commands support these options:
| Option | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|
-n/--dry-run | Preview changes | Always use for >10 issues |
-y/--yes | Skip confirmation | Scripted automation |
-m/--max-issues N | Limit scope (default: 100) | Testing, large operations |
-o/--output FORMAT | Output format: text (default), json | JSON for scripting |
Transition-Only Options
These options are only available for jira-as bulk transition:
| Option | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|
--comment / -c | Add comment with transition | Documenting bulk changes |
--resolution / -r | Set resolution (e.g., Fixed) | Closing issues |
Examples
Bulk Transition
jira-as bulk transition --issues PROJ-1,PROJ-2,PROJ-3 --to Done
jira-as bulk transition --jql "project=PROJ AND status=\"In Progress\"" --to Done
jira-as bulk transition --jql "type=Bug AND status=Verified" --to Closed --resolution Fixed
Bulk Assign
jira-as bulk assign --jql "project=PROJ AND status=Open" --assignee "john.doe"
jira-as bulk assign --jql "project=PROJ AND assignee IS EMPTY" --assignee self
jira-as bulk assign --jql "assignee=john.leaving" --unassign
Bulk Set Priority
jira-as bulk set-priority --jql "type=Bug AND labels=critical" --priority Highest
jira-as bulk set-priority --jql "type=Bug" --priority High --dry-run -o json
Bulk Clone
jira-as bulk clone --jql "sprint=\"Sprint 42\"" --include-subtasks --dry-run
jira-as bulk clone --jql "sprint=\"Sprint 42\"" --include-subtasks --include-links
jira-as bulk clone --issues PROJ-1,PROJ-2 --target-project NEWPROJ --prefix "[Clone]"
Bulk Delete (DESTRUCTIVE)
jira-as bulk delete --jql "project=CLEANUP" --dry-run
jira-as bulk delete --issues DEMO-1,DEMO-2,DEMO-3 --dry-run
jira-as bulk delete --jql "project=CLEANUP" --yes
jira-as bulk delete --jql "project=CLEANUP" --no-subtasks --dry-run
Safety features:
--dry-run shows exactly what will be deleted before making changes- Confirmation required for >10 issues (lower than other operations)
- Default
--max-issues 100 prevents accidental mass deletion
- Per-issue error tracking with summary of failures
Scale Recommendations
| Issue Count | Recommended Approach |
|---|
| <50 | Defaults are fine |
| 50-500 | --dry-run first, then execute |
| 500+ | --dry-run, then execute in smaller batches if needed |
Getting rate limit (429) errors?
- Use
--max-issues to process in smaller batches
- Consider running during off-peak hours
Exit Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|
| 0 | All operations successful |
| 1 | Some failures or validation error |
| 130 | Cancelled by user (Ctrl+C) |
Troubleshooting
| Error | Solution |
|---|
Transition not available | Check issue status with jira-as issue get ISSUE-KEY --show-transitions |
Permission denied | Verify JIRA project permissions (DELETE_ISSUES required for bulk delete) |
Rate limit (429) | Use --max-issues to process in smaller batches or run during off-peak hours |
Invalid JQL | Test JQL in JIRA search first |
Cannot delete issue with subtasks | Subtasks are deleted by default; use --no-subtasks to keep them |
For detailed error recovery, see Error Recovery Playbook.
Documentation
Related Skills
- jira-lifecycle: Single-issue transitions and workflow
- jira-search: Find issues with JQL queries
- jira-issue: Create and update single issues
