What's your go-to method for bulk editing Jira work items?

[#1]

If you manage projects in Jira and deal with a large volume of work items in Jira, you've likely faced the frustration of needing to make dozens (or even hundreds) of updates in one go.

Whether you're updating assignees, adjusting due dates for a swifter project delivery, or applying status changes across multiple tickets, handling repetitive tasks in Jira can sometimes be time-consuming.

The bigger your project or team, the more complex it gets. Navigating these updates manually can be a real hassle and increases the risk of inconsistencies or human error.

Sure, you can use the native Jira bulk edit feature, but as anyone who's tried it knows, it comes with limitations. And if your job includes operational work and project management, these small inefficiencies can add up really fast.

In environments where speed and accuracy are key, like agile sprints, project deliverables, or multi-team rollouts, scope creep, bottlenecks, and blockers can lead to delays.

So, if you need advice for managing recurring tasks efficiently, we have something that might assist you.

Let's face it — task management isn't always smooth sailing. Large volumes of Jira work items often mean juggling a mix of tools, permissions, or workflows. Because of that, some teams prefer to resort to manual copy-pasting or workarounds just to keep things moving.

And this is where apps like JXL for Jira come to save you (literally!).

JXL transforms Jira into a powerful, spreadsheet-like machine — ideal for high-volume updates and smarter workflows. With features like bulk editing by copying, pasting, and more, it's easier than ever to stay on top of the game while managing your work.

So, how can JXL enhance your Jira experience?

Editing anything directly on JXL sheets

Tired of opening one issue after another just to make small changes?

With JXL, you can edit any field directly on the sheet view. From assignees, statuses, labels, dates, and all other system or custom field types, you can update multiple cells at once.

It’s a massive time-saver when you're cleaning up sprints, fixing small mistakes across many work items, or managing last-minute changes during a release. And there’s no need to export anything to an external tool like Excel, Smartsheet, or Google Sheets. All of your data stays in the safe Jira environment.

Cloning work items made effortless

If you’ve ever found yourself having to duplicate dozens of Jira work items, you know how much of a struggle it can be (and what you could do with all the time you just saved).

JXL is integrated with the Clone Plus for Jira app and lets you clone hundreds of work items, including epics, tasks, and sub-tasks. Just highlight, copy, and get things moving.

Reassigning work in bulk

Let’s say a team member moves on or ownership shifts mid-sprint. Reassigning work items manually in that scenario? Unrealistic.

With JXL, you can edit any number of work items in seconds on a dedicated JXL sheet. You do not need to worry about manual edits; all of the tasks will be reassigned to their new owner in just a few clicks. And you stay assured that the work will still get done.

With JXL, you can manage everything from recurring epics to daily to-dos in one place. No need for separate Jira add-ons to manage repetitive work items; JXL brings structure, planning, and updates together. The app offers:

• Fast, spreadsheet-style editing,

• Structuring your work items exactly how you want,

• Saving time on manual edits and eliminating duplication,

• Saying goodbye to juggling multiple tools and exporting Jira data to external spreadsheets.

We'd love to hear how your team manages its workload.

Do you use any Jira scripts for repetitive tasks?
How do you bulk edit Jira work items to make your workflow more efficient?
Any advice on how to deal with repetitive Jira tasks at scale?

Drop your favorite methods, hacks, or success stories in the comments. We’d love to learn from you!

Visit the Atlassian Marketplace to discover how JXL makes Jira faster, smarter, and easier to work with.

[Dugald Morrow]

I recently created a Forge app that provides bulk work item operations and wrote up a summary in Building an enterprise-grade Jira bulk operations Forge app.