Change Project Key

[Raoul Kaiser]

When I began working on a project the project name and key fit. After the project has evolved the project name and key no longer work and has become very confusing. Changing the name is very easy but changing the key is not. All issues except 1 in this incorrectly titled project belong to the new project name. For the exception I need to keep the current project name and key because it makes sense for that one. I just can't figure out how to change the product key which currently leaves me with the following 3 choices.

1. I could create a new project with new key and move everything but the one story. But then I loose the audit trail because of the previous/already implemented stories.
2. I could Modify the project name & keep the key then create the new project & key but that will be confusing as well.
3. Live with the mistake for the next year.

Does anyone know how to change the project key?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

You can't change a project key, really, you're a bit stuck. Your question actually contains most of the answers already, so you've thought of almost everything.

What you could do:

1. Exactly as you say in point 1 - new project and move what you need. Note that you don't lose the audit trail though - issues retain their history, and even urls - if you move XYZ-123 to ABC-456, and someone hits http://yourjira/browse/xyz-123, it will land on ABC-456
2. Hack the database to change all the keys - requires backups, downtime, understanding of the database (and I'd create the target project first), testing and so-on. If you go this route, you still need separate projects. Projects still must have a consistent key - Project XYZ cannot contain issues keyed with ABC-... Oh, and you can't do this in OnDemand as you don't have database access.
3. As you say in point 2
4. Pretty much point 3.