Jira Cloud; does the audit trail include any deleted items?

[Edgar Smeets]

Hi all here in the Community,

I have been building a rather simple project in Jira Cloud. This I wish to offer my clients, working in a rather regulated environment (running clinical trials).

My question I could not find out here in the knowledge base. The questions dealing with retrieving deleted issues, are dated quite some time ago, and might not cover Jira Cloud.

When I would delete an issue on the project, I take it its ID will not be re-used (not a question), but would one be able to retrieve it for audit trail purposes, such as in a PDF file made with the add -on 'Better PDF Exporter for Jira Cloud'?

Thanks, Edgar

[Joe Pitt · Accepted solution]

Delete is DELETE. Numbers are NOT reused, which can lead to 'what happened to issue...' questions

Do not delete issues. When you delete it is GONE. Hardly a week goes by without someone wanting to restore an issue. Deleting issues will come back and bite you when it is the most inconvenient. I suggest closing with a resolution value of Deleted anything you want to delete. I implement a special transition only the project lead can execute and it requires filling in a reason field from a select list (such as entered in error, OBE, Duplicate, Other) and explanation text.

Deleting issues destroys historical data. Missing issue numbers will eventually cause a question about what it was and why was it deleted even if it was done properly. Missing data always brings in the question of people hiding something that may have looked bad.

The only viable way to restore an issue is to create a new instance of JIRA and restore a backup that has the issues. Then export them to a csv file and import them to your production instance. You will lose the history.

None of my users have delete permission.

If you insist on deleting issues you need the delete issue permission

[Edgar Smeets]

@Joe Pitt 

Joe, wonderful background this is. Thank you. I shall take precautions that no user / project member can ever delete any issue. 

Thanks again. Edgar