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Jira Keyboard Shortcuts (Cloud & Server) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Jira keyboard shortcuts for agile teams — create issues, navigate projects, update issue states, and search with JQL without ever touching the mouse.
19 shortcuts across 3 categories · Web (all browsers)
Jira is Atlassian's industry-standard issue tracker and project management platform, used by software teams worldwide to manage backlogs, sprints, and bug queues. Its keyboard shortcuts — including the C key to create a new issue from anywhere and G+G for global search — let developers and project managers navigate and update tickets far faster than clicking through the web interface.
Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open Quick Search | / | Focus the quick search bar to find issues, projects, or boards |
| Go to Issues & Filters | g i | Navigate directly to the Issues and filters page (press g then i) |
| Go to Projects | g p | Navigate directly to the Projects listing page (press g then p) |
| Move Selection Down | j | Move the highlight to the next issue in the issue list |
| Move Selection Up | k | Move the highlight to the previous issue in the issue list |
| Open Selected Issue | o | Open the currently highlighted issue in a new tab |
| Show Keyboard Shortcuts Help | Shift + ? | Display the full keyboard shortcuts reference dialog |
Issue Actions
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Create Issue | c | Open the Create Issue dialog from anywhere in Jira |
| Edit Issue | e | Open the selected issue in edit mode |
| Comment on Issue | m | Open the comment field for the selected issue |
| Assign Issue | a | Open the assignee picker for the selected issue |
| Log Work | l | Open the Log Work dialog to record time spent |
| More Actions Menu | . | Open the More actions menu (⋯) for the selected issue |
| Share Issue URL | s | Open the Share dialog to copy or send the current issue link |
Editing & Search
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Save Changes | Ctrl + S or ⌘ + S | Save edits in the issue edit screen without leaving the page |
| Submit Comment / Description | Ctrl + Enter or ⌘ + Enter | Submit a comment or save a description without clicking the Save button |
| Advanced Issue Search (JQL) | Ctrl + Shift + F or ⌘ + Shift + F | Switch to the advanced JQL search view to write custom queries |
| Create Sub-task | Alt + Shift + N or Option + Shift + N | Open the Create Sub-task dialog for the current issue |
| Open Mentions Dialog | Ctrl + Shift + M or ⌘ + Shift + M | Open the Mentions panel to see all your @mentions |
Jira Tips & Tricks
- c creates an issue from anywhere: Pressing c opens the Create Issue dialog no matter where you are in Jira — you never need to find the blue Create button. The dialog remembers your last project and issue type, so back-to-back issue creation is very fast.
- g then i / g then p for instant board hopping: Jira's two-key navigation shortcuts (g→i for Issues, g→p for Projects) work like Vim motions — press the first key to enter navigation mode, then the second to jump. They work on any page and are the fastest way to switch contexts.
- j and k turn the issue list into a keyboard-driven inbox: On a board, backlog, or search results page, j and k move the selection down and up through issues. Hit o to open the highlighted issue in a new tab, so you can triage a whole column without ever reaching for the mouse.
Frequently Asked Questions — Jira
- What is the shortcut to create a new issue in Jira?
- Press C on any Jira page to open the Create Issue dialog. This works from any view — board, backlog, or issue detail — without navigating to a specific project first. The dialog lets you set the project, issue type, summary, and assignee before submitting.
- How do I open Jira's global search from the keyboard?
- Press G then G (press G twice in quick succession) to open the quick search bar at the top of Jira. You can search for issues by key (like PROJ-123), by assignee, or by summary text. The results update as you type, and pressing Enter opens the top result.
- How do I navigate between issues in Jira using the keyboard?
- On a board or backlog view, use the arrow keys to move between issues. Press J to move to the next issue and K to move to the previous issue when viewing an issue detail page. Press [ and ] to navigate between the left and right panels of a Jira board.
How to Learn Jira Keyboard Shortcuts
Jira is Atlassian's project and issue tracking platform, used by software development teams worldwide to manage backlogs, sprints, bugs, and feature requests. Its keyboard shortcuts are organized around the most common actions in a development workflow: creating issues, navigating between tickets, and managing board views. The G+G shortcut opens the global search, letting you jump to any project, issue, or board by name. Pressing C on any Jira page opens the Create Issue dialog — the starting point for capturing bugs, stories, and tasks without navigating to the project board first. The dot (.) key opens the app switcher, allowing navigation between Jira and other Atlassian products like Confluence, Trello, and Bitbucket.
On the Jira board and backlog views where most sprint work happens, the keyboard shortcuts significantly speed up issue management. The arrow keys navigate between issues on a board, and pressing Enter opens the selected issue in a detail view. On the backlog view, M moves the selected issue to the next sprint, and the right arrow expands collapsed epic or sprint sections. For issue detail pages, the J and K keys navigate to the next and previous issues in the current list or sprint — allowing rapid review of multiple tickets without returning to the board between each one. Jira's shortcut list is accessible at any time by pressing Shift+? (the standard question mark shortcut used across many web applications), which is worth checking after each Jira update as new shortcuts are occasionally added.