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Jira Keyboard Shortcuts - Printable Cheat Sheet (2026)
Jira Cloud keyboard shortcuts for creating work items, focusing search, navigating boards, assigning issues, and adding comments.
12 shortcuts across 2 categories · Web
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.
Quick lookups (12 key combinations)
Compare what these combinations do across applications and operating systems.
Official documentation
Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open Quick Search | / | Focus the quick search bar to find issues, projects, or boards |
| 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 work item |
| Next Column | n | Navigate to the next column on a board |
| Previous Column | p | Navigate to the previous column on a board |
| Show Keyboard Shortcuts Help | Shift + / | Type ? to display the shortcuts available in your current Jira context |
Issue Actions
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Create Issue | c | Open the Create Issue dialog from anywhere in Jira |
| Comment on Issue | m | Open the comment field for the selected issue |
| Assign Issue | a | Open the assignee picker for the selected issue |
| Assign to Me | i | Assign the selected work item to yourself |
| More Actions Menu | . | Open the More actions menu (⋯) for the selected issue |
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.
- Check your current shortcuts with ?: Press Shift+/ or choose Help > Keyboard shortcuts. Jira Cloud shows commands for your browser, permissions, project type, and current view; older Server or Data Center lists may differ.
- j and k navigate work items: Use j and k to move down and up, n and p to change columns on a board, and o to open the selected work item. Move focus out of a text editor first.
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 / outside a text field to focus search in Jira Cloud. Search by issue key or summary, then choose the appropriate result. Check Help > Keyboard shortcuts for availability in your current view.
- How do I navigate between issues in Jira using the keyboard?
- Use J to move down and K to move up through work items. On a board, N moves to the next column and P to the previous column. O opens the selected work item. These are the navigation commands documented by Atlassian for Jira Cloud; focus must be outside a text field.
How to Learn Jira Keyboard Shortcuts
Jira Cloud is Atlassian's work tracking platform for backlogs, sprints, bugs, and feature requests. Press / to focus search and C to create a work item when focus is outside a text field. The dot (.) key opens More Actions for the selected issue in supported views, not an app switcher. Availability depends on permissions, project type, and the current view, so check Help > Keyboard shortcuts rather than relying on an older Jira Server reference.
Atlassian documents J and K for moving down and up through work items, N and P for the next and previous columns on a board, and O for opening a selected item. A opens assignment, I assigns the item to you, and M adds a comment; M does not move an issue into a sprint. Press ? (Shift+/ on a US keyboard) for the current shortcut dialog. Start with navigation and commenting, keep focus out of the editor when using single-letter commands, and confirm any additional command in that dialog before adding it to your routine.