Does Jira CLI work with Jira Cloud and Jira Server?

Yes. Jira CLI supports both Jira Cloud and Jira Server/Data Center. Run jira init and select your installation type. Cloud uses API tokens from id.atlassian.com, while Server supports basic auth, personal access tokens (bearer), and mTLS client certificates.

Is Jira CLI an official Atlassian product?

No. Jira CLI is a community-built open-source tool created by Ankit Pokhrel. It is not developed or maintained by Atlassian. However, Atlassian is listed as a supporter of the project. The tool is licensed under MIT and has over 5,000 GitHub stars.

How do you authenticate Jira CLI?

For Jira Cloud, generate an API token at id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens and export it as JIRA_API_TOKEN. For on-premise, export your password or personal access token as JIRA_API_TOKEN. Then run jira init to create a config file. You can also use .netrc or your system keychain for token storage.

Can you use Jira CLI with multiple Jira projects?

Yes. You can load different configuration files using the --config/-c flag or by setting the JIRA_CONFIG_FILE environment variable. This lets you switch between projects or even different Jira instances without reconfiguring.

Does Jira CLI support JQL queries?

Yes. Use the --jql/-q flag with any list command to pass raw JQL within your project context. For example, jira issue list -q "summary ~ cli" searches for issues whose summary contains the word cli. You can also combine JQL with other filter flags.

Jira CLI

5.3k stars

open-source macOS Cross-platform Actively maintained

Feature-rich interactive Jira command line. Create, search, and transition issues, manage sprints and epics, all without leaving the terminal.

When to use

Jira CLI is built for developers and team leads who spend significant time in Jira but prefer the terminal over the web UI. If you find yourself constantly switching between your editor and a browser tab to check ticket statuses, create issues, or move cards across boards, this tool eliminates that friction entirely.The interactive TUI is the standout feature. Unlike most CLI tools that dump plain text, Jira CLI renders issues in a navigable table where you can press `v` to view details, `m` to transition tickets, and `Enter` to open them in the browser. This makes triage sessions and standup prep remarkably fast — you can scan your sprint, check priorities, and move tickets without touching Jira's notoriously slow web interface.The filtering system is genuinely powerful. You can compose queries by chaining flags for status, priority, assignee, labels, date ranges, and raw JQL. Need high-priority bugs assigned to you that were created this week? That is a single command, not five clicks through Jira filters. The `--plain` and `--csv` output modes make it easy to pipe results into scripts for reporting, bulk operations, or CI/CD integrations.Jira CLI supports both Jira Cloud and Jira Server/Data Center, which matters for enterprise teams stuck on on-premise installations. The tool handles API token auth, personal access tokens, and even mTLS client certificates. If your team uses Jira and you are comfortable in a terminal, install this immediately.

When to skip

Skip Jira CLI if you do not use Atlassian Jira. This tool is Jira-specific — it will not work with Linear, Asana, Shortcut, GitHub Issues, or any other project management platform. If your team uses one of those alternatives, look for a CLI built for that specific platform.If your Jira workflow is heavily visual — you rely on drag-and-drop board views, custom dashboards, or Jira's built-in automation rules — the CLI will not replace those experiences. Jira CLI excels at issue-level operations (create, search, transition, assign) but does not replicate board-level drag-and-drop or the full Jira administration interface. Complex Jira configurations like custom workflows with dozens of transitions, screens, and post-functions are easier to manage through the web UI.Non-technical team members who are uncomfortable with the terminal should stick with the web interface. Jira CLI requires basic command-line fluency and some understanding of JQL syntax to get the most out of filtering. The initial setup also requires generating an API token and running `jira init`, which is straightforward for developers but may be a barrier for project managers or product owners who do not use terminals regularly.Windows support is listed as partial. If you are exclusively on Windows and do not use WSL, you may encounter rough edges. The tool works best on macOS and Linux where terminal tooling is first-class. Finally, if you only interact with Jira a few times per week, the overhead of learning the CLI commands may not justify the time savings over the web UI.

Key Commands

jira issue list Search and list issues with filters for status, priority, assignee, labels, and JQL

jira issue create Create a new issue with type, summary, priority, labels, and description

jira issue move Transition an issue from one status to another

jira issue view View issue details rendered as markdown in the terminal

jira sprint list List sprints and filter issues within a sprint

jira epic list Browse epics and their child issues in an explorer view

jira issue assign Assign an issue to a user, yourself, or unassign it

GitHub Stats

repo ankitpokhrel/jira-cli

stars 5.3k

language Go

license MIT

last commit Jan 20, 2026

Links

GitHub repository github.com/ankitpokhrel/jira-cli Installation guide (wiki) github.com/ankitpokhrel/jira-cli/wiki/Installation FAQs and discussions github.com/ankitpokhrel/jira-cli/discussions/categories/faqs Release notes github.com/ankitpokhrel/jira-cli/releases

Alternatives

tool	description
Jira CLI	current tool
go-jira	Simple Jira command line client in Go. Context-aware configuration, template-based output. Last release in 2020, largely unmaintained.
jirust-cli	Jira CLI written in Rust with WASM support for Node.js. Actively maintained but smaller community.

FAQ

Does Jira CLI work with Jira Cloud and Jira Server?: Yes. Jira CLI supports both Jira Cloud and Jira Server/Data Center. Run jira init and select your installation type. Cloud uses API tokens from id.atlassian.com, while Server supports basic auth, personal access tokens (bearer), and mTLS client certificates.
Is Jira CLI an official Atlassian product?: No. Jira CLI is a community-built open-source tool created by Ankit Pokhrel. It is not developed or maintained by Atlassian. However, Atlassian is listed as a supporter of the project. The tool is licensed under MIT and has over 5,000 GitHub stars.
How do you authenticate Jira CLI?: For Jira Cloud, generate an API token at id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens and export it as JIRA_API_TOKEN. For on-premise, export your password or personal access token as JIRA_API_TOKEN. Then run jira init to create a config file. You can also use .netrc or your system keychain for token storage.
Can you use Jira CLI with multiple Jira projects?: Yes. You can load different configuration files using the --config/-c flag or by setting the JIRA_CONFIG_FILE environment variable. This lets you switch between projects or even different Jira instances without reconfiguring.
Does Jira CLI support JQL queries?: Yes. Use the --jql/-q flag with any list command to pass raw JQL within your project context. For example, jira issue list -q "summary ~ cli" searches for issues whose summary contains the word cli. You can also combine JQL with other filter flags.