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Haulcopy / Guides / CSV export

Checked against Atlassian docs and a real Jira Cloud export on 17 Oct 2026

Jira CSV export: all fields or visible fields?

Short answer

“CSV - visible fields” exports the columns in your list, plus a few ID columns. “CSV - all fields” exports every field and is slower. Add the columns you need, pick visible fields, then open the file as UTF-8.

Which option fits you

Your situationPick
You need a few known columns“CSV - visible fields”, after adding the columns
You need comments or every custom field“CSV - all fields”
You will open the file in ExcelEither, then import as UTF-8 (step 5)
Characters look garbledRe-import as UTF-8 (step 5)
More than 10,000 work itemsSplit the search
You want an .xlsx fileNot a CSV option. See export Jira issues to Excel

Export a CSV step by step

1. Build the search and the columns

Run your JQL in the work item list. Add the columns you want with the column picker. Visible fields follows this list, so set it first.

2. Open the export menu

Select the … menu at the top right of the search, then Export.

3. Pick the option

The menu shows “CSV - visible fields”, “CSV - all fields”, “Excel CSV - visible fields” and “Excel CSV - all fields”.

Atlassian’s docs still call visible fields “current fields”, and list “filter fields” when you export a saved filter. Atlassian warns that all fields exports are slow and produce large files.

“XLSX - form data” is for Jira forms; see how to export Jira issues to Excel.

4. Download the file

In our test, a small export showed “Export complete” and downloaded right away, with no delimiter or encoding dialog. Atlassian says the export runs in the background and sends an in-product notification with a download link when it is ready.

One Cloud export holds up to 10,000 work items; on Data Center the default is 1,000 (why exports stop at 1,000).

5. Open it as UTF-8

Jira writes CSV files in UTF-8. Atlassian says older Excel versions read them as ANSI, which garbles accents and symbols. Our two test files had no byte order mark, the hint some Excel versions need.

Atlassian’s first advice is to skip the file: use Open in Microsoft Excel above the search, because exported CSVs may execute macros.

If you need the file, in Excel choose Data, From Text/CSV, set File origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8), then Load. In LibreOffice, pick Unicode (UTF-8) as the character set. Atlassian’s other fix: in Notepad, Save As with UTF-8 with BOM. Avoid double clicking the file.

6. Check for missing columns

Atlassian’s KB says a custom field with no value is left out of the CSV, and suggests a default value. Our “CSV - all fields” test on 57 work items kept 47 columns that were empty in every row. Check your own file before relying on either.

What each option gave us

“CSV - visible fields”“CSV - all fields”
Work items2057
Columns1483
Extras we did not pickIssue Type, Issue key, Issue id, Assignee Id, Reporter IdCustom fields, empty ones included
Multi value fieldsNot tested“Labels” appeared as two columns

Comments come out in “CSV - all fields”, each in its own Comment column, per Atlassian. Attachments can’t be bulk downloaded; only their URLs export.

Dates stay text in these files. For that, see fix Jira dates and numbers that land as text.

How Haulcopy exports CSV

Haulcopy is a Jira Cloud app that exports a JQL search to CSV, Excel or PDF.

  • CSV files are UTF-8 with a byte order mark, the same fix Atlassian suggests for Excel, and comma separated.
  • Multi value fields stay in one cell, separated by a comma and a space.
  • Key is always the first column; at most 50 columns.
  • Above 10,000 issues, the export is split into files of up to 10,000.
  • Up to 1,000 schedules. Your data stays in Atlassian; Haulcopy has no servers of its own.
Haulcopy CSV opened as a table. Key is the first column, then Summary, Status, Assignee, Priority, Labels, and Created.

Haulcopy is coming to the Atlassian Marketplace. Email support@haulcopy.com and we will tell you the day it is live.

FAQ

Is “visible fields” the same as “current fields”?

Yes. The menu says “CSV - visible fields”; Atlassian’s docs still say current fields.

Why are some custom fields missing?

Atlassian says fields with no value are left out and suggests a default value. In our all fields test, empty columns stayed, so check your own file.

How do I export comments?

Use “CSV - all fields”. Each comment gets its own Comment column.

Why do I see strange characters in Excel?

Excel read the UTF-8 file with the wrong encoding. Import it with File origin set to UTF-8.

How many work items can I export?

Up to 10,000 per export. For more, split the search by created date.

Does Jira export .xlsx?

There is no native .xlsx of your columns. Use a CSV export or Open in Microsoft Excel. “XLSX - form data” holds one form’s responses plus your selected columns.

Sources: Atlassian docs and our own export, listed below. Checked 17 Oct 2026.