Can't delete files from attachment panel in Jira Cloud

Summary

Understand why you can't delete an attachment from the panel in Jira Cloud.

Solution

If the attachment panel does not let you delete a file, first identify where the attachment was added. Files added through a comment, description, or custom field must be removed from that originating comment or field.

Attachments added via comments or fields

By design, you can't delete a file via the attachment panel if it was added to the work item by a comment or field. This is as informed in Jira documentation Delete an attachment in a work item: If that’s the case, find the field or comment the attachment was added to and delete it from there.

Identify how the attachment was added to the work item

Hover over the attachment and select the eye icon. The note identifies whether the file came from a comment or description, or from a custom field.

Delete attachment

• Comment or description: Use the eye icon to open the comment containing the attachment. Remove the attachment from its source. Deleting a comment with an attachment removes the attachment from the work item; preserve the existing caveat about copied attachments.

• Custom field: Use the field name shown in the attachment panel to find the field and remove the file. If the field is unavailable, use Find Your field and the existing screen guidance to make it available for editing.If the field is not available, refer to add a custom field to a screen to add the field to the screen associated with editing issues for that work type. Once the field is available, manually remove the file from it.

Verify the result:

Return to the attachment panel and confirm that the file is no longer present after it has been removed from the originating comment or custom field.