How to Fix Duplicate User Entries in Jira Cloud User Picker Fields

Platform Notice: Cloud Only - This article only applies to Atlassian apps on the cloud platform.

Summary

Adding a user as a portal-only customer before they create their Atlassian Account results in duplicate accounts with the same email address in the user picker fields.

Duplicates occur when a user is added as a portal-only customer before creating an Atlassian account with the same email. The result: two accounts with the same email, so the user can't see the issues they raised under the original login, and both appear in the user-picker fields.

Solution

Replicating the issue

  1. Ensure your email address is not currently associated with an Atlassian Account.

  2. Browse to a Service Management Project > Customers > Add customers and add a customer using the email address.

  3. Navigate to https://admin.atlassian.com/s/Your_site_ID/users (User Management) > Invite > Users and add a user using the same email address.

Merging user accounts to reduce the impact of the problem

Before Migrating:

Newly migrated customers must log in using their Atlassian Account credentials after you migrate them. If they're new to Atlassian Cloud, they need to verify their email address.

The problem can be mitigated by doing the following, but it does not prevent future occurrences of the problem.

Use the Atlassian migration tool to migrate the portal user to a full Jira user with application access.

  1. Go to User Management > Jira Service Management (YourDomain.atlassian.net/admin/jira-service-Management/portal-only-customers).

  2. Search for the duplicated user.

  3. Click the three-dot icon (•••) > Migrate to Atlassian account.

Migration deactivates the portal-only profile, moves their requests to the new account, and assigns a new user key. Migrated customers must then log in with their Atlassian account (and verify their email if new to Atlassian Cloud).

When you migrate a customer to Atlassian account, Jira does the following:

  • Deactivate their portal-only profile.

  • Migrate important data, such as their requests, to a new Atlassian account.

  • Assign a new user key to the Atlassian account.

The old portal-only profile still displays as Inactive, but you can't un-migrate it.

Which account is best for my customers?

External Customers

Internal Customers

These users can

Send requests using the portal or email.

View the knowledge base articles in the portal.

Everything that an external customer has, plus:

Be licensed on other cloud products.

Configure SAML SSO for these accounts. Learn how to set up SAML SSO.

Customers who you

View strictly as a client.

Collaborate with, or may need more access in the future.

These customers can be found under

User Management > Jira Service Management (YourDomain.atlassian.net/admin/jira-service-Management/portal-only-customers). Learn how to add external customers.

User Management > Users (YourDomain.atlassian.net/admin/users). Learn how to add internal customers.

In their profiles, they either have licenses to other Jira Cloud products or have no checkboxes ticked.

Where should they log in?

They must access the portal URL (YourDomain.atlassian.net/serviceManagement).

To find this URL in your project:

In a Service Management project sidebar, select Customer channels.

Copy the URL under the Customer portal.

They can log in at your site's root URL (YourDomain.atlassian.net).

Migration reduces the impact but does not stop future duplicates. To prevent recurrence, see How to prevent duplication of accounts in JSM.

Updated on July 16, 2026

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