Two users are getting different results from JQL Issue searches, Filters or Dashboards in Jira

Summary

There are a number of reasons that can cause two users to see different results in a search, Board or Dashboard in Jira. This article lists some possible causes and their respective resolutions.

Environment

Any version of Jira Software or Jira Service Management Data Center.

Diagnosis

Logged in (or impersonated as through apps like ScriptRunner) as a user, notice a filter brings different results than when logged (or impersonated) as another, and the two users would have the same accesses and roles.

It's important that this test is performed on the same Node:

1. Open any Dashboard and scroll to the bottom of the page. Take note of the Node's Id from the page footer.

2. Keep opening "incognito" browser windows and logging in until you fall into the same node.

If the results are the same on the same node, but different when on another node, this may be an issue with Index replication. Refer to this article instead:

• Index Replication Jira Data Center Troubleshooting

Cause

Here's a list of possible causes and their respective solutions.

1. Access restriction

Take the union of a sample of the different or missing Issues in the results from both users and make a new search with just the Issue keys:

Confirm that both users can see the same results (on the same node) then.

• If it still report different results or an error is shown, the missing Issues have some sort of access restriction to one user and not the other.

• If the results are the same when querying by the keys directly, the cause is likely some clause on the JQL.

2. User timezone and dates in the query

If the search query has any date or date function, the difference may be due to the users' timezone preferences.

The query from #1 would have brought the same results from both, but when using dates or date functions on the search they report differently.

Compare both users' profile preferences — if the Region and Timezone are different, this is likely the cause. Jira "translates" the dates and dates functions to the respective user preference timezone.

3. Sprint names or functions in the query

If the query from #1 works the same for both and the original query has Sprint names or Spring functions in it, this may be the issue.

4. Third party JQL functions

Several apps provide JQL functions of their own and they may have access restriction configured in each respective app.

Solution

1. Access restriction

If querying directly on the keys still reported different results, we should suspect the users don't have the exact same permissions or privileges after all.

On the User Management page, compare the Roles they both have and see if there's anything missing. Permissions can be configured to Project Roles or Issue Fields (Reporter, Assignee, etc), no only groups.

Also make sure there are no Security Level set for the Issues not showing for a user — to fix this either remove the Security Level or add the other user to it (or leave it as it is if intended).

You may refer to this article to compare the permissions and see what's missing:

• How to list all permissions granted to a user in Jira

2. User timezone and dates in the query

On each user profile preference, edit it and set to the same Region and Timezone — preferably "Jira Default".

See if the searches now report the same Issues.

If there isn't a specific reason for the different profile timezone, users are advised to keep the Jira Default to avoid such conflicts on date or date function searches.

3. Sprint names or functions in the query

Refer to this article instead:

• Different results are displayed for different users with same roles and permissions for the JQL with sprint name conditions

4. Third party JQL functions

You should reach out to the respective App developer for support on the different results. The listing of apps and their respective developers and support channels can be browser from https://marketplace.atlassian.com/