Declutter your JIRA backlog [JQL queries included]

Ah, the JIRA backlog. ??

It's like that dirty room in your house where you just keep piling on things, hoping one day it will magically organize itself.?

Spoiler alert: It won’t. That room will eventually turn into a stinky mess, and your JIRA backlog isn’t far behind.

But fear not! ??♂? You can tame that beast with the help of a few JQL (Jira Query Language) queries. So grab your keyboard and let’s get started.

???? Hi, it's Raj. Welcome to Product Playbooks. Every week, I dive into reader questions about the challenges of working in product teams. I provide no-fluff advice in an actionable "1 hour playbook" format. Let's jump into this week's play...?

Q. My JIRA backlog is a mess. How do I clean it up?

If you've ever looked at your JIRA backlog and felt a sudden urge to scream into the void, you're not alone.

It’s not just a backlog; it’s a graveyard of forgotten user stories, half-baked ideas, and tasks that somehow survived the apocalypse. ??

Over time, your backlog grows like a pet that’s been overfed—bloated, unwieldy, and difficult to manage.

But don’t worry, the power of JQL is here to help you declutter and make sense of the chaos.

Signs Your JIRA Backlog Needs Decluttering:

• You find stories that are older than the last ice age ??
• Your team spends more time scrolling than coding
• Prioritizing feels like a game of "Where's Waldo?" ??♂?

What can you do?

Here are some handy JQL queries to help you identify and remove obsolete user stories.

Playbook Instructions:

? Run time: 1 hour

??People: Just you, your favorite playlist, and a large cup of coffee

?? Material: JIRA (obviously) and this playbook

?? Repeat: Monthly or when your backlog starts feeling heavy

Step 1: Find the Fossils ??

Old user stories that haven’t been touched in months are likely candidates for deletion or at least a serious rethink.

Action: Run this JQL query to find user stories that haven’t been updated in over a year:

project = "YourProject" AND issuetype = "Story" AND updated <= -52w        

Translation: If it hasn’t been updated in a year, it’s probably fossilized.

Step 2: Spot the Duds ??

Sometimes, stories are created with great enthusiasm but never actually get started. These duds just sit there, collecting dust.

Action: Use this JQL query to find stories that are still in the "To Do" status but were created over 6 months ago:

project = "YourProject" AND issuetype = "Story" AND status = "To Do" AND created <= -26w        

Translation: If it’s been sitting in “To Do” for half a year, it’s probably a dud.

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