YouTrack Cloud 2024.1 Help

The Issues List

The Issues list displays a list of issues in your YouTrack installation. The unfiltered list shows you all the issues that belong to the projects for which you have the Read Issue permission.

Unfiltered list of issues in YouTrack Lite.

If you want to zero in on the issues that are relevant to your work, use the following options:

  • Select a saved search in the sidebar — YouTrack automatically creates a handful of search queries for new users, like Assigned to me and Commented by me. If you want quick access to issues that match a specific collection of attributes, you can define and save your own search queries at any time.

  • Find issues that match specific filters — in filter mode, the controls at the top of the list let you filter for issues with specific attribute or find issues that contain matching text for key words. You can add and remove filters to find just the right collection of issues you want to watch on a regular basis.

  • Search for issues that match a query — in query mode, the input field lets you search for arbitrary strings of text or find issues that contain specific values for predefined attributes.

    To learn more about the search box, see Search.

No matter which setup you prefer, YouTrack remembers which view you last used when working with the Issues list. This helps you stay focused and clear out all of your pending issues until you're ready to move onto the next set of tasks.

The Issues list in YouTrack.

Recent Issues and Articles

YouTrack Lite gives you quick access to recently viewed items in a dedicated panel just below the application header. Items added to this panel can include both issues and articles in the knowledge base.

Panel that displays recently viewed issues and articles.

The following options are available from this panel:

Option

Description

Open

Clicking the link for an issue or article that is currently shown in the quick-access panel lets you navigate directly to the corresponding item.

For issues, the following options are available:

  • If the Quick view option is enabled in the List Settings menu, the issue opens in the quick view panel without leaving the Issues list.

  • If the Quick view option is disabled, the issue opens in single issue view.

For articles, the item link navigates directly to the corresponding article in the knowledge base.

Pin

This option pins the selected item to the quick-access panel until you choose to remove or unpin the corresponding issue or article.

This helps you focus on specific tasks no matter how many items are added to the quick-access panel.

Remove

Removes the corresponding issue or article from the quick-access panel.

Use this option for items that don't require your immediate attention.

Show more

This menu lets you access recently viewed issues and articles that no longer fit to the quick-access panel. You can also remove items that are no longer relevant to your current activity.

Close unpinned

This option immediately clears the list of recently viewed issues and articles except for those that are currently pinned to the panel.

If you don't want to work with the list of recent issues and articles in YouTrack Lite, you can disable this panel from the Workspace settings in your YouTrack profile. To learn more about workspace customization options in YouTrack, see Workspace Settings.

To get the most out of this view, it’s good to know how to filter this list and find the issues that are relevant to your work.

Filter Mode

YouTrack Lite lets you selectively apply filters that restrict the list to show only issues that contain matching values for the selected attributes. Use the Filter Settings options to add and remove attributes that are relevant to the issues that you're working with at any point in time.

Issue filters in YouTrack Lite.

When you update the filters, the following options are available:

  • If you're working with an unfiltered list of issues, you have the option to save the current filters as a new saved search.

  • If you're currently working with a list of issues that match a saved search, you are prompted to update the current query or save the filter as a new saved search.

Query Mode

Query mode in YouTrack Lite lets you filter the list of issues using a free-form search query. Enter the criteria that you want to use to define the search results and refine the list of issues.

Query mode in YouTrack Lite.

This input field offers suggestions for possible matches to known issue attributes and field values. It also finds issues that contain key words, phrases, and exact matches for arbitrary strings of characters.

To learn more about search queries in YouTrack, see Search.

When you update the query, the following options are available:

  • If you're working with an unfiltered list of issues, you have the option to save the current search query as a new saved search.

  • If you're currently working with a list of issues that match a saved search, you are prompted to update the current query or save the search criteria as a new saved search.

Query Syntax Highlights

When you enter a query in the search box, YouTrack applies visual indicators to the query string. This formatting helps you understand how your search query is interpreted by the search engine.

Search terms in the search box with query syntax highlights.
  • Issue attributes are shown as normal text without formatting.

  • Attribute values are shown in blue text.

  • Words that are parsed as text search are shown in gold.

  • Invalid parameters are underlined in red.

To learn how YouTrack handles different types of search input, see Attribute-based Search and Text Search.

Highlights in Search Results

When you search for issues that contain specific strings of text, all the word forms that match the words that are specified in the query are highlighted in the list.

Text-based search query with highlighting applied to matching word forms in the search results.

This makes it easier to find the exact issues that you were hoping to find with your search query.

The search bar at the top of the Issues list has two controls that help you limit the number of issues that are shown on the page.

  • The Search Context limits the search results to a set of issues that belong to a single project, match a saved search query, or are labeled with a specific tag. Once you have selected a search context, you can specify a search query in the Search Box to further limit the results.

    To learn more about the search context, see Search Context.

  • The Search Box is a free-form input field for entering a search query. You can search for arbitrary strings of text or find issues that contain specific values for predefined attributes.

    To learn more about the search box, see Search.

Any time you have a query string in the search box, you can click the bookmark icon to save and share your current search criteria. Saved searches give you quick access to collections of issues that you watch on a regular basis.

save current search

To learn more about saved searches in YouTrack, see Saved Searches.

Smart Filters

The filter icon in the right-hand section of the search box lets you show and hide a collection of smart filters. These filters help you find issues that match predefined search criteria without having to enter the query by hand.

filters on Issues list

Use the following controls to work with filters:

  • Toggle the visibility of the filters by clicking the filter icon in the search bar.

  • Select a value from the list for a filter attribute. There are pre-defined filters for Project, Assignee, Priority, State, and Tag. When you select a value, the attribute and value are added to the current search query and the query is applied to the Issues list. The values that are shown in these lists are filtered to show only options that are relevant to issues returned by the current search query.

    If a pre-defined filter is not relevant to the current search query, it is hidden. For example, if you select a project as the search context, the Project filter is hidden. If you filter for issues in a project that doesn't use the State field, the State filter is hidden, and so on.

  • Use the More Filters option to select additional search attributes. When you select an attribute from the list, the list of available values for the selected attribute is shown. Select a value from the list to add this filter to your search query.

Resolved Issue Filter

A dedicated control in the search box lets you apply a filter that hides resolved issues in one click.

Filter for hiding resolved issues from search results.

The status of this filter is stored in the internal preferences for your user account. Once you activate the filter, resolved issues are excluded from subsequent search requests until you remove the filter.

Remove resolved issue filter.

If you enter a search query that explicitly references resolved states while this filter is active, no matches are shown. To show issues that match the query, you need to manually remove the resolved issue filter.

Query Syntax Highlights

When you enter a query in the search box, YouTrack applies visual indicators to the query string. This formatting helps you understand how your search query is interpreted by the search engine.

Search terms in the search box with query syntax highlights.
  • Issue attributes are shown as normal text without formatting.

  • Attribute values are shown in blue text.

  • Words that are parsed as text search are shown in gold.

  • Invalid parameters are underlined in red.

To learn how YouTrack handles different types of search input, see Attribute-based Search and Text Search.

When you search for issues that contain specific strings of text, all the word forms that match the words that are specified in the query are highlighted in the list.

Text-based search query with highlighting applied to matching word forms in the search results.

This makes it easier to find the exact issues that you were hoping to find with your search query.

The sidebar to the left of the Issues list grants you quick access to issues that match predefined search criteria and your personal collection of unreported issue drafts.

Issue sidebar in YouTrack Lite.

The following options are available for the sidebar:

  • Pinned — the sidebar is always visible.

  • Unpinned — the sidebar is only shown when you move the pointer over an item in the sidebar.

Use this control to toggle the visibility of the sidebar based on the demands of your current activity or personal preference.

You also have the ability to increase the width of the sidebar by dragging the border to the right side of the page. This helps you to view the longer summaries in issue drafts and saved searches with longer names as well.

YouTrack remembers this width even when you navigate away from the page or close the application.

Drafts

The Drafts section of the sidebar lists any issue that you have started to report but never created.

List of issue drafts in YouTrack Lite.

The following options are available in this section of the sidebar:

Option

Description

Open

Select an item from the list to open the draft in the view for creating a new issue. This lets you pick up where you left off and continue to flesh out an issue until you're ready to report it.

Once you create an issue from an open draft, it is automatically removed from the list of issue drafts in the sidebar.

To learn more about reporting issues in YouTrack Lite, see New Issue View.

Delete draft

Lets you delete the corresponding issue draft from YouTrack.

Delete all drafts

Completely empties the collection of unreported issue drafts for your account.

New issue

Opens an empty draft in a pop-up window.

This lets you create new tasks without switching your work context from the list.

Saved Searches

This section of the sidebar shows the list of saved searches that you have marked as favorites in YouTrack. These saved searches give you immediate access to issues that match predefined search criteria.

Saved searches section of the sidebar in YouTrack Lite.

To configure the list of saved searches, click the Manage sidebar icon.

  • To add an item to the sidebar, click Add to favorites.

  • To remove an item, click Remove from favorites.

Issue Counters

For each saved search that you have added to your list of favorites, the total number of issues that currently match the corresponding search criteria is shown in the sidebar. This information is visible even when the sidebar is collapsed (unpinned).

Issue counters in YouTrack Lite.

The values for these counters are also shown in the page header next to the name of the selected saved search.

The sidebar provides a set of links that show issues for your favorite projects, saved searches, and tags. The counters show the total number of projects, saved searches, and tags that are available to you based on your access rights for projects and the sharing settings for saved searches and tags.

The sidebar in the issues list.

The sidebar shows links that correspond to the projects, saved searches, and tags that you have marked as your personal favorites. These links provide access to a list of issues that match the corresponding search query.

  • To add an item to the sidebar, expand the list of available items and click the star icon.

  • Click the edit icon to update the corresponding saved search or tag.

  • Click the link at the bottom of the drop-down list to create a new saved search or tag.

Adding a saved search to the list of favorites.

You can choose whether to show or hide the sidebar by clicking the control in the header or using one of these keyboard shortcuts:

  • For Windows and Linux operating systems, press Ctrl + Shift + Backspace

  • For macOS, press Control + Shift + Delete

Issue Toolbar

The toolbar on the Issues list lets you access operations that can be applied to multiple issues in the list.

Issues list toolbar

The following controls are available:

Control

Description

Select all issues

Selects all the issues that are displayed on the current page. For more information, see Selecting Multiple Issues.

Open command dialog

Opens a dialog that lets you apply one or more commands to the current issue.

For a list of supported commands, see Command Reference.

Link issue

Opens a list from which you can select an issue link type. When you select an issue link type, a dialog for linking the selected issue to one or more target issues opens.

To learn more about adding links to issues, see Link Issues.

Add tag

Opens a list of tags that are available to you. Select a tag from the list to add the tag to the current issue.

To learn more about tags, see Tag Issues.

Assign issue

Opens a list of users to whom the issue can be assigned. Select a user from the list to update the value in the Assignee field.

To learn more about assigning issues in YouTrack, see Assignees.

Export issue data

Opens a list of options for exporting issue data. For details, see Exporting Issue Data.

Show more

Displays a list of additional actions. This menu also contains custom actions that are supported by workflows.

Delete issue

Deletes all the issues that are currently selected in the Issues list, following a confirmation prompt.

To learn more about deleting issues, see Delete Issues.

Selecting Multiple Issues

One of the controls in the toolbar on the Issues list lets you select all the issues that are shown on the current page.

  • Select the checkbox in the header to select all the issues on the current page.

    Checkbox for selecting all the issues on the current page.
  • When all the issues on the current page are selected, you see the option to select all the issue that match the current search query in the toolbar.

    Link for selecting all the issues that match the current search query.
  • When all the issues that match the search query are selected, you see the option to clear the selection in the toolbar.

    Link for clearing the current selection.

You can also cycle through these three states with these keyboard shortcuts:

  • For Windows and Linux operating systems, press Ctrl + A

  • For macOS, press + A

You can also select a range of issues by pressing the Shift key and clicking an issue. This inclusively selects all the issues from the issue that currently has focus to the issue that you click to select the range.

issues list multi-select

Exporting Issue Data

Another control in the toolbar lets you export data for the current list of issues. The following options are available:

Option

Description

Export in XSLX

Exports issue data in Microsoft Excel format (.xlsx). Exports in Excel format preserve data types for values in custom fields and other issue attributes.

Export in CSV

Exports issue data to a CSV file (.csv). Exports in CSV format do not preserve data types.

These options are available when you click the Export issue data button in the toolbar.

export options in the new Issues list

Use these options to upload issues to another application or use third-party software to compile custom reports.

The maximum number of issues that you can export is determined by the Max Issues to Export setting on the Global Settings page. The default value is 500. If the number of issues that you want to export exceeds the global limit, ask an administrator to increase this value. For more information, see System.

When you select an export option, the list of issues is filtered to match the current search query and context. The export file contains the following details for each issue:

Item

Description

Issue ID

The ID that is assigned to the issue in the project.

Project

The project that the issue belongs to.

Tags

A list of tags that are attached to the issue.

Summary

The issue summary.

Reporter

The full name of the user who reported the issue.

Created

The date and time the issue was created.

Updated

The date and time when the issue was last updated.

Resolved

The date and time when the issue was resolved.

Custom Fields

The value that is set for each custom field in the issue.

Description

The issue description.

Votes

The current number of votes for the issue.

Issue Count

The number of issues that match the current search query or filter is shown at the top of the list.

number of issues that match the current search query

The list shows a maximum of 100 issues per page. Use the controls at the bottom of the page to navigate through the list.

The number of issues that match the current query is shown at the top of the list, in line with the toolbar.

The number of issues that match the current search query.

When you display the list of issues in tree view, this number shows how many issues that match the current search criteria. Non-matching parent issues are not included in this count. Parent issues that don't match the current search criteria are dimmed in the list.

Sort Options

Issues in this list are shown in a table with a column for each of the fields that have been added from the List Settings menu. The sort options in the header row let you choose which value is used to order the issues and the direction in which they are sorted.

Options for sorting issues in the Issues list

When filtering the list of issues in query mode, you also have the ability to specify sort attributes directly in the search query. This sorting takes precedence over the manual sorting applied using the controls in the header row. This gives you the ability to specify the primary sort criteria in the query and use the controls in the header to apply secondary sort criteria.

To learn more about sorting search results using query parameters, see Sorting by Relevance and Sort Attributes.

This collection of controls lets you sort the issues in the list using a wide range of sort criteria. The default sort order depends on the search type.

  • If all the arguments in the search query are attribute-based, the issues are sorted by last update, in descending order.

  • If the query searches for text, issues are sorted by relevance.

To apply a different sort order, click the current sort options in the toolbar. This opens the Sort Attributes menu.

Options for sorting issues in the Issues list

The following controls are available in this menu:

Control

Description

Add a sort attribute

Lets you select additional attributes for sorting issues and apply them to the list.

Remove sort attribute

Removes unwanted sorting options from the list.

Change sort direction

Determines whether issues are sorted in ascending or descending order for the values that are stored in the corresponding attribute.

Drag to change order

Determines the priority with which the sorting options are applied to issues in the list. Attributes that appear higher in the list are assigned greater sort priority.

To learn more about sorting search results in the Issues list, see Sorting by Relevance and Sort Attributes.

View Modes

A slider at the top of the list lets you select one of three levels of detail. These levels are represented by the letters S (one-line), M (compact), and L (detailed).

Issues list view modes

The following table describes what level of detail is available for each size.

Size

Description

S

Each issue is shown on a single line in the list. In this view, the following information is shown for each issue:

  • The value that is stored in the Priority field, represented as an icon.

  • The issue ID.

  • The issue summary.

  • Issue visibility restrictions are indicated by the Icon visibility icon.

  • The list of tags that are attached to the issue.

    If there are more tags attached to the issue than can be shown on one line, you see a single tag with a counter. This counter tells you how many additional tags are hidden. To view these tags, move your pointer over the counter.

  • The presence of one or more attachments is indicated by the icon. The counter to the left of the icon shows you the total number of attachments for each issue. Move your pointer over the icon to view attachment thumbnails.

  • The presence of one or more comments is indicated by the icon. The counter to the left of the icon shows you the total number of comments for each issue. Click this icon to show the most recent comments for a single issue. You can also add a new comment in the expanded view.

  • The counter to the left of the vote icon shows you the total number of votes for each issue.

    If you can vote for the issue, the Icon vote icon is enabled. The Icon voted indicates that you have already voted for the issue. Click this icon to take your vote back.

  • The number of votes for an issue.

  • The date of the most recent issue update. When you move the pointer over this field, the full date and time and the name of the user who updated the issue are shown.

M

This view displays the same information that is visible in S mode, with a second line that shows values for custom fields and a link to the user who reported the issue.

The set of custom fields that are shown for each issue is determined by your Visible Fields settings. To learn more about these settings, see List Settings.

L

This view shows the highest level of detail. In addition to the information that is visible in M mode, you see the first two to three lines of the issue description.

Viewing Single Issues

To view additional information for single issues, select an issue from the list.

  • When the Quick view option is on, the issue detail is shown in the quick view panel.

    Quick view for single issues in YouTrack Lite.

    To open the issue in single issue view, click the issue ID.

  • If Quick view is off, the issue opens in single issue view.

To learn more about working with single issues, see Single Issue View.

You can use the following actions to view additional information for single issues.

  • Click the Expand issue icon (or press the Right Arrow key) to expand the detail for the current issue and view the complete description. When you expand a second issue, the previously expanded issue collapses automatically.

    Control to expand the detail for a single issue in the Issues list.
  • Double-click an issue (or press the F3 key) to open the current issue in view mode. Use this action to view the entire issue — including the activity stream — without navigating away from the page.

    View mode for a single issue in the Issues list.
  • Once you have activated view mode, you can page through issues in the list by clicking the arrows to the left or right of the issue overlay.

    Paging through issues in view mode.

    This navigation is also supported by the following keyboard shortcuts:

    Windows/Linux

    macOS

    Description

    Ctrl + Left Arrow

    Control + Shift + Left Arrow

    Show previous issue.

    Ctrl + Right Arrow

    Control + Shift + Right Arrow

    Show next issue.

  • Press F2 to open the current issue in edit mode. When the issue is open in edit mode, you have direct access to update the issue summary and description.

    Edit mode for a single issue in the Issues list.

List Settings

The List Settings menu lets you manage how you work with issues that match the current search query or filter criteria.

List settings in YouTrack Lite.

Quick View

When the Quick view option is enabled, detailed information for each issue you select in the list is shown in a quick-view panel to the right of the list.

Quick view for single issues in YouTrack Lite.

The main difference between an issue in quick view and the dedicated view for single issues is that the list of custom fields and their values in quick view is initially restricted to three primary fields. To view and update values for all custom fields, click the Show all fields link.

Tabular Layout Options

By default, the list of issues in YouTrack Lite only shows the issue summary with an icon that represents the value for the Priority field. However, you can use the List Settings to add all the issue attributes that are important to you and show them as columns in a table.

Table columns in YouTrack Lite.

Once you have added a field to the table, you can dynamically sort the list of issues by any value in ascending or descending order just by clicking on the field name in the header.

The List Settings menu lets you define your personal preferences for viewing issues in the list.

Options for adding and removing visible fields to the Issues list from the field visibility settings.

The following options are available:

Option

Description

List View

Toggles between a flat list of issues and a tree view. Tree view shows the relationship between parent issues and their subtasks.

Visible Fields

Determines which custom fields are shown for each issue in the list.

  • When the search context is Everything, the list shows any field in any project that is currently visible in the Issues list for your account. To remove a field from the views that you work with on a regular basis, you can either select a project in the search context or restrict the set of visible fields to a specific project in the Visible Fields menu.

  • To remove a field from the Issues list, click the Remove field icon next to the field in the Visible Fields menu.

  • To add a field to the Issues list, click the Add field link and select the field that you want to show.

Values for custom fields are only visible when the level of detail is set to M (compact) or L (detailed).

Manually Ordered Lists

When you work with issues in the Issues list, you have the option to sort these issues manually. Many teams use this functionality to prioritize issues in their product backlog or simply agree to resolve issues in a specific order.

Issues that are sorted in a custom order are represented by a vertical line to the left of the list. This line indicates where the custom order begins and ends.

manually ordered lists

To modify the custom order:

  1. Move your pointer over the handles to the left of an issue.

  2. Press and hold the mouse button.

  3. Drag the issue to the desired position in the list.

Manual sorting is only available when the search context is set to a project, saved search, or tag.

  • If you are manually reording issues in a project, the permission Update Project must be enabled for your role.

  • If you are the owner of the project, saved search, or tag, the custom sort order is visible to any user who has access to issues in the project or has permission to view and use the saved search or tag. The custom order is shown when the user sets the context to the project, saved search, or tag.

  • If you are not the owner of the project, saved search, or tag, the custom sort order is stored locally for your user account. Other users can apply a separate custom order independent from the order that you apply to your local copy of the list.

To learn more about manually sorting issues, see Reorder Issues Manually.

Reports Menu

Using the Reports menu in the application header, you can generate reports that display issues that match the current search context and query in the Issues.

Reports menu in the application header.

The following actions are performed when you select a report from the list:

  • If you have a project selected in the search context, this project is pre-selected in the Projects setting for the new report.

  • If you have a saved search or tag in the search context, the context is copied to the Issue filter setting.

  • The current search query is copied to the Issue filter setting. If you have a search query in addition to a saved search or tag in the search context, these values are combined and added to the report filter.

Live Updates

Issues that are currently visible in the Issues list are updated in real time. You can see changes applied to the summary, description, and custom fields without refreshing the page. You also see incremental updates to the counters for attachments, comments, and votes and changes when other users add or remove tags.

However, you won't see any changes applied to the search results or issue counters. When you first open the page or enter a search query, the issues that match the current search context and search query are shown and sorted either in the default order or in the order that is specified by the query.

  • When a change is applied that causes an issue to stop matching the current search criteria, the change is shown in the issue, but the issue is not removed from the list.

  • Similarly, when a change causes an issue to match the query, it is not added to the list in real time.

  • Changes that would cause an issue to appear higher in the list are also shown in each issue, but the sort order is not updated.

To realize updates that affect the search results, you need to refresh the page or re-execute the search query.

Last modified: 08 March 2024