# Jira Acli

> Use this skill when working with Jira tickets, JQL searches, Atlassian CLI (`acli`), or when the user asks to fetch, find, show, inspect, or search Jira work items from the local machine.

- Skill: `imprisonedmind/jira-acli` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add imprisonedmind/jira-acli`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/imprisonedmind/jira-acli/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: imprisonedmind (https://skillmd.com/u/imprisonedmind)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/imprisonedmind/jira-acli

---


# Jira ACLI

Use the local wrapper commands instead of calling `acli` freehand. They are wired to the user's existing Jira auth setup in `~/.zsh_private`, including the `jira-login` function.

## Command map

- `~/bin/acli-codex ...`
  Stable wrapper around `/opt/homebrew/bin/acli`. For non-auth Jira commands it checks `acli jira auth status` and runs `jira-login` from `~/.zsh_private` if needed.
- `~/bin/jira-auth-refresh`
  Starts ACLI's browser-based Jira login flow. Use this when the wrapper reports unauthorized or `jira-login` fails.
- `~/bin/jira-ticket KEY-123 [extra args]`
  Shortcut for viewing a work item.
- `~/bin/jira-search 'JQL...' [extra args]`
  Shortcut for JQL searches.

## Intent mapping

- Requests like `fetch SOT-820`, `find ticket SOT-820`, `show SOT-820`, or `inspect SOT-820` should use `~/bin/jira-ticket SOT-820`.
- Requests for JQL or lists of tickets should use `~/bin/jira-search 'project = TEAM ORDER BY updated DESC'`.
- Requests for raw Jira CLI actions should go through `~/bin/acli-codex`.
- Requests to create a ticket in a sprint should treat the sprint name as a sprint target first, not as ticket title context, a parent issue, or an Epic.
- Requests to move a ticket into a sprint should use board lookup, sprint lookup, and the Agile REST sprint-membership endpoint.
- Requests like `add 45m to SOT-832`, `log 1h on SOT-832`, or `update SOT-832 with 45min` should use Jira REST worklog creation as the default path.
- Requests like `update the associated Jira ticket with this branch`, especially after commits, should infer the issue key from the current git branch when it contains a Jira key, inspect the parent issue and subtasks, update the description with branch/PR/commit/scope/worklog details, create or update subtasks from the git changes, and verify the final state.

## Output guidance

- For a single ticket, summarize `key`, `type`, `summary`, `status`, `assignee`, and the important part of the description.
- Keep ticket summaries concise unless the user asks for full detail.
- If the user asks for machine-readable output, use the raw wrapper with `--json`.
- For branch-ticket update work, report the parent key, any created subtask keys, status changes, worklog ids, and final time total.

## Workflow

1. For a single ticket, run `~/bin/jira-ticket KEY-123`.
2. For a search, run `~/bin/jira-search 'project = TEAM ORDER BY updated DESC'`.
3. If you need a raw Atlassian CLI command, run it through `~/bin/acli-codex`.
4. If the wrapper reports unauthorized or `authentication failed`, stop and run `~/bin/jira-auth-refresh`, then retry the original command.

## Branch Ticket Update Workflow

Use this flow when the user asks to update the Jira ticket associated with the current branch.

1. Infer the key from `git branch --show-current`, such as `CHRS-1559`.
2. Fetch tracked time through the WakaTime workflow when requested or when `$wakatime-cli` is named.
3. Inspect the parent ticket with `~/bin/jira-ticket KEY --json` or `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view KEY --fields '*all' --json`.
4. Inspect existing subtasks with `~/bin/jira-search 'parent = KEY ORDER BY created ASC' --json`.
5. Inspect recent commits with `git log --oneline --decorate -6` and use the latest relevant commit hash/message in the description.
6. Update the parent description with a concise plain-text structure:
   - branch
   - pull request if already known from the existing description or issue dev fields
   - latest local/pushed commit when known
   - WakaTime summary and Jira worklog ids
   - scope bullets from the current git changes
   - subtasks
   - notes about deferred generated files, codegen, business logic, or formatting
7. Create new subtasks only when the latest git changes introduce a distinct track of work not covered by existing subtasks.
8. Update existing subtask descriptions when their scope has become clearer.
9. Transition subtasks that represent completed UI/code work to `Done`.
10. Leave the parent ticket `In Progress` when the PR is still draft, generated files are pending, codegen is deferred, or business logic remains intentionally deferred.
11. Verify with a final parent view and subtask search.

Useful commands for this workflow:

- `~/bin/jira-search 'parent = CHRS-1559 ORDER BY created ASC' --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem edit --key CHRS-1559 --description-file /tmp/desc --yes --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem create --project CHRS --type Subtask --parent CHRS-1559 --summary '...' --description '...' --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem transition --key CHRS-1560,CHRS-1561 --status Done --yes --json`

## Sprint workflow

Use this flow when the user asks to create a ticket in sprint `X`, move a ticket into sprint `X`, or when a free-form phrase may be a sprint name.

1. Create the issue first with `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem create ... --json`.
2. Resolve the board with `~/bin/acli-codex jira board search --project PROJECT_KEY --json`.
3. Resolve the sprint with `~/bin/acli-codex jira board list-sprints --id BOARD_ID --paginate --json`.
4. Add the issue to the sprint with Jira Agile REST:
   `https://$ATLASSIAN_JIRA_SITE/rest/agile/1.0/sprint/SPRINT_ID/issue`
5. Verify on the issue itself with `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view ISSUE_KEY --fields '*all' --json`.

When creating and assigning in one pass, prefer this order:

1. Create the issue.
2. Resolve the board id for the project.
3. Resolve the sprint id by sprint name on that board.
4. POST the issue key into the sprint via Agile REST.
5. Verify sprint membership on the issue fields.

Immediate verification should prefer the issue field view over sprint listing output, because sprint listing can lag.

## Worklog workflow

Use this flow when the user asks to log time, add time, or update a ticket with a duration.

1. Confirm the issue key with `~/bin/jira-ticket ISSUE_KEY` if needed.
2. If needed, check `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem --help` once to confirm no direct worklog create command exists.
3. Create the worklog with Jira REST:
   `https://$ATLASSIAN_JIRA_SITE/rest/api/3/issue/ISSUE_KEY/worklog`
4. Expect `201` and inspect the created worklog response.
5. Verify the issue totals with `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view ISSUE_KEY --fields '*all' --json`.
6. If the issue description is being used as the handoff log, add the returned worklog id and time spent to the description after creation.

When the user gives a prompt like `update SOT-832 with 45min`, prefer this order:

1. Resolve or confirm the issue key.
2. POST the worklog with `timeSpent`.
3. Verify the response body includes `id`, `timeSpent`, and `timeSpentSeconds`.
4. Verify the issue fields show updated `timespent`, `timetracking.timeSpent`, and `worklog.worklogs`.

## Guardrails

- Do not print or echo secrets from `~/.zsh_private`.
- Do not bypass the wrapper unless debugging the wrapper itself.
- Prefer absolute command paths in terminal executions.
- If auth still fails, check `~/bin/acli-codex jira auth status` once. Do not loop through repeated auth probes.
- If `jira-login` fails or auth status is unauthorized, instruct the user to run `~/bin/jira-auth-refresh` and then retry.
- If the same Jira login works in the user's normal terminal but fails from Codex, treat it as an execution-environment limitation first, especially sandboxed network restrictions.
- Do not claim the API token is invalid unless the user confirms the same command fails outside Codex too.
- Do not assume a phrase like `Simple Mon UAT feedback` is a title, parent, or Epic. It may be a sprint name.
- Do not use `--query` with `jira board search`; use `--project` or `--name`.
- Do not expect `jira sprint update` to change sprint membership.
- Do not expect `jira workitem edit` to expose sprint assignment as a direct flag.
- Do not guess that ACLI supports worklog creation if `jira workitem --help` does not show it.
- Do not spend time on general ACLI discovery once worklog creation is absent; switch to Jira REST immediately.
- Do not omit `https://` when building Jira REST URLs from `ATLASSIAN_JIRA_SITE`.
- Do not rely on sprint list output alone for immediate post-move verification.
- Do not close the parent ticket just because subtasks are done when the branch still has a draft PR, pending generated files, or deferred implementation notes.
- Do not create duplicate subtasks for work already represented by existing subtasks; edit the existing subtask description/status instead.

## Sprint membership notes

- Board lookup:
  `~/bin/acli-codex jira board search --project SOT --json`
- Sprint lookup:
  `~/bin/acli-codex jira board list-sprints --id BOARD_ID --paginate --json`
- Membership update:
  `curl -sS -u "$ATLASSIAN_JIRA_EMAIL:$ATLASSIAN_API_TOKEN" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -X POST "https://$ATLASSIAN_JIRA_SITE/rest/agile/1.0/sprint/SPRINT_ID/issue" -d '{"issues":["ISSUE_KEY"]}'`
- Success code for sprint membership update:
  `204`
- Immediate verification:
  `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view ISSUE_KEY --fields '*all' --json`
- Known sprint field on this Jira instance:
  `customfield_10020`

## Worklog notes

- Worklog create endpoint:
  `https://$ATLASSIAN_JIRA_SITE/rest/api/3/issue/ISSUE_KEY/worklog`
- Worklog payload examples:
  `{"timeSpent":"45m"}`
  `{"timeSpent":"1h"}`
  `{"timeSpent":"2h 30m"}`
- Success code for worklog creation:
  `201`
- Immediate response fields to check:
  `id`, `timeSpent`, `timeSpentSeconds`, `started`
- Issue fields to verify after logging time:
  `timespent`, `timetracking.timeSpent`, `worklog.worklogs`

## Useful raw commands

- `~/bin/acli-codex jira auth status`
- `~/bin/jira-auth-refresh`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view KEY-123 --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem search --jql 'assignee = currentUser() AND resolution = Unresolved ORDER BY updated DESC' --limit 20`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem --help`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira board search --project SOT --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira board list-sprints --id BOARD_ID --paginate --json`
- `~/bin/acli-codex jira workitem view ISSUE_KEY --fields '*all' --json`