Searching and Filtering

The User Browser in User Management & License Optimizer provides powerful search and filtering capabilities that help you quickly find specific users or groups of users across your entire Atlassian organization. This guide covers all available search and filter options based on the actual implementation.

Quick Search

The quickest way to find users is through the search bar at the top of the filter panel.

Search by Username or Email

• Location: Top of the filter panel - "Search by Username or Email"

• Function: Searches both username and email fields simultaneously

• Partial matching: Automatically enabled - no wildcards needed

• Case-insensitive: Matches regardless of capitalization

• Real-time: Results update as you type

Search Examples:

• john - Finds "john.doe@company.com", "johnny.smith@company.com"

• @contractor.com - Finds all users with contractor.com email addresses

• admin - Finds users with "admin" in their username or email

Filter Categories

The User Browser offers seven distinct filter categories that work together for precise results.

Inactivity Filter - "Inactive for ... Days"

Filter users based on their last activity to identify inactive accounts for license optimization.

Available Options:

• 3 days

• 7 days (1 week)

• 14 days (2 weeks)

• 3 weeks

• 1 month

• 6 months

How it Works:

• Shows users who haven't been active for AT LEAST the selected period

• Activity tracking updates every 24 hours

• Never-active users show their creation date as last active

Use Cases:

• License reclamation: Select "6 months" for quarterly cleanup

• Security review: "3 days" to catch suddenly inactive accounts

• Compliance audits: Regular checks at different intervals

Atlassian Apps Filter

Filter users by their product access across your organization.

Available Products Include:

• Jira - All Jira family products (Software, Work Management)

• Jira Service Management - Service desk and ITSM

• Confluence - Wiki and documentation

• Jira Product Discovery - Product management

• Jira Administration - Special administrative access

• Bitbucket - Code repository access

• Additional products as connected

Special Note on Jira Administration:
This is a unique Atlassian concept where administrators are managed separately. Users with this access may not consume a regular product license but have administrative capabilities.

Filter Behavior:

• Multiple selections use AND logic

• Shows users with access to ALL selected product

• Products display with their associated sites

User Roles Filter

Filter by specific roles and permission levels across your organization.

Available Roles:

• User - Standard product users

• Admin - Product administrators

• Guest - Limited access users (often free)

• Customer - JSM customer portal users

• User Access Admin - Can manage user access

• Contributor - Limited contribution rights (e.g., JPD)

• Basic - Basic tier access

• Stakeholder - View-only or limited interaction

• Org Admin - Organization-level administrators

• Site Admin - Site-specific administrators

Role Characteristics:

• Users can have multiple roles

• Roles vary by product

• Some roles don't consume licenses (Customer, Guest)

• Role combinations reveal permission levels

Excluded Groups Filter

Find users who are NOT members of specified groups.

How to Use:

1. Type to search available groups

2. Select groups to exclude

3. Users in ALL selected group are hidden

Common Uses:

• Find ungrouped users: Exclude all standard groups

• Identify missing assignments: Exclude required groups

• Security audit: Exclude approved access groups

Included Groups Filter

Find users who ARE members of specified groups.

How to Use:

1. Type to search available groups

2. Select one or more groups

3. Shows users in ANY selected group (OR logic)

Group Name Patterns:

• Product-based: jira-software-users-[sitename]

• Role-based: jira-admins-[sitename]

• Custom: Department or team-specific groups

Tip: Hover over groups in the results to see full names

Site Filter

Filter users by the Atlassian sites they can access.

Features:

• Single selection dropdown

• Syncs with top navigation site selector

• Shows site codes (e.g., CLOUD-AI-APPS1, CLOUD-AI-APPS2)

Email Domains Filter

Filter users by email domain - essential for managing external access.

Format:

• Multi-select capability

• Enter domains without @ symbol

• Separate multiple with selection

Examples:

• Select contractor.com for all contractor emails

• Select multiple: vendor1.com, vendor2.com, partner.org

• Use for subsidiary companies: subsidiary.company.com

Common Applications:

• External user audits

• Vendor access management

• Partner collaboration review

• Subsidiary user identification

Advanced Filtering Techniques

Filter Logic and Combinations

Between Categories: AND Logic

• Users must match ALL active filter categories

• Each additional filter narrows results

Example Filter Combinations

Quarterly License Cleanup:

1. Inactive for: "6 months"

2. Atlassian Apps: "Jira Service Management" (expensive)

3. User Roles: Exclude "Admin" roles

4. Save as: "Q1 2025 JSM License Review"

External User Security Audit:

1. Email Domains: Select all external domains

2. User Roles: "Admin", "Site Admin", "Org Admin"

3. Excluded Groups: "approved-external-admins"

4. Save as: "External Admin Audit"

Onboarding Check:

1. Email Domains: "@company.com"

2. Excluded Groups: All standard access groups

3. Status: Active only

4. Save as: "New Users Missing Groups"

Smart Filtering Strategy

Start Broad, Then Narrow:

1. Begin with site or app filter

2. Add role or group criteria

3. Apply date/activity filters last

4. Monitor result count as you go

Performance Optimization:

• Use site filter first for large organizations

• Email/username search is fastest for individuals

• Avoid complex group exclusions on large datasets

• Save complex filters for reuse

Filter Management

Saving Filters

Saved filters are essential for Automated Tasks — they serve as triggers.

To Save a Filter:

1. Configure all desired filters

2. Click Save button

3. Enter a descriptive name (required)

4. Add a detailed description (highly recommended)

5. Click confirm to save

Naming Conventions:

• Purpose-based: "Monthly Inactive User Review"

• Team-specific: "Engineering Team Access Audit"

• Time-based: "Q4 2024 Compliance Check"

• Action-oriented: "Remove JSM Access - 6 Month Inactive"

Note: Duplicate filter names are allowed. Use clear, unique names to avoid confusion.

Loading and Using Saved Filters

To Load a Filter:

1. Click Choose Filter button

2. Browse or search saved filters in the dropdown

3. Select the filter and click Apply Filter

4. The Filter Options button appears in blue, indicating an active saved filter

After loading a filter, you can modify the criteria without affecting the saved version. An "UNSAVED CHANGES" label appears next to the filter name when your current criteria differ from the saved configuration.

Filter Options

When a saved filter is loaded, the Filter Options button becomes active (displayed in blue). The dropdown options change depending on whether you have unsaved modifications:

Without unsaved changes:

• Save as Copy — Create a new filter based on the current criteria.

• Rename Filter or Description — Edit the filter’s name or description.

• Delete Filter — Remove the saved filter.

Filter Options dropdown without unsaved changes

With unsaved changes:

• Update Filter — Save your current modifications to the existing filter. This overwrites the saved criteria.

• Save as Copy — Create a new filter based on the modified criteria.

• Reset To Saved — Discard unsaved changes and revert to the saved filter’s original criteria.

• Delete Filter — Remove the saved filter.

Filter Options dropdown with unsaved changes

Unsaved Changes Indicator

When you modify a loaded filter’s criteria, an "UNSAVED CHANGES" label appears in orange next to the filter name in the filter header bar. This visual indicator helps you track whether your current view differs from the saved filter configuration.

UNSAVED CHANGES indicator next to filter name

Copying Filters

To create a copy of an existing filter:

1. Load the filter you want to copy

2. Click Filter Options

3. Select Save as Copy

4. Enter a name for the copy, then save

This is useful for creating variations of existing filters without modifying the original.

Deleting Filters

To delete a saved filter:

1. Load the filter or click Filter Options

2. Select Delete Filter

3. A confirmation dialog appears: "You are about to delete this filter. Are you sure?"

Automated Task Dependency Warning: If the filter is used by one or more Automated Tasks, the confirmation dialog lists the affected tasks. Deleting the filter removes the trigger for those automated tasks. Review the dependencies before confirming deletion.

Delete filter confirmation dialog

Resetting Filters

• Click Clear Filter to remove all active filter criteria

• Returns to default "All Users" view

• Does not affect saved filter configurations

• Useful when troubleshooting unexpected results

Understanding Filter Results

Last Active Date Context

The Last Active date changes based on your filters:

• No filters: Global activity across all products

• Site + App selected: Activity for that specific app only

• Site only: Last activity within that site

• Never logged in: Shows account creation date

Site Column Behavior

Example: Filtering for "CLOUD-AI-APPS1" still shows users who also have access to "CLOUD-AI-APPS2" with both sites visible.

Troubleshooting Filters

No Results Found

Check these common issues:

1. Conflicting filters (e.g., inactive user + recent activity)

2. Typos in email domain or search

3. Over-filtered - remove filters one by one

4. Sync data might be outdated - try manual sync

Too Many Results

Narrow your search:

1. Add more specific filters

2. Use email search for individuals

3. Apply tighter date ranges

4. Filter by specific site first

Best Practices

Create Standard Operating Filters

Essential Saved Filters:

1. "Weekly New User Review" - Find unassigned users

2. "Monthly Inactive Audit" - 30-day inactive check

3. "Quarterly License Optimization" - 90-day inactive with expensive apps

4. "External Access Review" - All external domains with admin roles

5. "Compliance Audit Base" - Your standard compliance criteria

Filter Documentation

For each saved filter, document:

• Purpose and frequency of use

• Actions to take on results

• Who should run it

• Related automated tasks

Team Collaboration

• Share saved filter names in team wiki

• Standardize naming conventions

• Create role-specific filter sets

• Regular filter review meetings

Integration with Other Features

Bulk Operations

• Filters determine which users appear

• Selection tools work on filtered results

• "Select all remaining users" respects filters

Automated Tasks

• Saved filters are REQUIRED for automation

• Filters serve as task triggers

• Same filter logic applies

Reporting (Future Feature)

• Export filtered results

• Document filter criteria used

• Maintain an audit trail of filters

Quick Reference Card

Essential Shortcuts

• Reset all filters: Reset button

• Quick site switch: Top navigation dropdown

• Select all filtered: After filter, use bulk select

• Save for automation: Save button with good name

Most-Used Filter Combos

• Inactive + Product: License optimization

• Email Domain + Role: External user audit

• Excluded Groups: Find ungrouped users

• Site + Inactive: Site-specific cleanup

Remember: Filters are your key to efficient user management at scale!