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 addressesadmin- 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:
Type to search available groups
Select groups to exclude
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:
Type to search available groups
Select one or more groups
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)
When a site is selected, the Sites column in the table STILL shows ALL sites where each user has access. This is intentional to prevent accidental changes when you need to see the complete picture.
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.comfor all contractor emailsSelect multiple:
vendor1.com,vendor2.com,partner.orgUse 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:
Inactive for: "6 months"
Atlassian Apps: "Jira Service Management" (expensive)
User Roles: Exclude "Admin" roles
Save as: "Q1 2025 JSM License Review"
External User Security Audit:
Email Domains: Select all external domains
User Roles: "Admin", "Site Admin", "Org Admin"
Excluded Groups: "approved-external-admins"
Save as: "External Admin Audit"
Onboarding Check:
Email Domains: "@company.com"
Excluded Groups: All standard access groups
Status: Active only
Save as: "New Users Missing Groups"
Smart Filtering Strategy
Start Broad, Then Narrow:
Begin with site or app filter
Add role or group criteria
Apply date/activity filters last
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:
Configure all desired filters
Click Save button
Enter a descriptive name (required)
Add a detailed description (highly recommended)
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"
Loading Saved Filters
To Load a Filter:
Click Load button
Browse or search saved filters
Click the filter name to apply
Active filter name appears in the panel
Modify if needed without affecting the saved version
Managing Your Filter Library:
Regularly review and update saved filters
Delete obsolete filters
Share filter names with the team
Document complex filter logic
Resetting Filters
Click Reset to clear ALL active filters
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
The Sites column ALWAYS shows ALL sites where a user exists, regardless of your site filter. This is by design to ensure you see the complete access picture before making changes.
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:
Conflicting filters (e.g., inactive user + recent activity)
Typos in email domain or search
Over-filtered - remove filters one by one
Sync data might be outdated - try manual sync
Too Many Results
Narrow your search:
Add more specific filters
Use email search for individuals
Apply tighter date ranges
Filter by specific site first
Best Practices
Create Standard Operating Filters
Essential Saved Filters:
"Weekly New User Review" - Find unassigned users
"Monthly Inactive Audit" - 30-day inactive check
"Quarterly License Optimization" - 90-day inactive with expensive apps
"External Access Review" - All external domains with admin roles
"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!
