How to download Jira attachments in bulk

Jira Cloud lets you download every file on one issue, but there is no button for all attachments in a project or a filter. Here are the built-in options, from quickest to most complete, and when an export app is simpler.

Option 1: Download all on a single issue

1. Open the issue and scroll to the Attachments section.
2. Open the more actions menu (...) next to the attachments and choose Download all.
3. Jira downloads a ZIP with that issue's files.

Good for one ticket. It does not scale to a project, and Atlassian notes that issues with more than 500 attachments can fail to download this way.

Option 2: attachment links in a CSV export

1. Run a JQL search such as project = ABC AND attachments IS NOT EMPTY ORDER BY key.
2. Export with Export Excel CSV (all fields). The current fields option usually leaves attachments out.
3. Each Attachment column holds the upload date, uploader, file name and a download URL, separated by semicolons.

This gives you an inventory of which file belongs to which issue, which is often what auditors or customers actually ask for. The URLs still require a Jira login, so the files themselves are not in the CSV. Large searches hit the export cap; see exporting more than 1,000 issues.

Option 3: Backup manager (every file on the site)

1. As a site or product admin, go to Settings, System, then Backup manager under Import and export.
2. Under Backup for cloud, choose Create backup for cloud and tick the option to include attachments (additional files).
3. When it finishes, download the backup ZIP. Files sit in the attachments folder, organized by internal project and issue IDs.

This is the most complete native option, but it is all or nothing for the whole site, needs admin rights, and backups that include attachments must be at least 48 hours apart. Mapping folder IDs back to issue keys takes extra work.

Option 4: a REST API script (one project or one filter)

1. Create an Atlassian API token for your account.
2. Search with the Jira Cloud REST API, for example POST /rest/api/3/search/jql with your JQL and "fields": ["attachment"]. Page through results with nextPageToken.
3. For each attachment, read its filename and content URL, then download it with your email and API token, for example curl -L -u "YOUR_EMAIL:API_TOKEN" -o ABC-123/file.pdf "CONTENT_URL".
4. Save files in one folder per issue key so you can tell them apart later.

This is precise and free, but someone has to write and maintain the script, keep the token safe, and respect Jira's rate limits. The downloader only sees what that account is allowed to browse.

Option 5: an export app

If you mostly need a report with the files that belong to a filter, an export app can do both in one step. Pledona Export for Jira exports a JQL search, saved filter or selected issues to Excel, CSV or PDF with attachment links in every format, and can add a ZIP with the files in one folder per issue key. The in-app ZIP holds up to 4 MB of files per export; larger files stay linked and are listed in a SKIPPED.txt inside the ZIP, so for a full archive use the Backup manager or a script. It runs entirely on Atlassian Forge with no outside servers, is free for up to 10 users, then $1.50 per user per month through Atlassian, and is pending Atlassian Marketplace review.

Which option to pick

• One issue: Download all.
• A list of what is attached where: CSV (all fields) or an export app.
• Every file, for archiving or migration: Backup manager.
• Every file for one project or filter: a REST API script.
• A readable report plus small files for a customer or audit: an export app.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• How to export Jira issues to Excel, CSV or PDF
• How to export Jira comments to Excel or CSV
• How to export more than 1,000 Jira issues