How to Copy a Jira Project with Issues on Data Center

This guide covers installing the Jira Copy Project Plugin on Data Center, copying your first project with all issues, and verifying the result.

Prerequisites

  • Jira Data Center 10.0.0–10.7.4 (or Jira Server 9.0.0–9.6.0)
  • Jira System Administrator permission (project admin is not sufficient)
  • Network access to marketplace.atlassian.com from your Jira instance (see Troubleshooting for air-gapped installs)
  • A source project to copy; use a dedicated template project with clean, current issues rather than a live project with stale data

Step 1: Install the Plugin

  1. Log in to Jira as a system administrator.
  2. Navigate to ⚙️ Administration → Manage Apps.
  3. Click Find new apps in the left sidebar.
  4. Search for “Jira Copy Project Plugin” by Lane Technology.
  5. Click Install and confirm the prompt.
  6. Click Free Trial to activate the 30-day Data Center trial. No credit card required.
  7. Confirm the plugin appears under Manage Apps → User-installed apps with status Enabled.

On Jira 9.4.17+ and 9.12.4+, the Upload app link is disabled by default. This does not affect the search-and-install flow above.

Step 2: Copy Your First Project

  1. Navigate to Projects → Copy Project in the top navigation bar.
  2. Select the source project from the dropdown.
  3. Enter the new project name (e.g., “ClientName - Onboarding Q2 2026”).
  4. Enter the project key (e.g., “CNO26”). Keep keys short, uppercase, no spaces.
  5. Click Copy.
  6. The plugin redirects you to the new project when the copy completes.

The plugin copies workflows, roles, notification schemes, issues with attachments, components, versions, and subtasks in a single operation.

Post-Copy Verification Checklist

Run through this checklist after every copy:

  • Workflow scheme: Open Project Settings → Workflows on both projects. Confirm they reference the same scheme.
  • Project roles: Check Project Settings → People. Verify all roles have correct members and none are empty.
  • Notification scheme: Confirm under Project Settings → Notifications that the scheme matches the source, not “Default Notification Scheme.”
  • Issues: Open 3–5 issues. Verify status, assignee, and attachments transferred. Download one attachment to confirm integrity.
  • Components: Check Project Settings → Components. Compare count and names to the source.
  • Versions: Check Project Settings → Versions. Confirm all versions transferred with correct release dates.
  • Subtasks: Open a parent issue. Confirm subtask relationships and statuses are intact.

What This Plugin Excludes

  • Scrum/Kanban boards, saved filters, or dashboards
  • Cross-project issue links
  • Sprint data
  • JSM-specific objects (queues, SLAs, request types)
  • Copying across Jira instances
  • Jira Cloud (Data Center and Server only)

Troubleshooting

Plugin not visible in “Find new apps”

Error: Search returns no results for “Copy Project.” Cause: Jira cannot reach marketplace.atlassian.com, which is common behind corporate proxies or in air-gapped environments. Fix: Add JVM proxy settings to setenv.sh or setenv.bat:

-Dhttps.proxyHost=proxy.yourcompany.com -Dhttps.proxyPort=8080

Restart Jira. For air-gapped instances, download the plugin JAR from the Atlassian Marketplace on a connected machine, then upload via Manage Apps → Upload app. On Jira 9.4.17+, add jira.plugin.upload.enabled=true to jira-config.properties first.

Copy operation times out on large projects

Error: Browser shows “504 Gateway Timeout” when copying a project with 1,000+ issues. Cause: Jira’s front-end enforces a 60-second request timeout (JRASERVER-67279). Fix: Increase the timeout in your reverse proxy. In nginx: proxy_read_timeout 300s;. Copy projects with 5,000+ issues during off-peak hours.

“Copy Project” missing from the Projects menu

Error: The Copy Project option does not appear after installation. Cause: Browser cache, insufficient permissions, or the plugin has not fully loaded. Fix: Hard-refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R). Confirm Jira System Administrator permission. Go to Manage Apps, disable then re-enable the plugin. On Data Center clusters, restart the node.

Notification scheme reverts to default

Error: New project shows “Default Notification Scheme” instead of the source’s custom scheme. Cause: Project-role-based notifications in the source scheme may fail to map correctly during copy. Fix: Reassign the correct scheme under Project Settings → Notifications. Verify the scheme exists at Administration → Notification Schemes.