Jira Copied Project Missing Issues, Attachments, or Schemes? How to Fix It

You copied a Jira project and the new one is missing issues, attachments, or has broken workflows. The most common cause: native “Create with shared configuration” copies schemes only, not content. Find your symptom below, then follow the matching fix.

Symptoms

  • New project has zero issues (empty shell with correct schemes)
  • Issues exist but attachments show “preview unavailable” or are missing
  • Subtasks missing; only parent issues copied
  • Components and versions lists are empty
  • Workflow transitions fail with “Validation failed”
  • Notification emails not firing for the new project
  • Project roles exist but have no members assigned

Fixes (Most Common First)

Fix 1: You Used “Create with Shared Configuration,” Which Copies Only Schemes

Diagnosis: New project has correct schemes but zero issues, no components, no versions, and empty role assignments.

This is expected behavior. Native shared configuration copies schemes only:

Copied (Schemes Only) Not Copied
Workflow scheme Issues and attachments
Permission scheme Components
Notification scheme Versions
Field configuration scheme Boards and sprint data
Issue type scheme Individual role assignments
Screen scheme Issue security scheme

What most admins miss: shared configuration creates shared schemes. Changing a workflow in the source project changes it in the copy too. If you need independent schemes, create and reassign new ones manually.

Fix: There is no native way to retroactively add issues and attachments. Use CSV export/import for issues (see Fix 2 caveats) or a plugin that copies config and content together (see Prevention below).

Verify: Check the new project’s Issues tab, Components, Versions, and Project Settings → People.

Fix 2: You Used CSV Import and Subtasks or Attachments Are Missing

Diagnosis: Issues exist but subtasks appear as standalone issues, and attachments failed to transfer.

Why: CSV import can’t preserve parent-child relationships in one pass. Import parents first, get new keys, then reimport subtasks with updated Parent IDs. Attachments require publicly accessible URLs; on-prem filesystem attachments won’t transfer.

Fix:

  1. Subtasks: Re-export from source. Update the Parent ID column with new parent keys. Reimport.
  2. Attachments: Re-attach manually, or use the REST API (POST /rest/api/2/issue/{issueKey}/attachments) to copy programmatically.

Verify with JQL:

  • Subtasks: project = NEWKEY AND issuetype in subTaskIssueTypes()
  • Missing attachments: project = NEWKEY AND attachments is EMPTY

Fix 3: Workflow Transitions Fail with “Validation Failed”

Causes (most likely first):

  1. Duplicate workflow name. Check Administration → Issues → Workflows for name conflicts. Rename or remove the duplicate.
  2. Create transition validators. Validators block issue creation when required fields are empty. Edit the workflow → Create transition → temporarily remove required-field validators.
  3. Inactive workflow. Check for “Inactive” status under Workflows and publish the draft scheme.

Verify: Run Administration → System → Integrity Checker; select workflow checks and fix flagged issues.

Fix 4: Notification Scheme Assigned but No Emails

Cause: The scheme targets project role-based recipients (“Developers,” “Project Lead”), but role memberships are empty in the new project. Notifications fire to nobody.

Fix: Go to Project Settings → People. Populate each role. Cross-reference the source project’s assignments.

Verify: Assign a test issue, then check Administration → System → Mail Queue for recipients.

Still Stuck?

  1. Gather your Jira version, copy method used, and exact error messages.
  2. Run the full Integrity Checker: Administration → System → Integrity Checker; select all checks.
  3. Contact Atlassian Support for Server/DC issues, or the plugin vendor if using a third-party tool.

Prevent Incomplete Copies

Choose your copy method before the next project:

What You Need Shared Config CSV Import Jira Copy Project Plugin
Workflow / permission / notification schemes ✅ ❌ ✅
Project roles (with members) ❌ ❌ ✅
Issues ❌ ✅ ✅
Attachments ❌ ⚠️ Requires public URLs ✅
Subtasks ❌ ⚠️ Two-pass import ✅
Components and versions ❌ ❌ ✅

If you need config and content copied in a single operation, the Jira Copy Project Plugin handles this in five clicks for Jira Server 9.x and Data Center 10.x. A 30-day free trial is available.