Removing access in Jira typically involves either completely deleting a user account or restricting a user's permissions. The most direct way to remove a user from your Jira instance is through the user management interface.
Removing a User from Jira (Deletion)
Completely removing a user deletes their account and revokes all their access to your Jira instance. This is often done when an employee leaves the company or no longer needs access to Jira.
Steps to Remove a User:
- Access User Management: As a Jira administrator, navigate to Settings (⚙️) > User management (for Jira Cloud) or Administration (⚙️) > User management (for Jira Server/Data Center). This will take you to the list of all users.
- Select the User: From the Users page, locate and select the user you want to remove from the list.
- Initiate Removal: Look for the More actions menu (•••), usually located at the end of the user's row or within their profile details.
- Confirm Removal: Select Remove user. You will likely be prompted to confirm this action, as it is irreversible.
What Happens When a User is Removed?
- The user's account is permanently deleted from your Jira instance.
- They will no longer be able to log in or access any projects or issues.
- Any issues, comments, or attachments they created will remain in Jira, but their name will typically appear as "Former User" or a similar placeholder, depending on your Jira version and configuration.
- They will be removed from all groups and project roles.
- If the user was assigned to any open issues, those assignments will remain unless manually changed. It's good practice to reassign such issues before deletion.
Other Ways to Manage or Restrict Access
Besides full deletion, there are several other methods to manage or restrict a user's access in Jira without permanently removing their account. These options are useful for temporary access changes, license management, or specific project-level control.
1. Deactivating a User
Deactivating a user removes their ability to log in and consumes one less license, but retains their account information. This is ideal for temporary suspensions or for users who might need access again in the future.
- Process: Similar to removing a user, navigate to User management. Instead of "Remove user," look for an option like Deactivate user or Disable user.
- Benefits:
- Retains Historical Data: All issues, comments, and activity remain attributed to their name.
- Reactivation: The user can be easily reactivated later if needed, restoring their previous group memberships and permissions.
- License Management: Deactivated users do not consume a license.
2. Removing a User from Specific Projects
If a user needs access to Jira but no longer requires involvement in a particular project, you can remove them from that project's access.
- Process:
- Navigate to the specific Jira project (Projects > [Your Project]).
- Go to Project settings (usually a gear icon in the sidebar).
- Select People or Users and roles.
- Find the user and remove their associated role or remove them directly from the project.
- Impact: The user will still have access to other Jira projects they are part of and can log into Jira, but they won't be able to view or interact with the project from which they were removed.
3. Removing a User from Specific Groups
Jira permissions are often managed through groups. Removing a user from a group will revoke all permissions granted via that group.
- Process:
- Go to User management as an administrator.
- Select Groups.
- Choose the group from which you want to remove the user.
- Find the user within the group members and remove them.
- Impact: The user loses all permissions inherited from that specific group but retains access based on other group memberships or direct permissions.
4. Adjusting Project Roles
Project roles are flexible sets of permissions within a project. Changing a user's role can limit or expand their access without removing them from the project entirely.
- Process:
- Go to Project settings for the relevant project.
- Select People or Users and roles.
- Edit the role assigned to a specific user (e.g., changing them from "Developers" to "Viewers").
- Impact: The user's capabilities within that project will change according to the new role's permissions.
Summary of Access Removal Options
Here’s a quick comparison of the different methods for managing user access in Jira:
| Method | Description | Impact on User | License Consumption | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove User | Permanently deletes the user account from Jira. | Cannot log in, all access revoked. Historical data attributed to "Former User". | No | User permanently leaves, no future access needed. |
| Deactivate User | Disables login access but retains the user account and historical data. | Cannot log in, all access temporarily revoked. Historical data intact. | No | Temporary suspension, long-term leave, potential re-hire. |
| Remove from Project | Removes user's access to a specific project. | Cannot access that particular project. | Yes (still in Jira) | User no longer involved in a specific project. |
| Remove from Group | Removes user from a group, revoking permissions granted by that group. | Loses permissions tied to that group. | Yes (still in Jira) | Fine-grained permission control. |
| Adjust Project Role | Changes the user's role within a project, altering their permissions. | Permissions within that project are modified. | Yes (still in Jira) | Changing responsibility or access level within a project. |
By understanding these different methods, Jira administrators can effectively manage user access, ensuring security and compliance while optimizing license usage. Always ensure you have appropriate administrative permissions before attempting any of these actions. For more detailed instructions, refer to the Atlassian Jira documentation on user management.
