Jira text queries using =, IN, or NOT IN now use exact phrase search

Jira is updating how text-field queries using the =, IN, or NOT IN operators are handled. Previously, these operators required an exact match of the full field value. For example, textField = "urgent" would only match if the field contained exactly "urgent" and nothing else.

With this update, these operators now perform an exact phrase search. This means the query will match if the specified phrase appears anywhere within the text field, even as part of a longer string. This behavior is now consistent with using the ~ operator with escaped quotes (for example, textField ~ "\"urgent\"").

Key details of the new behavior:

• Broader matching: textField = "urgent" now matches "urgent", "urgent issue", and "very urgent issue". Previously, it would have only matched "urgent".
• Phrase integrity: For multi-word queries like textField = "alpha beta", Jira matches the exact phrase in that specific order. It will match "prefix alpha beta suffix" but will not match "beta alpha" or "alpha something beta".
• Case-insensitivity: Matching remains case-insensitive (e.g., "Alpha Beta" matches "alpha beta").
• Stemming: Text search still applies stemming, so a search for "run" may also match "running" or "ran".
• List operators: textField IN ("alpha beta", "urgent") now matches values containing either exact phrase anywhere in the text.

What you need to do If you use saved filters, dashboard gadgets, or automation rules that rely on = or IN for text fields, you should:

1. Review your JQL queries to ensure they still return the expected results. Because the matching is now broader (matching phrases within longer text rather than the full field value), you may see more results than before.
2. If you require a search that matches words in any order, switch to the ~ operator without escaped quotes (for example, textField ~ "alpha beta").
3. Update any internal documentation or training materials to reflect that = now functions as a phrase search for text fields.