Cloning issues is one of the most common tasks in Jira Cloud. Whether you’re a project manager duplicating a template, a developer repeating test cases, or an HR team replicating onboarding workflows, there comes a moment when you need to copy not just one issue, but entire sets of issues.
Unfortunately, Jira’s built-in clone feature is limited. In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What Jira Cloud can (and can’t) do natively.
- Workarounds teams try (and why they fall short).
- A detailed step-by-step guide to clone multiple issues using Easy Clone for Jira Cloud.
- Advanced cloning scenarios: epics, subtasks, cross-project templates.
- FAQs from the Jira community.
By the end, you’ll have a complete picture of how to handle bulk cloning in Jira.
Why Teams Need to Clone Multiple Issues
Cloning isn’t just about copying one ticket — teams often need to replicate entire workflows or templates. Some common examples:
- Project Templates: Copy a backlog of tasks for recurring projects (e.g., marketing campaigns, product launches).
- Epics & Hierarchies: Duplicate an epic with all its user stories, tasks, and subtasks for a new client or team.
- Onboarding: HR teams clone a set of onboarding tasks for every new hire.
- Quality Assurance: QA engineers duplicate test cases across releases.
Without bulk cloning, teams waste hours duplicating work manually — and risk inconsistencies.
Jira’s Native Clone: Useful but Limited
Jira Cloud includes a basic Clone action. Here’s how it works:
- Open the issue.
- Click More → Clone.
- Jira duplicates the issue as a new ticket.
What gets copied?
- Summary, description, priority, assignee, and most standard fields.
- Optionally, attachments.
What doesn’t get copied?
- Subtasks.
- Linked issues.
- Epic/child relationships.
- Issue history and comments.
The biggest limitation
👉 You can only clone one issue at a time.
For example: to duplicate an epic with 15 child stories and subtasks, you would need to manually clone 15+ issues one by one — and then re-link them. That’s why most teams quickly look for alternatives.
Common Workarounds for Bulk Cloning
Before turning to Marketplace apps, Jira users often try these approaches.
1. Manual Cloning
- Pros: Built-in, simple, no setup.
- Cons: Time-consuming, error-prone, not scalable.
2. CSV Export/Import
- Export issues to CSV, adjust fields, and import back into Jira.
- Pros: Works for bulk creation.
- Cons: Requires admin rights, tedious formatting, relationships often break.
3. Jira Automation Rules
- Set up an automation like: “When issue created, clone it to project X.”
- Pros: Powerful, flexible.
- Cons: Complex setup, limited for mass cloning, often fails to copy links and subtasks.
4. Third-Party Apps
- This is where tools like Easy Clone, Deep Clone, or Elements Copy & Sync come in.
- They add dedicated bulk cloning functionality, with options to include hierarchies, links, subtasks, and cross-project operations.
Step-by-Step: Clone Multiple Issues in Jira with Easy Clone
The fastest, most reliable way is to use Easy Clone for Jira Cloud. Here’s how:
Step 1 – Install Easy Clone
- Go to the Atlassian Marketplace and install Easy Clone for Jira Cloud.
- It’s Cloud Fortified, meeting Atlassian’s highest standards for reliability and security.
Step 2 – Select the Issues
- In your Jira project, go to the issue navigator.
- Filter or search for the issues you need.
- Select one or multiple issues (epics, stories, tasks, bugs, subtasks).
Step 3 – Choose Your Options
- From the actions menu, choose Easy Clone → Clone issues.
- Configure cloning options:
- Clone across projects or within the same project.
- Include subtasks, linked issues, and attachments.
- Add a prefix/suffix to distinguish cloned issues.
Step 4 – Run the Clone
- Click Clone Now.
- Easy Clone duplicates all selected issues at once, preserving their hierarchy.
✅ Done. In seconds, you’ve copied what would have taken hours manually.
Advanced Cloning Scenarios
Easy Clone isn’t just about copying multiple issues. It unlocks advanced Jira use cases:
Clone Epics with All Stories
Duplicate an epic and automatically bring along all its child stories and subtasks. Perfect for reusing standard feature templates.
Bulk Clone Across Projects
Need to start a new project with the same backlog? Clone entire sets of issues into another project.
Clone Linked Issues
Preserve relationships like “blocks”, “relates to”, or “is cloned by” between issues.
Cross-Team Workflows
For example: an IT team might copy a set of incident response tasks across regions; an HR team clones onboarding workflows for each new hire.
Why Choose Easy Clone?
There are other Jira cloning apps, but teams prefer Easy Clone because:
- Simple, one-click cloning (minimal setup).
- Bulk support – no 100-issue limits.
- Hierarchy awareness – clone epics with all children.
- Cross-project ready – move templates to any team.
- Secure – Cloud Fortified, GDPR-compliant, data stored in Atlassian’s infrastructure.
- Free for small teams – accessible to try before scaling up.
FAQs
Can Jira clone multiple issues at once natively?
No. Jira Cloud only allows cloning one issue at a time. Bulk cloning requires a Marketplace app.
Is Easy Clone different from Jira Automation?
Yes. Automation requires complex rule setups and doesn’t handle hierarchies well. Easy Clone is instant and built for bulk duplication.
Does Easy Clone copy custom fields?
Yes. All standard and custom fields supported by Jira’s API are cloned.
Can I try Easy Clone for free?
Yes, Easy Clone offers a free trial on the Atlassian Marketplace.
Final Thoughts
Cloning multiple issues in Jira is a real productivity bottleneck if you rely only on Jira’s built-in tools. Workarounds like CSV import or automation are clunky at best.
For teams that regularly reuse templates, epics, or entire backlogs, Easy Clone for Jira Cloud is the simplest, most reliable solution.
👉 Install Easy Clone for Jira Cloud today and try it free.
