Summary

In Jira Cloud the the JQL field referance for "issueLinkType" only supports the operators "=", "!=", "IN", "NOT IN" as covered in:

• https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftwarecloud/advanced-searching-fields-reference-764478339.html#Advancedsearching-fieldsreference-issuelinkIssuelink

However Currently the Unsupported operators "IS" & "IS NOT" are avaliable for use in the JQL options for advanced search, and when these unsupported link type operators are used they do not supply data that would be consistent with what would be expected per the input.

Environment

• Jira Cloud JQL Advanced Search

Steps to Reproduce

1. do an advanced search in an instance that has issues with and without linked issues
2. use the following two JQL searches:

   issueLinkType is not EMPTY
   

   AND

   issueLinkType is EMPTY
   

Expected Results

Either the operators "IS" and "IS NOT" are not avaliable as they are noted as Unsupported operators

OR

Only issues without a linked issue will be returned when using "issueLinkType is EMPTY" AND Only issues with linked issue will be returned when using "issueLinkType is not EMPTY"

Actual Results

Each search will result in different sets of issues returned, and each result set will include both; field values with AND without a linked issues

Notes

The "IS" and "IS NOT" operator look to have been added to the JQL when fixing the following BUG:

• https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRACLOUD-72795

Workaround

Option 1:

• Do not use "IS" or "IS NOT" with "issueLinkType" as they are unsupported operators for the field type

Option 2:

• For similar behavior to what would be expected results of an "IS EMPTY" or "IS NOT EMPTY" you can use the workaround noted in JRACLOUD-72795 and do a filter "!=" referance to a saved filter to exclude any issue with the set list of link types, like the following:
• Create a saved filter including a list of all the current link types EXE:

  saved filter = issueLinkType in ("all", "of", "the Issue Link Type Names", "as a comma separated", "List", "using Both the" "Outward Description" "And" "Inward Description")
  

• Then in your final JQL:

  Project = EXE AND filter != <filter_ID>