Label Cleanup / Docs / Rename, merge or delete labels

Rename, merge or delete labels

Last updated 11/11/2026

Every change starts as a dry-run preview. Nothing is written to Jira until you confirm.

Run a change

1. On the Labels tab, tick the labels you want to work on (use Filter labels to narrow the list).
2. Choose an action:
   • Rename (exactly one label ticked): replaces that exact label with a new name on every work item. Case-only renames such as Frontend to frontend work.
   • Merge (two or more ticked): replaces every ticked label with the one you keep. The label you keep can be one of the ticked ones.
   • Delete (one or more ticked): removes the labels from every work item.
   • Type labels instead: enter label names by hand, separated by commas or spaces.
3. Check the names in the dialog. Labels are matched exactly, including letter case - renaming Frontend does not touch frontend or FRONTEND.
4. Leave Notify watchers off unless you want each changed work item to email its watchers.
5. Choose Preview. Label Cleanup finds every work item carrying those exact labels. Nothing changes yet.
6. Read the preview: how many work items will change, how many carry each label, and sample work item keys you can open to check.
7. Choose Apply to N work items to run the change, or Cancel to discard it.
8. Watch the progress bar. You can leave the page; the job keeps running. When it finishes you see how many work items were updated, how many needed no change, and any that failed with the reason.

Good to know

• The change applies to exactly the work items listed in the preview. Work items labelled after the preview are not included - run another preview to catch them.
• Each changed work item gets a normal history entry showing the label change.
• Only the Labels field is changed. Work items in archived projects cannot be edited and are reported as failed.
• After a change, Jira's label suggestions can keep offering the old label for a while. It disappears on its own.