Short definition
Resolution is a built-in Jira field that captures *how* an issue ended - Fixed, Won't Do, Duplicate, Cannot Reproduce, Done. An issue is considered 'resolved' once its Resolution is set to any non-empty value; until then it counts as open regardless of its Status. Most workflow misconfigurations in Jira trace back to a transition that didn't set Resolution.
Why Resolution exists separately from Status
Status is forward-looking (where is this issue now?). Resolution is backward-looking (how did this end?). They answer different questions:
- An issue can pass through many statuses but only ever has one final Resolution.
- An issue can be re-opened: its Status moves back to In Progress, and Jira’s convention is to clear the Resolution so it counts as open again.
- The Resolution field is what’s needed for “how many bugs were Won’t-Do’d this quarter?” - a question Status alone can’t answer.
Reports like Issue Statistics, Created vs. Resolved, and the resolved-issues count on Releases all use Resolution, not Status, to decide what counts as resolved.
The classic Resolution bug
By far the most common Jira workflow defect: a transition moves an issue to Done without setting
Resolution. The issue looks closed in the UI (green Done badge), but it’s still “unresolved” in every
filter that uses resolution = Empty. Counts of open issues stay artificially inflated and never come
down.
The fix is on the workflow, not on the issues:
- Open the workflow that owns the transition.
- On the transition into Done, add either:
- A post-function that sets the Resolution field to a sensible default (usually “Done” or “Fixed”), or
- A transition screen that asks the user to pick a Resolution explicitly.
- Add a validator that prevents the transition unless Resolution is set, if you want to force the user to choose.
Most teams use a transition screen on close so the user is forced to pick (Fixed vs. Won’t Do vs. Duplicate). For very simple workflows, a post-function that auto-sets Resolution = Done is fine.
Re-opening and clearing Resolution
When an issue is re-opened, a “Reopen” transition (or any transition out of a Done-category status) should clear the Resolution field so the issue counts as open again. The standard approach: add a “Clear field Resolution” post-function on every transition out of a Done-category status into a non-Done status.
Without this, a re-opened issue keeps its old Resolution value, which means it looks resolved in every report.
Resolution values to avoid
Be careful adding “In Progress” or “Waiting on Customer” as Resolutions - those are statuses, not resolutions. Mixing the two concepts makes reports confusing and breaks the “Resolution = the way it ended” contract.
A useful test: if the value can change again after it’s set, it’s a Status, not a Resolution. Resolutions are terminal.
Common questions
What is the resolution field in Jira?
Resolution is a built-in Jira field that captures *how* an issue ended - Fixed, Won't Do, Duplicate, Cannot Reproduce, Done. An issue is considered 'resolved' once its Resolution is set to any non-empty value; until then it counts as open regardless of its Status. Most workflow misconfigurations in Jira trace back to a transition that didn't set Resolution.
What's the difference between status and resolution in Jira?
Status is where the issue is now (To Do, In Progress, Done). Resolution is how it ended (Fixed, Won't Do, Duplicate). An issue is 'resolved' once it has any non-empty Resolution - reaching the Done status doesn't automatically set Resolution. Workflows should set Resolution via a post-function on the transition into Done.
Why is my Jira issue still 'open' even though its status is Done?
Because its Resolution is empty. Jira's open/resolved bucket is computed from the Resolution field, not the Status. The fix is on the workflow: add a 'Set field Resolution' post-function (or a transition screen that asks for Resolution) on every transition into a Done-category status.
Can I add custom resolution values?
Yes. Resolutions are global - admins can add, rename, or remove values under Settings -> Issues -> Resolutions. Be conservative; too many values make reports noisy. Most teams stick with Fixed, Won't Do, Duplicate, Cannot Reproduce, and Done as a generic catch-all.