Atlassian has released the Atlassian Command Line Interface (ACLI), its first official command-line tool for Jira Cloud users. The tool simplifies managing large, complex Jira environments by allowing administrators and technical users to automate and execute commands via the terminal, improving operational speed and control.
- ACLI launched in May 2025 for all Jira Cloud plans
- Enables bulk and scripted Jira operations via terminal
- Offers granular control alongside automation workflows
What happened
Atlassian officially launched the Atlassian Command Line Interface (ACLI) for Jira Cloud in May 2025. This new tool allows Jira administrators and technical users to interact with Jira using text-based commands executed from the terminal instead of relying solely on graphical user interfaces. ACLI supports dozens of commands that facilitate actions such as bulk updating issues, managing projects, and automating workflows.
The introduction of ACLI aims to address the growing operational complexity faced by organizations using Jira at scale, where thousands of projects and multiple sites require efficient management. By enabling command-line operations, Atlassian has created a flexible option for users to choose between code-driven or click-driven task execution depending on their needs.
Why it matters
As enterprise Jira usage expands, the volume of data and number of user interactions intensify, making manual and UI-driven management slow and prone to error. ACLI empowers teams to streamline repetitive or large-scale tasks by automating them through scripts and bulk command execution. This results in faster turnaround times and reduces the cognitive load of switching between Jira’s web interfaces and other tools.
Beyond speed, ACLI offers fine-grained control, allowing users to break down commands into sequenced steps, validate scripts before running them, and perform post-execution checks. This precision not only boosts confidence in making complex changes but also helps minimize errors and tailor Jira operations to meet complex organizational requirements.
What to watch next
Atlassian plans to continue expanding ACLI’s command set and capabilities to cover more areas of Jira functionality. Users and administrators should look out for updates that introduce new commands and enhanced scripting features to further improve scalability and automation potential within large Jira environments.
Teams adopting ACLI can experiment by integrating the command-line tool into their existing workflows—combining it with Jira Automation and Site Optimizer. This hybrid approach offers a strategic way to maximize productivity and focus resources on higher-impact initiatives while automating routine work.