Difference between Resolving and Closing an Issue
The status of an issue was changed to "Resolved", but the issue is still showing open in the Issue Quicklist even when the "Show Closed Issues" option is selected. What's the difference?
Who Needs to Understand This
- Team Members: Know when to resolve vs. close issues they've created or are working to resolve.
- Scrum Masters: Manage issue lifecycle correctly and track impediments through resolution and closure.
- Product Owners: Understand issue status to verify impediment resolution before sprint acceptance.
- Project Managers: Monitor issue closure metrics and ensure proper issue lifecycle management.
Permission Requirement
To view issue status, you must have Read access to the Product Planning or Team Planning area. To resolve or close issues, you must have Edit access. Resolving requires identifying a solution; closing requires selecting a resolution reason and confirms final completion.
Two-Stage Closure Process
Closing an item is a two-stage process. First it must be resolved, and then closed. If the issue is still showing up on the Issue Quicklist then it is probably in the "Resolved" state, but not "Closed".
Resolved: The issue has been addressed and a solution has been identified, but the issue remains visible in active tracking views.
Closed: The issue is fully complete and removed from default tracking views. No further planning or tracking activities can take place against the item.
Why Use a Two-Stage Process?
The two-stage closure provides important workflow benefits:
Verification Period
- Resolved status allows teams to verify that the solution works before final closure
- Scrum Masters can confirm impediment removal during sprint reviews
- Product Owners can validate that resolution doesn't introduce new issues
Visibility During Transition
- Resolved issues remain visible in active views so teams know resolution work is complete
- Teams can track issues through verification before final closure
- Prevents premature closure before confirming resolution effectiveness
Audit Trail
- Two-stage process creates clear timeline: identified → resolved → closed
- Provides historical data on resolution time vs. closure time
- Helps analyze how long verification takes after resolution
When to Resolve vs. Close
Resolve an Issue When:
- You've identified and implemented a solution
- The impediment has been addressed but needs verification
- Related work items (stories, defects) are complete
- You want to keep the issue visible for confirmation
Close an Issue When:
- Resolution has been verified as effective
- No further action or verification is needed
- You want to remove the issue from active tracking views
- The impediment is fully resolved with no risk of recurrence
Troubleshooting
Why does my resolved issue still show in the Issues grid?
Resolved issues remain in active views until explicitly closed. This is by design to allow verification that the resolution works before final closure. To remove from active views, close the issue by selecting Edit > Close and choosing a resolution reason.
Why can't I close an issue that's already resolved?
You must have Edit access to close issues. Verify your permissions with your administrator. When closing, you must select a resolution reason. If no resolution options appear, contact your System Administrator to configure resolution values.
Why don't resolved issues appear when I select "Show Closed Issues"?
The "Show Closed Issues" filter displays only fully closed issues, not resolved ones. Resolved issues appear in the default active views. To see both resolved and closed issues, adjust your status filter to include both "Resolved" and "Closed" statuses.