How We Used Needle to Hack Jira Docs and Ship Faster
Learn how we supercharged our workflow by making Jira documentation instantly searchable with Needle.
In the world of fast-paced software development, time spent searching for documentation can be a bottleneck. At Needle, we’ve taken our own medicine and used Needle’s advanced capabilities to index Jira pages—specifically those explaining Jira Query Language (JQL)—to streamline our development process.
This approach not only accelerates the ingestion of critical knowledge but also empowers our team to make faster, data-driven decisions. Let me walk you through how we’re using Needle to transform how we interact with Jira documentation.
The Problem: Endless Scrolling Through Documentation
When developing a new connector for Jira Jira, our team constantly refers to Atlassian's documentation on JQL. JQL is a powerful language for querying Jira issues, and understanding its nuances is crucial for building robust integrations.
However, searching through Jira documentation manually—especially for specific JQL constructs or examples—is time-consuming. Developers lose valuable time scrolling through pages, searching for the right syntax or explanation.
Our Solution: Needle + Jira Indexing
Needle, at its core, is a powerful platform for indexing and searching unstructured data. Here’s how we leveraged it to tackle our problem:
Indexing the Jira Pages
We used Needle to crawl and index relevant Jira pages. This includes:The JQL documentation.
Supporting articles, guides, and syntax references.
By ingesting the entire corpus of documentation, we created a searchable repository that mirrors the content structure while being lightning-fast to query.
Ingesting Content with Precision
Needle allows us to break down the documentation into meaningful chunks. For instance:Each JQL function and operator becomes a searchable entity.
Contextual examples are preserved as discrete, searchable blocks.
This granularity ensures that our team can find exactly what they’re looking for without wading through unrelated content.
Search-Driven Development
Once indexed, Needle’s search capabilities let our developers query the documentation using natural language or keywords. Example searches include:“What is the syntax for the
ORDER BYclause in JQL?”“How do I use the
filterfunction in Jira?”“Examples of combining
ANDandORoperators in JQL.”
These instant, precise answers save our team hours every week.
Why This Matters: Faster Development Decisions
By using Needle to index Jira documentation:
Developers Save Time: Instead of manually navigating through documentation, they get answers in seconds.
Improved Decision-Making: With clear, fast access to JQL concepts and examples, developers can implement features with confidence.
Efficiency Gains: As we iterate on our connector, we spend less time searching and more time building.
This workflow aligns perfectly with Needle’s mission: to turn unstructured data into actionable knowledge.
Scaling the Solution
While our initial focus has been on JQL documentation, the potential applications are vast. We plan to expand the scope to:
Other Atlassian products and documentation.
Internal knowledge bases.
External resources like forums and developer communities.
Additionally, our experience with indexing Jira documentation has been invaluable in improving Needle itself. We’re actively refining our ingestion pipelines and query algorithms to better support structured documentation.
Conclusion: Needle as a Developer's Best Friend
Needle’s ability to ingest and search Jira pages has transformed how we approach documentation at Needle. What started as a solution for our own connector development is now a core part of our workflow.
If you’re tired of wasting time scrolling through documentation, consider using Needle to index and search your most-used resources. It’s a game-changer for developers, teams, and organizations striving for efficiency.
Want to learn more about how Needle can work for your team? Let’s talk!
This is just one way we’re leveraging Needle’s capabilities. How are you using Needle in your workflows? Share your experiences in the comments!