It is safer to search by Custom Field ID than by Custom Field nameIt is possible for a Custom Field to have the same name as a built-in JIRA system field, in which case JIRA will search on the system field (not your custom field). It is also possible for your JIRA administrator to change the name of a Custom Field, which could break any saved filters which rely on that name. Custom Field IDs, however, are unique and cannot be changed.