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Import issues from CSV containing checklist items

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Import issues from CSV containing checklist items

Mar 09, 2022

This page describes how to import a checklist together with the issues imported to Jira from CSV file.

The checklist can be imported to Checklist Text custom field.

This guide applies to Jira Classic projects only.

The checklist should be placed in a Checklist Text custom field in the CSV file along with other issue's data like Summary and Description. 

Prerequisites

"Save checklist data to Jira custom fields" option must be enabled in Global Settings. 

Prepare the CSV file

Please follow Jira's documentation on how to prepare a CSV file. 

Please tag imported issues in any way, e.g., add a label "csv-import" (so you can search/list the issues after the import).

  • The custom field name is to be put in the header of the CSV file (just like other field names, e.g. Summary)

  • Checklist data is to be put in the CSV file as a single entry/cell for each issue (so checklist items are not split into separate entries or columns).

  • The CSV file should contain a checklist in the Text format.

Import the CSV file to Jira

You can import the CSV file in Jira in a few ways. We recommend using the "Import issue" button from the "Create issue" dialog as presented in the screenshot below:

That way Issue Checklist imports checklist data automatically (Jira sends "issue updated" webhook/notification to Issue Checklist) and all is set.

Please leave "Map field value" option unchecked for "Checklist Text" field to make sure the field values are not changed but imported exactly as stored in CSV file. 

However, you can also import CSV from the "System > External system import" feature as explained in Jira's documentation. This way Jira does not send "issue updated" webhook/notification, and an additional step is required to let the Issue Checklist know about imported issues. See this ticket for more details. In that case, please proceed to the section below and read how to import a checklist from plain/raw data stored in a custom field.

Import the checklist

If you used the "Import issue" button from the "Create issue" dialog, then all checklist data should be already available. No further steps are required. 

If you used the "System > External system import" feature, please follow the guide below to transfer checklist data from the custom field to the checklist UI. 

Troubleshooting

If you cannot find a checklist after performing the steps described above then:

  • Please open an issue and check if the custom field contains checklist Text.
    You might need to add the custom field to a screen to see its value. 
    If the checklist is not in the custom field, then it means that the import process was not able to read it from the CSV file. In that case please fix the CSV file, so it contains a checklist, and then repeat the import process