Import Data
Bring your existing ideas into IdeaLift from CSV, JSON, or other tools.
Overview
Switching to IdeaLift does not mean starting from scratch. The import tool lets you bring in your existing feedback, feature requests, and ideas from spreadsheets, other product management tools, or custom data sources.
The guided import wizard handles field mapping, duplicate detection, and validation so your data arrives clean and ready to use.
Supported Formats
CSV
The most common format for imports. Export from Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Notion, or any tool that supports CSV export.
- • UTF-8 encoding recommended
- • Headers required in the first row
- • Maximum file size: 10 MB (~50,000 rows)
JSON
For programmatic imports or exports from APIs. Accepts an array of objects with consistent keys.
- • Array of flat objects (no nested structures)
- • Keys are auto-detected for field mapping
- • Maximum file size: 10 MB
For tool-specific migration guides, see the migration docs for Canny, Productboard, UserVoice, Aha!, and more.
Import Wizard
The import wizard guides you through the process in four steps:
Upload your file
Drag and drop a CSV or JSON file, or click to browse. IdeaLift previews the first 10 rows so you can verify the data looks correct.
Map fields
Match your file's columns to IdeaLift fields (title, description, category, customer, date, etc.). IdeaLift auto-suggests mappings based on column names.
Review and validate
See a summary of what will be imported, including row count, detected issues (missing required fields, invalid dates), and potential duplicates.
Import
Click Import to create the ideas. Progress is shown in real time. Large imports run in the background and notify you when complete.
Mapping Fields
IdeaLift supports mapping to the following fields. Only Title is required; all others are optional.
| IdeaLift Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | The idea summary. Truncated to 500 characters if longer. |
| Description | No | Full detail text. Supports plain text or basic HTML. |
| Category | No | Matched to existing categories or created as new ones. |
| Status | No | Mapped to IdeaLift statuses (new, approved, shipped, rejected). |
| Customer Name / Email | No | Links the idea to a customer profile. |
| Date Created | No | Preserves original timestamps. ISO 8601 or common date formats accepted. |
| Votes / Score | No | Numeric value representing existing vote counts or priority scores. |
| Tags | No | Comma-separated list of tags. Created if they do not exist. |
Deduplication During Import
IdeaLift checks for duplicates during import to prevent inflating your backlog:
- •Within-file duplicates — If your import file contains multiple rows with identical titles, they are flagged and you can choose to skip, merge, or import all
- •Existing idea matches — Each imported idea is compared against your existing backlog using semantic similarity. Potential matches are shown for review before import.
- •Configurable behavior — Choose between “skip duplicates”, “import and flag”, or “import all regardless”
Deduplication uses the same AI engine as the regular duplicate detection feature. If AI is disabled for your workspace, deduplication falls back to exact title matching.
Import History
Every import is logged under Settings > Import History. Each entry shows:
- •Date and time of the import
- •Who performed the import
- •Source file name and format
- •Total rows processed, imported, skipped, and errored
- •Download link for the original file (retained for 30 days)
If an import produced errors, you can download an error report with row numbers and specific issues for each failed row.
Available on all plans
Data import is available on all plans, including Starter. Import limits scale with your plan's idea capacity.
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