How to import cards and initiatives using Excel?

Content: 
1. How to access the Import tool in Kanbanize?
2. How to format your Excel Spreadsheet for a successful import?
3. How to import cards and Initiatives into multiple Boards and Workflows with a single import? 
4. How to import new cards and link them to existing items? 
5. How to create a parent/child relation between existing cards or Initiatives using Excel?

Importing cards and initiatives using an Excel spreadsheet is the quickest way to populate your Kanban board, without having to create cards manually.
With this functionality, users can easily import cards from external systems as well as update existing boards and cards. Users can also export cards from the Kanban boards to import them on other boards within the account or transfer them to other systems. 

1. How to access the Import tool in Kanbanize?

Open the board where cards and initiatives will be imported and go to the Board Sidebar, located to the right side of your Board -> select the Import icon (img.1). 
Note: The system allows users to import items both to the Cards Workflow and to the Initiative Workflow. Make sure that the column names in the different workflows are not the same, otherwise, the items will be imported to the Cards Workflow.  

Img.1

Once in the Import tab -> click the "Browse…"  button and choose the xls or xlsx file from your computer. Check out how to format your Excel spreadsheet for a successful import (p.2 below).

When the file is uploaded, the system will validate your data for compatibility and the validation status will be displayed. Columns marked in red are not recognized as card fields and their values are not imported. For example, the image below (img.2) displays the Tag column mistyped (it should be Tags) and highlights the incorrect column in red.  If you have two Boards with the same name, the respective column gets colorized too. 
Canel the import by closing the import window and correct the mistake in your Excel file.
Then upload the updated file again and select "Import". 

Img.2 

You will get a System Notification message:  "Your import has started and you should see the cards appearing on your board. After the import is completed, you will receive an email with the status for all cards." -> click OK. 
Note: If you do not specify a column where cards to be imported, they will become available in the Backlog column or in the column/swimlane set as default in your Personal Board settings. 

2. How to format your Excel spreadsheet for a successful import? 

Step 1: Create an xls or xlsx file that needs to be properly formatted, so that your data can be matched to the cards' fields in Kanbanize. In the spreadsheet, give descriptive names (column headers) to the columns matching any of the following Kanbanize card properties:  
'Title', 'Description', 'Card ID', 'Custom Card ID', 'Priority', 'Assignee', 'Color', 'Size', 'Tags', 'Deadline', 'Ext link', 'External link', 'Template', 'Type', 'Type name', 'Column', 'Column name', 'Lane', 'Lane name', 'Comment', 'Parent', 'Creation date', 'Board name', 'Board ID', 'Workflow name'. 
Select the properties in accordance with your specific needs.

Important: 
- Make sure that each column header in the Excel file is typed correctly, otherwise, you will not be able to import the values of that column. 
-  The card field “Title” is mandatory for a successful import. All other fields are optional. 

Step 2: Insert the respective properties' values in each of the columns.  
Take a look at the following file to see what an example of an Excel spreadsheet file should look like.

Notes: 

-  The allowed Deadline date formats are as follows: MM/DD/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD

3. How to import cards and initiatives into multiple boards and workflows with a single import? 

The system allows you to: 

• Add new cards and Initiatives into multiple boards with a single import

  When formatting the Excel file, you need to add a column header “Board Id” and input the ID values of the respective boards. After the import, each card/initiative will be created in the corresponding board. If this column is not added or the Board ID values are not entered, the items will be created in the Board from which you execute the import.  
  Note: You can see your board ID as the final part of your URL in the browser address bar or when you hover on a Board name in the Dashboard. 
  
  
  
  
  Similarly, you can use the name of the board, instead of the Board ID to add cards and initiatives into multiple boards. All you need to do is to create a column with a header "Board Name"
  and enter the respective Board names. If this column is not added or the Board name is not entered, the items will be created in the Board from which you execute the import.  
  Note: If two boards in your Kanbanize account have the same name,  you will get an error message during the import. 
  
  
  
  
• Add cards and Initiatives into different Workflows with a single import
  You can format your Excel file and create a column with a header "Workflow name". 
  Once you enter the names of your Workflows and make the import, all work items will be distributed accordingly. If you additionally specify the column name in a dedicated Excel column, your work items will be created right there. Otherwise, they become available in your Board Backlog.
  
  

4. How to import new cards/initiatives and link them to existing work items?  

If you want to import cards using Excel and at the same time link them as child cards to existing cards or Initiative, your Excel file should have a column header “Parent”. 
When formatting the Excel file, users need to provide the 'Card ID' value or the 'Custom ID' value (of an existing card or initiative) as a unique identifier in the Parent column.
After a successful import, the newly created card will be in a parent/child relationship with the item corresponding to the ID from the file. 

Note 1: Warning messages alert users for the following conditions during the import. 
- > If other card items have the same 'Custom ID', the uploaded file will create more than one parent/child link. 
- > When some of the cards matching by Custom ID in the 'Parent' column are on another board.  

Note 2:  Custom fields can be imported if they have been assigned to the board prior to the import. The column headers in your spreadsheet need to match the name of the Custom field you wish to import.
For Example: The column headers in Table 2:  Sign off by; Version; Severity and Customer are custom fields that have been created and added to the board prior to the import.  

Table 2

5. How to create a parent/child relation between existing cards or Initiatives using Excel?

The import allows users to link two existing cards or initiatives by 'Internal ID' or 'Custom ID' 
Format the Excel spreadsheet and create two columns 'Parent' and 'Card ID'.
Enter the 'Internal ID' or 'Custom ID' of two existing items. After the import, there will be parent/child relationships between them. Parents become those items, which values have been entered in the respective column.   

Related articles: 

To learn how to update & move cards or initiatives using Excel, please check the following dedicated article. 
To learn how to export cards from Kanbanize, check the dedicated article.  
To learn how to import and export cards using the "Kanbanize for sheets" add-on, check the dedicated article.