Content:
1. Introduction to "Kanbanize for Sheets" add-on
2. Getting started
3. How to update your board data?
4. How to create new cards?
5. How to create and update Timeline initiatives?
6. How to delete card details?
7. How to make bulk updates?
1. Introduction to "Kanbanize for Sheets" add-on
With our Add-on for Google Sheets named "Kanbanize for Sheets", users can easily:
- export board data (both cards and initiatives)
- update board data (both cards and initiatives)
- create new cards and initiatives
Disclaimer: Kanbanize recommends that you perform a test with the Add-on functionality on a dedicated test Board to ensure correct use and to minimize the risk of unexpected results.
2. Getting started
First, you have to install the add-on.
Open a new or existing Google spreadsheet in your browser. Select the Ads-ons menu and click Get add-ons.
In the Add-on Store, search for "Kanbanize for Sheets" and install the plugin.
After the installation process, go to the Add-ons menu again to see your new extension and click on it to start importing/exporting data via the extension menu (img.1).
Step 1: Enter your Kanbanize credentials as follows:
-> URL: This is your domain name (https://yourdomainname.kanbanize.com)
-> API Key: generate an API key from My account and paste it into the field.
-> Board ID number: ID of the board from which you wish to export the data.
(You can see the Board ID on the Dashboard /upper right corner of each board/ or get it from the Board URL link.)
Step 2: (1) In the Add-on menu, you can select which card properties you want to export. There is a checkbox for every property including Timeline initiatives.
Step 3: (2) Select one of the available Date Formats from the drop down menu (dd/mm/yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy, yyyy/mm/dd). The format you select will be applied to all date-related fields in the report (Deadline, Created at, Updated at, Custom fields of type: date, Timeline Initiatives details /Planned start; Planned End; Start Date; End date/.
Step 4: Then click the “Extract ” button and you will get the results in a Google spreadsheet.
Img.1
Using the spreadsheet, you can sort and arrange data easily; calculate numerical data, create charts and graphs, etc.
It helps you filter out the data that you have exported -> use the filter button which is located at the top of every column and select a value to narrow down your results.
You can also sort the data alphabetically; by value or by any of the available conditions.
3. How to update your Board data?
You can update cards and Initiatives in any of the Kanban Boards the ID of which is entered in the respective Add-on fields.
To update your cards or initiative, first, you have to export the board data along with the properties you want to change. Then input the new values in the cells to replace the old values and click the Update button in the Add-ons menu.
Important: In case you want to update property values that you didn't checkmark while exporting the data, just insert a new column and input the column title in the spreadsheet (for example size).
Then make sure that you have check-marked the field in the Add-ons menu to the right of the screen.
The allowed editable properties are as follows:
"Title", "Description", "Type", "Assignee", "Subtasks Details", "Color", "Priority", "Size", "Deadline", "External link", "Tags", "Blocked", "Blocked reason", "Column name"**, "Lane name"**, "Custom fields”, "Links"*.
If you try to edit any of the other properties, the changes won't be reflected.
Note 1: When you entering a new value, you should keep the formatting of the original text.
Note 2: "Tags" are separated by a comma. Already existing multiple-word tags for the board will be recognized by the add-on and imported as expected. Inputting a multiple-word tag (e.g. "test tag") that does not yet exist will create two new tags instead ("test" and "tag") so it is recommended that tags are managed via the UI beforehand.
Note 3: There is no way to update existing cards with new subtasks via the Add-on.
You can only edit the subtask name, assignee, status (finished/unfinished).
Note 4*: Users can link cards via the Add-on. Just insert the IDs of the cards that you want to link in the respective Link column:
For example (img.2), for a card ID50, we are adding relative cards with IDs: 30, 31, 48, 99.
Note 5**: Using the column/lane parameters, it is only possible to move cards from one column/lane to another within the same workflow. It is currently not possible to move a card/initiative from one workflow/board to another.
The allowed formats for the IDs are as follows:
- 43,31,48,99 (using comma to separate the IDs)
- 43; 31; 48; 99 (using a semicolon to separate the IDs)
- each ID on a new line (select Alt+enter to insert a line break).
You can easily edit or delete a link by editing the cell or the line that contains the linked ids.
Img. 2
4. How to Create New Cards?
Users can create new cards and Initiatives using the Add-on.
Create a new item/multiple items by entering the card values in the empty rows below the respective column headers in the spreadsheet. Just leave the ID field empty!
When importing empty/blank values, the system will get the default system ones i.e. None.
To create the new items, click the Update button of the Add-on and the cards will get created on the Board.
Note 1: You can create new Subtasks along with the new cards you create via the add-on (using the add-on, you cannot add a subtask to an existing card).
Please keep the following format for the subtask creation:
Title: Title of the subtask Assignee: Assignee name
Press ALT+ENTER to insert a line break and add more than one sub-task.
Note 2: When you create new items, you can also link them to existing cards in the system, just type the new card’s parent, children, etc.
5. How to create and update Timeline initiatives?
Once you enter your Kanbanize credentials (URL; Api key; Board ID), select which card properties you want to export. There is a checkbox for the Timeline Initiatives.
Once you export the selected properties, you can add a new row with the corresponding values for the Timeline Initiative i.e. Title, Workflow, Column name, Planned Start Date, Planned End Date, Start Date, End Date, Track.
Please note the following:
- To create a Timeline initiative in "Requested", you need to specify the Planned start and Planned End dates.
- To create a Timeline initiative " In progress", you need to specify the Start date and Planned end date.
- To create a Timeline initiative in " Done", you need to specify the Start date and End date.
* The allowed date formats are as follows: MM/DD/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD
6. How to Delete Card Details?
The system allows users to delete cards values via the add-on, but they cannot delete the cards themselves.
To delete the card values, users have to delete the values in the corresponding cells and click the Update button. Users cannot delete subtasks either.
Note: Removing a row from the spreadsheet will not delete the card in Kanbanize.
7. How to make Bulk Updates?
Using this Add-on, you can add or update up to 100 cards per batch.
This means that, for example, if you want to add 200 cards using this method, the tool will process 100 at a time and will keep the remaining 100 in a queue until it is ready to process them as well. Once done with the first 100 cards, it will add the next batch, which in this case is the remaining 100 cards.
Note: the only card property treated differently using this export/import approach is 'links'.
When you add or update links per card as well as any other property this will count as two separate changes within the batch. This means that if, for example, you add 100 cards each having link entries, the tool will process them 50 in a batch.