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Import checklist into Jira issues from CSV

Import checklist into Jira issues from CSV

Owned by Alina Kachan
Last updated: Feb 10, 2025 by Oleksandra Kravets
3 min read

This article explains how to import checklists into Jira and update existing Jira Issues.

This option is available for Jira Admins only, as it requires access to System settings. That's the way to get the Issue Key field mapped during the importing process

☝🏼 NOTE: For issues with multiple checklist tabs, only the content of the Default Checklist tab will be imported.

Introduction

Importing checklists via CSV is available due to custom fields "Checklists" and "Smart Checklist Progress" that store checklists values and progress. 

If your Smart Checklist version is lower than 5.0.0, these fields must be added to your Jira instance manually (see instructions) and must keep checklists' values. 

Find more about custom fields and Smart Checklist data storage here. 

Instructions

  1. Prepare a proper CSV file containing checklists. Either manually or by exporting from Jira

    • Learn how Export issues with checklists to CSV works

    • You can do it via the Issues Search form

  2. Clean up CSV, leave only needed columns (fields), e.g. Issue Key (for future mapping Jira issues), Summary, Checklists, Smart Checklist Progress

    1. if issues from more than 1 project are to be imported - then leave the Project column in CSV

  3. Go to System → Import and Export → External System Import → CSV

  4. Choose CSV file

  5. Map fields. 

    1. map Issue Key CSV field to Issue Key Jira field and check 'Map field value' (by that field values will be taken for updating a ticket)

    2. map Summary CSV field to Summary Jira field 

    3. map Checklists CSV field to Checklists Jira field, however,  make sure to leave the 'Map field value' checkbox empty! Otherwise, checklist value won't be imported 

  6. Begin import

Always do test runs on test issues/values!

7. Once the import is finished - the "Checklists" custom field in proper Jira Issues will get updated with Checklists values from CSV

For Smart Checklist versions lower than 5.0.0

If you are importing checklists into issues that may already contain checklists - you need to additionally sync the "Checklists" field with com.railsware.SmartChecklist.checklist issue property, which now is the main data source. 

You can utilize any available tools for that.

E.g. Automation for Jira for Server

The approach is the following 

  1. Setup the "Scheduled" event rule

  2. Set the execution time 

  3. Set proper JQL function to update only the needed issues 

  4. "Set entity property" Action to update "com.railsware.SmartChecklist.checklist" from "Checklists" custom field

  5. Save the Function and make sure it is enabled for a short time that you need to actually sync the values

  6. Once you proceed with Bulk import - "Run Rule" manually 

  7. That way your current checklist will get data from imported CSV based on the "Checklists" custom field

We are working on implementing the easiest way to synchronize checklist storage. So update of the "Checklists" custom field will automatically trigger checklist update even if there already were some values present.

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