Importing Data
Bring tasks in from Todoist, ClickUp, a generic CSV, and more, with auto-mapping, duplicate detection, and project conflict handling.
The Import Wizard brings your existing tasks into PrimeTask without retyping a thing. Export from the tool you're moving from, upload the file, and the wizard walks you through five short steps to preview, map, configure, and review what's going to land in your workspace. Duplicate detection runs before the save so you won't end up with two copies of the same task.
For the Integrations category hub, see Integrations Overview.
Your file stays on your computer
The Import Wizard reads the file you select. Nothing is uploaded to any server along the way.
What you can do
Import tasks from Todoist
using a Todoist CSV backup.
Import tasks from ClickUp
using a ClickUp CSV export.
Import tasks from any CSV
with custom column mapping.
Auto-map common columns
Preview every task before it lands
and change the mapping if something is off.
Catch duplicates
before import, so re-running a source file doesn't double your tasks.
Choose where the work lands
a new project, an existing project, or no project at all.
Import into any Space
you pick on the Configure step.
Sources available today
Todoist
Supported. Todoist gives you a ZIP of CSV files as a backup; PrimeTask imports one of those CSVs at a time.
How to export from Todoist
Step 1
Open Todoist → Settings → Backups.
Step 2
Click Download to get a ZIP of CSVs (one per project).
Step 3
Extract the ZIP on your computer.
Step 4
In PrimeTask, open the Import Wizard and pick Todoist as the source.
Step 5
Upload the project CSV you want to bring in. Repeat for each project.
Todoist sub-tasks and their priorities carry across. Labels become tags. Comments, recurrences, and shared team features aren't part of the CSV, so those aren't imported.
ClickUp
Supported. Export your ClickUp tasks as CSV, then import the file.
How to export from ClickUp
- Whole workspace (recommended): click your workspace avatar, then open Settings → Imports / Exports → Export Items. Pick the Spaces, Folders, or Lists you want, choose CSV, and click Start Export. ClickUp builds the file and emails you a download link.
- A single List: open the List, click Customize → Export, choose CSV with All columns selected, then Download.
In PrimeTask, open the Import Wizard, pick ClickUp as the source, and upload the file. Each unique ClickUp List in the file becomes its own PrimeTask project.
Generic CSV
Supported. Use this when your source tool exports a CSV that isn't one of the built-in formats, or when you've maintained your tasks in a spreadsheet.
How it works
Step 1
Export your CSV from your source tool or spreadsheet.
Step 2
In PrimeTask, open the Import Wizard and pick Generic CSV.
Step 3
Upload the file.
Step 4
Map each column to a PrimeTask field on the Preview step. PrimeTask auto-maps any headers it recognises - name, title, task, description, status, priority, due date, start date, tags, and common aliases.
Step 5
Review and import.
Clean headers save time
Rename your spreadsheet headers to plain labels (Name, Due Date, Priority, Tags) before you export. PrimeTask will auto-map them without a single click on the Preview step.
Coming soon
Several other sources are in progress and will appear in the Source picker when ready:
- Trello
- Asana
- Jira
- Linear
They show in the wizard with a Coming Soon marker so you know they're on the roadmap. If you need one of these right now, export to CSV from that tool and use Generic CSV - most of them support CSV export out of the box.
The five-step wizard
1. Select source
Pick the tool you're moving from. Only enabled sources are clickable.
2. Upload file
Select the file from your computer. PrimeTask checks the format and reports any issues before moving on.
3. Preview and map
PrimeTask shows what it parsed - a preview of the tasks that will be imported. For generic CSVs, this is also where you map columns to PrimeTask fields. Auto-mapping handles the common headers; adjust anything it got wrong.
Duplicate detection runs here too - if any of the tasks in the file look like tasks you already have, they're flagged so you can decide.
4. Configure import
Pick where the tasks should go:
- Create a new project from the file.
- Merge into an existing project - pick which one.
- No project - import as personal tasks.
You also pick the target Space. Tasks always land in a specific Space.
5. Review and import
A last summary of what's about to happen - how many tasks, which project, which Space, how duplicates will be handled. Click Import and the wizard runs, showing progress as it goes.
The review step is the point of no return
Once you click Import, the tasks are created in PrimeTask. If something's wrong, cancel on the Review step - don't rely on undoing after.
Column mapping
For generic CSVs and for any source where mapping matters, the Preview step lets you set each column's destination field. Auto-mapping fills in whatever PrimeTask recognises; you override anything it didn't get right.
Available PrimeTask fields include name, description, status, priority, due date, start date, and tags. Unmapped columns are ignored during import.
Save the mapping by keeping your export format
If you re-run an import from the same tool, PrimeTask matches the same headers the same way. Keep your source CSV's headers stable and the import "just works" every time.
Duplicate detection
The wizard checks what's about to be imported against what's already in your Space. If a row looks like a task you already have, it's flagged in the preview. On the Review step you decide how duplicates are handled - skipped, or imported anyway with a note so you can clean them up later.
This means you can safely re-run an import from the same source file without creating copies.
Where imported tasks land
On the Configure step, you control three things:
- Target Space - which Space will receive the tasks.
- Project conflict - what to do with the source's project structure:
- Create a new project for these tasks - Merge them into an existing project you pick - Bring them in without a project
- How duplicates are treated - set on the Review step.
After import, the tasks appear in your Space just like any other tasks you've created yourself.
Things worth knowing
What carries over, what doesn't
Most file formats cover the basics - name, description, due date, priority, status, tags, and sub-tasks. Comments, reactions, custom relationships, recurrence rules, and shared-team specifics from another tool usually aren't in the file, so they don't come in.
You can re-import safely
Duplicate detection means re-running the same file is safe. If you've added tasks to PrimeTask after the first import, those aren't lost - duplicates are flagged, not silently overwritten.
One file at a time
The wizard imports one file per run. For tools like Todoist that export one project per CSV, run the wizard once for each project you want to bring in.
Large files work
Several thousand tasks in a single CSV import without issue. The Preview step may take a moment to render a big file, but it all processes in the background.
Back up before importing into a live Space
If you're importing into a Space that already has real work, take a backup first from Data Management. A wizard cancel on the Review step is safe, but having a backup gives you room to recover if something unexpected happens.
Common questions
"Can I import everything from Todoist in one go?"
Todoist exports one CSV per project. Run the wizard once per project. If you only have a few projects, this takes a few minutes.
"Can I bring my whole ClickUp workspace in at once?"
Yes. A whole-workspace CSV export from ClickUp can contain several Lists, and each List becomes its own PrimeTask project, so one file can populate many projects in a single run.
"My CSV isn't from a supported tool. Will it work?"
Yes - use Generic CSV. The wizard shows you every column it found and lets you map each one. Auto-mapping covers the common headers.
"What if my file has columns PrimeTask doesn't use?"
Leave them unmapped. They'll be ignored during import.
"Will I end up with duplicates if I re-run the same file?"
No - duplicate detection flags them on the Preview and Review steps. You decide how to handle them before anything is saved.
"Are there Trello, Asana, Jira, or Linear imports yet?"
Those are on the roadmap. They appear in the picker with a Coming Soon marker. In the meantime, export from those tools as a CSV and use Generic CSV.
"Does this require Pro?"
No. The Import Wizard is available on every PrimeTask license.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Understand the Integrations category | Integrations Overview |
| Back up or export your workspace | Data Management |
| Organise imported tasks into projects | Creating Projects |
| Understand Spaces before importing | Spaces Overview |