Import user stories into Jira from Excel

[Jim Stewart]

We are just finishing discovery on a project and are about to start entering user stories. The delivery manager would very much like us to start the user stories in Excel (or Google Sheets) and then import them into Jira. Is this (for both or either) fairly easily doable or are we better off just going straight into Jira? 

[Jack Brickey · Accepted solution]

That can certainly be done but cumbersome method IMO vs simply using the tool directly. But if you want to import just save as CSV - create-issues-with-the-csv-importer 

[Jim Stewart]

Yeah, I agree it's double the work. I'll see if I can talk them out of it. 

[Jim Stewart]

For the record, it turns out there's a good reason to use the spreadsheet. This company has a template. As you enter user stories and estimates, it does calculations to figure out what you need in terms of developers, designers, etc. Pretty slick. So one of the guys has already worked in this fashion and is savvy on working on the CSV. 

[Jerry Suhrstedt]

@Jim Stewart you noted in your answer "this company" has a template.  Which company?  How can I get the template?

Thanks!

[Jim Stewart]

@Jerry Suhrstedt That was two years ago and I haven't been on that project since then. Regardless, it was proprietary and so, I neither had a copy (the product owner did) nor could I give it out if I had it.