No Issue Type field mapping when importing through CSV

[Abdallah AlSurakji]

Good day,

I am trying to import tasks into Jira using the CSV import option, but for some reason the Issue Type field mapping does not show. I've read elsewhere that this depends on the fields shown when creating an issue, but the Issue Type field is shown there.

Thanks in advance 

[Roshan kumar]

Why Issue Type Field Mapping Is Missing
This usually happens because the Issue Type field is not included in the screen configuration for the project you are importing into. Even though the Issue Type appears when creating issues manually (because Jira injects it by default), it may not actually be present on the Create Screen in the admin configuration. If the field is missing there, the CSV importer cannot map it.

Additionally, recent Jira Cloud changes introduced a new import experience where “Issue Type” is sometimes referred to as Work Type or mapped differently depending on your plan and project type (company-managed vs team-managed). If you don’t see “Issue Type” in the mapping dropdown, it’s often due to:

The field not being on the screen.
Limited context for the field (e.g., restricted to certain issue types or projects).
Using the new importer without admin permissions.
How to Fix It
Add Issue Type to the Create Screen:

Go to ⚙️ Settings → Issues → Screens.
Find the Create Issue Screen for your project.
Click Configure and Add Field → Issue Type.
Save changes.
Verify Issue Type Scheme:

Navigate to Settings → Issues → Issue Type Schemes.
Ensure the project uses a scheme that includes all the issue types you want to import (Epic, Story, Bug, etc.).
Use External System Import (Old Method):

Go to ⚙️ Settings → System → External System Import → CSV.
This method gives full control over mapping fields like Issue Type.
Check Field Context:

If Issue Type or custom fields have limited context, set them to Global temporarily:
Issues → Custom Fields → Contexts and Default Value → Edit Context → Global.
Why This Happens After Jira Cloud Changes
Atlassian recently updated the CSV import process to support Work Types and Hierarchies. In the new experience:

“Issue Type” mapping is under Work Type.
Hierarchies (Epic → Story → Subtask) require mapping Issue ID and Parent columns.
Only admins can create new issue types during import.
If you’re using the new importer and don’t see “Issue Type,” switch to the old method or confirm you’re mapping to Work Type instead. You need to add the Issue Type field to the Create Screen in Jira. I faced the same issue after Atlassian’s Jira Cloud changes. Once the field was added and the correct issue type scheme applied, the mapping option appeared during CSV import.

[justin-oh]

I have a different problem and I can't seem to be able to add my own question on this Community board.

I can see these fields on import and I've verified all your suggestions. I can create Epics, Tasks, and Subtasks via the import. The Subtasks are associated to the Tasks, but the Tasks are not associated to the Epics.

I've even tried using a CSV from a documentation page that I've trimmed down to exclude theme and initiative:

issue type,issue key,status,summary,issue id,parent
Epic,test-125,To Do,Epic with parent and no child story but 1 sub-task and parent Inititive,3,
Epic,test-126,To Do,This is an epic with 1 story and 1 bug as child issues mapped,4,
Story,test-127,To Do,Example story 1 Summary no child issue mapped,5,
Story,test-128,To Do,"Example story with 1 child sub-task mapped, and a parent epic is mapped",6,4
Bug,test-129,To Do,bug with 1 child sub-task ,106589,4
sub-task,test-130,To Do,subtask 1,7,6
sub-task,test-131,To Do,subtask 2,8,106589
sub-task,test-132,To Do,Subtask 3,9,3

Again, all the data is created, but the one Story in this case is not being mapped to the Epic.

[justin-oh]

I'm experiencing this problem.

First we should clarify that what was previously called "Issue" is now apparently called "Work Item". When I go to map fields, instead of looking for "Issue type" I look for "Work type", instead of "Issue id" I look for "Work item id", etc.

In my organization, I am not restricted from creating new Work types. So that is not the problem. I can also see a "Parent" field on all Work types.

After import, all items (including Epics) get created. The Epic associations are missing but I can set them manually.

I even tried using the raw CSV from this page but I edited it to only have Epics and below:

issue type,issue key,status,summary,issue id,parent
Epic,test-125,To Do,Epic with parent and no child story but 1 sub-task and parent Inititive,3,
Epic,test-126,To Do,This is an epic with 1 story and 1 bug as child issues mapped,4,
Story,test-127,To Do,Example story 1 Summary no child issue mapped,5,
Story,test-128,To Do,"Example story with 1 child sub-task mapped, and a parent epic is mapped",6,4
Bug,test-129,To Do,bug with 1 child sub-task ,106589,4
sub-task,test-130,To Do,subtask 1,7,6
sub-task,test-131,To Do,subtask 2,8,106589
sub-task,test-132,To Do,Subtask 3,9,3

I get the same kind of errors after trying to import the above CSV:

• Cannot add value [ Work item ] to CustomField [JPT-126] in Parent Link with summary 'Example story with 1 child sub-task mapped, and a parent epic is mapped'. Probably value was in incorrect format
• Cannot add value [ Work item ] to CustomField [JPT-126] in Parent Link with summary 'bug with 1 child sub-task'. Probably value was in incorrect format

I have no clue how to proceed with / debug this problem anymore.

[sgover]

Did you get this resolved? I'm running into the same issue.

[Danielle Green]

Hi Abdallah

Could you give a few more details - what do you mean by 'mapping does not show'? Is it not showing up after the tickets are imported, or when you are doing the mappingso n the import wizard? Could you give us the examples of your csv column (ie field) headings)?

Danielle

[Abdallah AlSurakji]

Hey Danielle

Thanks for your response. They do not show during the import stage using the import wizard. Other Jira fields are present, but the issue type isn't, and therefore I cannot create Stories with Sub-Tasks.

This is a screenshot of the CSV column headings 

[Mary Mark]

You need to add the "Issue Type" to the Create screen

[sgover]

I'm having the same problem. However, Issue Type is on the Create screen already, by default. Any other ideas?

[PEGE]

I've had the same problem. 

I have a Jira project with only featues ans Sub-tasks as available Issue Types.

When trying to import a csv-file I could not map the Issue type field.

I've read Mary Marks comment in this this topic. When I create an issue/workitem in a project the create screen shows the posibillity to select an issuetype on top of the screen (the screen that the user sees when creating an issue). So I thought that Issue Type was on my screen. I thought that Mary Marks comment did not apply to my situation.

But when I checked the feature create screen (in the Jira admin module! So under Issues and than Screens) the field Issue Type wasn't on the screen at all!

I've added the field to the screen. I've checked by creating a issue by hand if the field was not shown twice on the create screen and that is not the case. Then I've tried to import the csv and it worked.

So sgover: I think that you, just like I did, think dat the field is allready on the screen because it's beeing shown by default when you create an issue. But that's an incorrect assumption. The field isn't on the screen and you have to add it to the screen in the admin module.