Import issues from CSV - Parent link

[Sari Kachorovsky]

Hello, I'm trying to import tasks from CSV files, when we create manually tasks, the Parent field (which was till lately Epic Link) is a must. I'm getting the following error: Unable to retrieve issue key for parent : BP-14257 To open sprints for Q1 24

what is the correct format of this Parent field? I've tried:

1. Only the number - 14257

2. with the prefix - BP-14257

3. With the name of the Epic too - BP-14257 To open sprints for Q1 24

in all of them I'm getting the error.

My CSV file looks like this 

My mapping looks like this:

Any idea what I need to do?

Thanks

Sari

[Rick Nahrstadt]

I too am having the same problems.  Now perhaps it works on their machine.....but out here in production I cannot get the Parent field to work.   The import process is broken.   I too am getting the Unable to retrieve issue key for parent error message.   I have tried a multitude of data to make this work.  But it seems that their Product Owners do not care that they have a sub-standard product.   Now here is why this import feature is important and NOW,   Have you heard of Artificial Intelligence and GPT technology?   Ya, I can spin up Epics and Stories and Tasks and Bugs pretty quick and need the ability to import this data into my tool set.

[Jack Brickey]

hi @Rick Nahrstadt , you might want to open a support ticket with Atlassian Support.

[Imdad KP _Jira Admin_]

Hi @ric

I was getting the same error fixed with following method. Please share your CSV I can help you to fix.

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Create-Update-Parent-Child-linking-using-CSV-Import/ba-p/2651594

[Rick Nahrstadt]

Issue Type,Issue ID,Parent,Summary,Description
Epic,1,,User Engagement Platform,"This epic covers all features related to user engagement, including account creation, profile management, member connections, posting updates, engaging with posts, and notifications."
Story,2,1,User Registration,Allow visitors to create new accounts and access member-only features
Subtask,3,2,Design registration form UI,"Design the user interface for the registration form, including input fields, layout, and branding."
Subtask,4,2,Implement registration backend logic,"Develop the server-side logic to handle user registration, including data validation, email verification, and account creation."
Subtask,5,2,Create automated welcome email for new registrations,Set up an automated email system to send a welcome email to new users upon successful registration.
Story,6,1,User Profile Management,Enable members to update their profile information and preferences
Subtask,7,6,Design profile management UI,"Design the user interface for managing user profiles, including sections for personal information, interests, and preferences."
Subtask,8,6,Implement profile update functionality,"Develop the functionality to allow users to update their profile details, including personal information, interests, and preferences."
Subtask,9,6,Integrate profile picture upload feature,Implement the ability for users to upload and change their profile picture.

[Rick Nahrstadt]

Importing: Issues
2024-03-28 18:28:48,564 INFO - ------------------------------
2024-03-28 18:28:48,564 INFO - Only new items will be imported
2024-03-28 18:28:48,677 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='1', summary='User Engagement Platform']
2024-03-28 18:28:49,427 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='2', summary='User Registration']
2024-03-28 18:28:49,439 WARN - Cannot add value [ [AAP-380] ] to CustomField Parent Link in Issue with summary 'User Registration'. Probably value was in incorrect format
2024-03-28 18:28:49,843 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='6', summary='User Profile Management']
2024-03-28 18:28:49,845 WARN - Cannot add value [ [AAP-380] ] to CustomField Parent Link in Issue with summary 'User Profile Management'. Probably value was in incorrect format
2024-03-28 18:28:50,310 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='3', summary='Design registration form UI']
2024-03-28 18:28:50,770 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='4', summary='Implement registration backend logic']
2024-03-28 18:28:51,156 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='5', summary='Create automated welcome email for new registrations']
2024-03-28 18:28:51,535 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='7', summary='Design profile management UI']
2024-03-28 18:28:51,941 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='8', summary='Implement profile update functionality']
2024-03-28 18:28:52,396 INFO - Importing issue: [externalId='9', summary='Integrate profile picture upload feature']
2024-03-28 18:28:52,785 INFO - 9 issues successfully created
2024-03-28 18:28:52,788 INFO - ------------------------------
2024-03-28 18:28:52,788 INFO - Finished Importing : Issues

[Rick Nahrstadt]

[Rick Nahrstadt]

In the log it states it cannot map the issue to the Custom Field Parent Link.  When I am doing the mapping I am mapping to Parent.  The importer logic is broken.

[Bryan Cool]

@Rick Nahrstadtare you importing via System -> External system Import? I run into the same problems as you if I import there, but it seems to work fine if I import via Create -> Import Issues.

Does Create -> Import Issues let you import correctly?

[Bryan Cool]

I just talked to Atlassian support and it looks like setting Parent is not currently supported for External System Import for team-managed projects. Apparently it works fine for company-managed projects, though.

Relevant issue here

[Sara Mooney2]

Of course it's not. Why is it that every feature I need is not available to a Team Managed project? This is incredibly frustrating.

[Imdad KP _Jira Admin_]

I have written an article with my successful import

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Create-Update-Parent-Child-linking-using-CSV-Import/ba-p/2651594

issue key, issue type, summary, issue id, parent
ABC-123, Epic, I am an Epic, 1
ABC-256, Story, I am a story, , 1
ABC-894, Bug, I am a bug, , 1

This should result in ABC-256 and ABC-894 being put inside Epic ABC-123

[Jack Brickey]

Hi @Sari Kachorovsky , that is interesting for sure. I have not yet tried with the new parent field. However, I would expect it to be your number 2. Certainly not #1 or #3.

I wonder if you could try to simplify your import as a test. For example, what if we were to try to modify an existing issue and simply add the Parent to that issue. So your CSV would only have a few fields - issuekey, summary, parent.

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Jack Brickey Hey, Thanks for your reply, I can't add only parent because all my issues include Parents, it's a must field in the creation of Story/Task (they must be linked to an Epic)

[Jack Brickey]

Hi @Sari Kachorovsky , I'm trying to reset my brain here so bear with me. If I understand correctly, you are attempting to create a number of stories using CSV import. More over you wish to associate all of those stories to an epic. Is this correct? Assuming so, could you please share a sample CSV Image? I have not attempted this since the recent changes of epic link migration to parent. I would hope that it would still work but I will need to try that. I await your response I will try a simple test on my side.

[Jack Brickey]

@Sari Kachorovsky , here is what worked for me...

Here is my CSV file...

Here is my mapping...

Here is a JQL search illustrating the successful creation of the new stories associated to an existing Epic...

[Kristin Davis]

This worked for me. But, before I left for the holiday break (and after they'd implemented the Epic Link to Parent change), Epic Link wasn't an option anymore. So, in the last couple weeks, they've added that back to the list... It's not logical, since they got rid of the Epic Link field, but if it works for now, it's what I'll use.

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Jack Brickey much appreciate your help, strangely now I'm not getting the option to map the issue type at all, any idea why? unfortunately I can't try your suggestion since I'm stuck with the issue type (it worked in the past see my screen shot in my original Q above). Added also my CSV. Thanks!

[Jack Brickey]

Unsure...

try entering "type"

[Sari Kachorovsky]

Tried, Not finding.

[Jack Brickey]

Unsure why. I cannot reproduce. Maybe step back and try a simple import to create a test issue...

type - summary - description 

otherwise contact support to have a look

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Jack Brickey updating that I've succeeded to find the Issue type, it works only from system->external system Import , and not via Create > Import Issues.

[Jack Brickey]

@Sari Kachorovsky , I have never attempted create > import issues. It is relatively new and as such I have not spent any time playing with it. Generally speaking my workflow would not lead me in that direction. Thanks for sharing your findings.

[Sebastian Krzewiński]

Hi @Sari Kachorovsky 

Based on your screen you put epic link name not a parent id.

Please take a look here - https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/csv-import-parent-child-mapping-1096095688.html

You need to modify your parent column.

Regards,

Seba

[Sari Kachorovsky]

Hi @Sebastian Krzewiński  Thanks for you reply, I actually tried to work according to the link you sent but I'mm still stuck, I don't have the option to choose Parent Id, only Parent. WDYT?

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Sebastian Krzewiński Did you had a chance to check this for me? I can't import. Thanks

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Jack Brickey @Sebastian Krzewiński Hi, do you know who can help me with this? I'm still struggling with this issue. 

[Kristin Davis]

I can't provide any help yet, but we're having the same issue. Ever since the change from Epic Link/Parent Link to just Parent, I've been getting "Unable to retrieve issue key for parent" whenever I try to do a CSV import. So, I'm 99% sure it's tied to that change.

Like you, we require a parent, so I can't test updating using the import function. I guess I could temporarily turn that off or just try to change the parent on an existing issue... But, I'm guessing it would give the same result. At first, our support partner suggested it was a hierarchy issue, but that's not the case. Then they said something about the external ID that I tried to get clarity on but wasn't successful.

If we get this figured out, I'll come back and share the solution!

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Kristin Davis finally I've succeeded - the headers of the CSV in my case are:

Pay attention that Assignee and reporter should be email or alias (and not the user name as it is, I didn't knew that). The Epic link should be the Parent issue key (for example BP-1234). And in mapping I've mapped Epic Link to Epic Link (and it put it in the Patent field). So the new Story that this import created opened it as a child of the Epic.

Issue type, Summary, Team, Assignee, Reporter, Epic Link

[Adam Sterrie]

@SebastianKrzewinski 

The article you linked to was last updated in 2021, before the change to Parent and the deprecation of Epic Link so is no longer of any use.

Can you simply tell us which field from the parent to put in the CSV for the stories/children and to which field it should be mapped to, to create the parent child link?

[Sari Kachorovsky]

@Adam_Sterrie see my answer above ^

[Sebastian Krzewiński]

@Adam_Sterrie @Sari Kachorovsky Please use Parent field. Check my sample config below:

Sample input:

Mapping:

Results:

Helpful doc - https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/csv-import-parent-child-mapping-1096095688.html

[Imdad KP _Jira Admin_]

This method not working:
Getting error: Unable to retrieve issue key for parent : 12345

[Paul G]

@Imdad KP _Jira Admin_ - I'm experiencing the same problem. Did you resolve the issue?

[Goran Dermeta]

Same here, 

only CSV import with issue key mapped to Epic link field works. Parent seems broken, sadly.


EDIT: found the fix, you just set the issue ID for parent issues arbitrarily like

1 - epic 1
2 - epic 2

And then use those IDs in the parent column. 

I just managed to import 3 levels of issues in one file.

[Imdad KP _Jira Admin_]

@Paul G  Yes.

Please check my answer here: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-articles/Create-Update-Parent-Child-linking-using-CSV-Import/ba-p/2651594#U2726225