How to import issue links from a CSV file in Jiras - Jira Cloud

Question

This knowledge base article describes how to import issue links when creating new issues from a CSV (e.g. task x blocks task y).

https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/how-to-import-issue-links-from-a-csv-file-in-jira-740262715.html

This is exactly what i want to do; however, in JIRA cloud the option to map the field "Links (Blocks)" is not available in the options to select.

Is there a different approach that needs to be taken in jira cloud?

Amanda Culver_sw9zwj · Answer

The answer to import work items into Jira Cloud is to have a csv file with the following details.

* ColumnC is an incrementing random number that is GREATER THAN THE number of issues you've ever had in your instance (so that Jira will not find an existing issue with that ID)
* Row2 creates a new work item with a link to an existing (linked by its KEY).
* Row3 creates a new work item with a link to a workitem that has yet to be created (by this import) - hence it's linked by its "Issue id".

Then to import the data, we map like this :

Which results in an issue with links :

Jeff Abbott_7hw68u · Answer

I am using Jira DataCenter and the issue link import gives no errors and simply fails to import the links:

Here is the detail log (end) file.

2025-10-28T13:04:22,290 INFO - ------------------------------
2025-10-28T13:04:22,290 INFO - Importing: Issue Links & Subtasks
2025-10-28T13:04:22,290 INFO - ------------------------------
2025-10-28T13:04:22,290 INFO - Only new items will be imported
2025-10-28T13:04:22,307 INFO - ------------------------------
2025-10-28T13:04:22,307 INFO - Finished Importing : Issue Links & Subtasks
2025-10-28T13:04:22,307 INFO - ------------------------------
2025-10-28T13:04:22,308 INFO - No issues need to be reindexed

CSV File I am importing:

Issue keyIssue idSummaryBlocksParent-ChildClonersDependencyDerivesDuplicateFollowsImplementsIssue splitReferenceRelatesSDO-1422 Issue Link Test 1SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423SDO-1423

My configuration file:
{
"config.version" : "2.0",
"config.project.from.csv" : "false",
"config.encoding" : "UTF-8",
"config.email.suffix" : "@",
"config.field.mappings" : {
"Follows" : {
"link.type" : "10205"
},
"Cloners" : {
"link.type" : "10001"
},
"Relates" : {
"link.type" : "10003"
},
"Blocks" : {
"link.type" : "10000"
},
"Issue key" : {
"jira.field" : "issuekey"
},
"Issue split" : {
"link.type" : "10207"
},
"Reference" : {
"link.type" : "10208"
},
"Parent-Child" : {
"link.type" : "10202"
},
"Dependency" : {
"link.type" : "10203"
},
"Implements" : {
"link.type" : "10206"
},
"Derives" : {
"link.type" : "10204"
},
"Summary" : {
"jira.field" : "summary"
},
"Duplicate" : {
"link.type" : "10002"
}
},
"config.value.mappings" : { },
"config.delimiter" : ",",
"config.project" : {
"project.type" : null,
"project.key" : "SDO",
"project.description" : null,
"project.url" : null,
"project.name" : "Sec Dev Ops Jira Migration",
"project.lead" : null
},
"config.date.format" : "dd/MMM/yy h:mm a",
"config.create.and.assign.default.project.role" : "false"
}

Trudy P Claspill · Answer

No, there is no option to make fields available in Import to non-admins when some of those fields are restricted to imports by admins only.

I have not found any documentation that explicitly lists the fields that are limited to only admins.

You'll need to work with a Jira Admin to get your CSV imported if you want it to set the Linked Issues, or else set those links manually after the import completes.