Importing Ideas to Jira Product Discovery

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Jira Product Discovery does not currently have an integration or offering to easily bulk add ideas from third-party apps. Something like this may be available in the future. In the meantime, Importing data from a CSV file is the best method of adding multiple ideas into JPD.

This Article provides tips and best practices to configure a CSV, as well format values to easily map JPD fields. It will also touch upon the existing limitations.

It’s recommended reviewing all CSV file requirements, but these are some to be aware of:

• Each CSV file must possess a heading row which represents the fields.

  • Each row below the heading will represent an idea and its fields' values.

  • External System Import cannot identify multiple headings.

  • External System Import cannot identify multiple tabs (if importing from Excel, Google Sheets, etc.).

• Commas separate fields and values.

• Use double-quote marks (") around a section of text to treat any special characters (such as commas) in that section literally.

• For fields that accept multiple values, aggregate multiple values into a field through same named header columns.

Other things to be aware with the External System Import:

• This Article outlines using the Old import experience.

• External System Import cannot create new fields or statuses. These should exist in your instance before the import so they can be easily mapped.

  • JPD fields can be created globally, or within each JPD project.

  • JPD statuses can be added to each project’s Workflow.

• ^ In some cases the External System Import can create new field values / options if they do not already exist within a (single select, multi-select, labels) field.

• The CSV’s fields' names do not need to match the JPD fields' names. During the import, there’s a step to map each CSV field ↔︎ JPD field.

Standard field types:

Field	Field / CSV Information	CSV Format Example
Checkbox	0 (unchecked) or 1 (checked)	1
Date	Formatted in a range, and displayed as a string	{"start":"yyyy-mm-dd","end":"yyyy-mm-dd"}
Hyperlink	Any URL	https://support.atlassian.com/jira-product-discovery/docs/import-existing-jira-issues-into-jira-product-discovery/
Multi-select	Multiple options can be added through same named header columns	Multi-select-1,MS_Value 2,Multi select value 3
Number	Any numerical value	1234
People	User’s email Multiple users can be added through same named header columns	user1@atlassian.com,user2@atlassian.com
Rating	Numbers 0-5 0 = empty 1 = lowest 5 = highest	4
Select	Only a single option can be added	Single-select-value
Short text	Any text - 255 characters limit	Hopefully this Community Article helps with importing ideas into JPD!
Slider	Numbers 1-100 1 = lowest 100 = highest	42

Dynamic fields:

Field	Field / CSV Information	CSV Format Example
Comments	Date/time formatting depends on selection during Map projects step of the CSV import Multiple comments can be added through same named header columns Include the user (ID) and timestamp Map to the Comment Body field	dd/MMM/yy h:mm a;<atlassian_userID>;This is the comment’s body.
Votes	Not currently supported	N/A
Insights	Not currently supported	N/A
Delivery	Not currently supported	N/A
Custom formula (Fx)	Not currently supported	N/A

System fields:

Field	Field / CSV Information	CSV Format Example
Reporter	User’s email (only one user can be added)	reporter@atlassian.com
Creator	User completing External System Import will be the Creator of all ideas	N/A
Assignee	User’s email (only one user can be added, and user needs to be a creator)	assignee@atlassian.com
Delivery status	Not currently supported	N/A
Delivery progress	Not currently supported	N/A
Key	Can be set if key does not already exist. Otherwise External System Import will set key(s) to next one(s) available	KEY-123
Summary	Any text - 255 characters limit	Hello JPD Community. This is the idea’s Summary.
Comments	Date/time formatting depends on selection during Map projects step of the CSV import Multiple comments can be added through same named header columns Include the user (ID) and timestamp Map to the Comment Body field	dd/MMM/yy h:mm a;<atlassian_userID>;This is the comment’s body.
Created	Date/time formatting depends on selection during Map projects step of the CSV import Map to the Date Created field	dd/MMM/yy h:mm a 11/Nov/11 11:11 AM
Labels	External System Import does not support spaces. All strings separated by spaces will create individual labels Multiple Labels can be added through same named header columns	Label1,Label_2,Label-3
Insights	Not currently supported	N/A
Linked issues	Issue key Select link-type during import (e.g. Relates, Blocks, Clones, etc.)	KEY-123
Status	Statuses need to already exist in the JPD project’s Workflow	Parking lot
Updated	Updated when idea is imported. Cannot be set during External System Import	N/A
Atlas Goals	Field used to display goal(s) configured in Atlas	[\"ari:cloud:townsquare:<cloud_ID>:goal/<atlas_goal1_ID>\"]
Atlas Projects	Field used to display a project configured in Atlas	ari:cloud:townsquare:<cloud_ID>:project/<atlas_project_ID>
Atlas project status	Determined by Atlas project	N/A

CSV Example:

Checkbox field,Date field,Hyperlink field,Multi-select field,Multi-select field,Multi-select field,Number field,People field,People field,Rating field,Select field,Short text field,Slider field,Comments,Comments,Comments,Reporter,Assignee,Key,Item (Summary),Created,Labels,Labels,Labels,Linked issues,Status,Atlas Goals,Atlas Projects
1,"{""start"":""2024-10-28"",""end"":""2024-10-28""}",https://support.atlassian.com/jira-product-discovery/docs/import-existing-jira-issues-into-jira-product-discovery/,Multi-select-1,MS_Value 2,Multi select value 3,1234,user1@atlassian.com,user2@atlassian.com,4,Single-select-value,255 characters limit,42,04/Mar/21 1:23 AM;<atlassian_userID>;This is the comment’s body.,12/Dec/12 12:12 PM;<atlassian_userID>;This is the comment’s body.,09/Jun/24 6:09 PM;<atlassian_userID>;This is the comment’s body.,reporter@atlassian.com,assignee@atlassian.com,KEY-123,Hello JPD Community. This is the idea’s Summary.,11/Nov/11 11:11 AM,Label1,Label_2,Label-3,KEY-123,Parking lot,"[\""ari:cloud:townsquare:<cloud_ID>:goal/<atlas-goal-1>\"",\""ari:cloud:townsquare:<cloud_ID>:goal/<atlas-goal-2>\""]",ari:cloud:townsquare:<cloud_ID>:project/<atlas-project-ID>

Steps:

Settings → System tab → External System Import Tab → switch to the Old import experience:

CSV File import:

Select CSV → select Choose file → select the CSV file to upload → click Next

Map projects:

Select which JPD project will have ideas imported to.

Optional: select a Date format preference. Remember this formatting relates to the configuration of Comments and Created field/value.

After JPD project is selected, click Next

Map fields:

Map each CSV field ↔︎ JPD field:

Summary is only field required.

Optional: Select Map field value checkbox to map fields during next step.

After mapping fields, click Next

Map values:

Statuses (along with any fields that have the Map field value checkbox selected in previous step) will need to be mapped during this step:

Click Begin Import

And that’s it! Your ideas should be imported to JPD after the External System Import has completed. If fields do not map as expected, there is most likely some incorrect formatting within the CSV.

Hope this helps! Would love to hear in the comments any feedback, and/or how you've been able to successfully import ideas if it was not mentioned in this Article.

[Tanguy Crusson]

Thank you @Nick Haller ! I've added this to the FAQ

[Michael Mackuliak]

Not supporting the delivery links is a challenge for us. We're using Jira today and our "delivery" tickets are children tickets of epics we're moving into JPD (from a delivery Jira project). This seems like a normal and expected approach. Those being dropped as part of the move is causing a TON of manual relinking (all children tickets have to be relinked in the Delivery tab of the JPD Idea). 

[Nick Haller]

Hi @Michael Mackuliak ,

Thank you for the feedback. I agree the Delivery fields limitation / manually linking them is not ideal. I'll be sure to share this with engineering and product. In the meantime, I may have workaround that might save some time, inspired by the one mentioned in this feature request's workaround.

Since the Delivery fields are not available to map within the External System Import, you could add the Jira issues as Linked issues on the ideas. My suggestion would be to using "Polaris issue link" option here when mapping:

Following the import, the Jira issues would link to the idea normally like so:

You could then configure an automation that looks for ideas with this link type, and adjust the link type / remove the existing linked issues. The automation below might be an example:

1) WHEN: Issue Transitioned to "Realize"

^ This component could be something scheduled, and JQL'd on your ideas - instead of some manual action taken on the idea itself

2) (Optional) IF: Project = JPD project

3) BRANCH rule / related issues

• Type of related issues = Linked issues
• Link types = implements

4) THEN: Edit Linked Issues

5) Linked issues = implements / Tigger issue

6) THEN: Delete issue link(s) = implements

This might be confusing to understand with so many "implements", but what happens during steps 3-5 is replacing the "implements" link-type with "is implemented by" link-type, and will add the Jira (Trigger) issues into the idea's Delivery tab - because this is the relationship / link-type ideas and deliveries have.

Step 6 will then remove the existing linked "implements" issues, and your idea would then appear like this with the Jira issues only shown in the Delivery tab:

For additional context on these link-types, Polaris is the one related to JPD and deliveries:

And during the import, there isn't the option to select the inward options (which would probably save us from having to add the automation entirely by selecting "is implemented by"). The import will always default to selecting the outward options ("implements") - so the automation may help adjust / replace the link-type.

Again, I know not having the Delivery fields available during the import isn't ideal. And neither is having to configure an automation like the one shared above. But if you have a large number of ideas, and each have multiple linked issues / need linked deliveries, then maybe it could save some time. 

Not sure if that helps, but let me know if you have any questions about the workaround or in general.