Unable to update existing Issues using External System Import

[Louise Simmonds]

Hi,

I've been through some other forum posts but cannot get this to work.

I want to update the Original, remaining and time spent fields in some issues within as existing project. I take the following steps but cannot get it to update:

1. Query for the issues I want to update and export results to csv
2. Add data to the fields mentioned above (in seconds)
3. Use External System Import and map both the field and the value for Issue Key and Issue ID along with the fields I want to update
4. When importing I get the following error message:

"7 of 7 issues have been skipped because they already exist in destination project"

I am able to create new issues just not update existing ones.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Louise Simmonds 

1. Issues can be updated only through the External System Import/CSV function available to JIRA Admins through the Settings > System menu. If you try to use the "Import issues from CSV" function available on the Issue Search screen under the ellipses button, that feature does not support updating existing issues.

 2. You must include the Summary field in your issue mapping also.

3. I think Time Spent is not a fixed field that can be updated directly in an issue. I believe it is a calculated field based on a summation of Work Logged.

[Radek Dostál]

2 - just a header, do not actually insert values, because you could end up overwriting summaries due to character encoding, to be perfectly clear to update issues from csv, the .csv must contain Issue Key column, with the right issue keys, and an empty Summary column, because Jira just requires this for mapping but if you leave empty values in .csv it will effectively ignore it, it's just in there to get around the required field

3 - last I remember I was able to import Time Spent from .csv

[Louise Simmonds]

Thanks you both, I was able to import using just the issue key and Time Spent field worked.

[Ismael Jimoh]

Hi @Louise Simmonds 

Please use only issue key if you want to update issues.

[Louise Simmonds]

Thanks yes that worked!