how to import values for dropdown field?

[Karen]

We are moving from Rally to Jira and I want to create custom fields in Jira that will have values that we currently use. Is there a way, through an API or other interface, that I can populate these dropdowns? Adding values one at a time from the UI will be very time consuming

[Sid Pathirana · Accepted solution]

Hi @Karen Gwynn - if you want to do this using the built-in "External System Import" feature in Jira, then I think your CSV file needs to have each option for the <Application Area> field in a different row; your example file seems to have all the import values on the same row.

Header: Summary,Application Area,Application Area,Application Area
Row: Sample Issue,Account Administration,APIs & ODBC Views,Archive Feature for DCB Objects

The steps I follow for bulk uploading into a single-select dropdown field is:

1) Create the custom field in Jira and manually add one of the required values (or a dummy value) to the list of options.

2) Prep the CSV file containing all the other values you want to bulk import, eg:

 

3) Import the CSV file using the "External System Import" feature under Settings > System > Import and Export

Example of the dropdown list with the imported values:

[Karen]

That worked! I think the thing I was missing previously was to create at least one value in the custom field before importing.

Thanks so much! This will help us tremendously

[Wojciech Śwituła]

In my case in the CSV file instead of the field name itself I had to add -> Custom field ("fieldname")

[Trevor Overstreet]

Hey Karen! These threads may address your concerns. 

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/How-to-import-List-values-from-a-text-csv-file-in-JIRA-5-2/qaq-p/209096

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Core-questions/Import-list-of-data-in-drop-down-custom-field/qaq-p/272396

Jira document below

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver072/importing-data-from-csv-829827152.html

I haven't personally had to do this yet but hope these articles help. I will in the near future so great question.

Also, form fields can have a data connection to REST API's (just an FYI)

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-service-management-cloud/docs/add-or-unlink-a-data-connection-from-a-form/

[Karen]

This is what I did: created a custom field (named Application Area) of type dropdown (single select). Added the field to all Issues types where I want it.

Following the instructions in Importing data from CSV, I created a CSV with the following headings

Header: Summary,Application Area,Application Area,Application Area

Row:      Sample Issue,Account Administration,APIs & ODBC Views,Archive Feature for DCB Objects

Used the Import Wizard, mapping Application Area to my custom field and Summary to Summary

Ran the import

Result: one Issue but no values for the custom field.

Please let me know what I need to do differently.

Thanks

[Patrick Alexander]

Hi Karen,

via API you have to do it in the following way:

https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-issue-custom-field-options/#api-rest-api-3-field-fieldid-context-contextid-option-post

Greetings