Whether Jira supports updating existing issues using CSV import (Bulk).

[Satheesh Kumar Srinivasan]

Do i need confluence to support this action to be completed. Or else base Jira itself had the provision. Please advice

Can i update only specific fields alone rather updating once again all fields. So i can only specify required fields with separate comma to get this completed.

[Petter Gonçalves · Accepted solution]

Hello Satheesh,

Can you confirm to us if you are using JIRA Server or Cloud?

JIRA itself already have the functionality to import/export issues using CSV format and properly update existing issues on your instance. Here are the steps to update issues on Cloud and some server versions:

1 - On JIRA application, click to search for issues to display the issue navigator page

2 - Define which issues you would like to update in the filter > Click to Export it:

P.S: You can define in the List view the columns (fields) you would like to export if you use the option Export Excel CSV (Current fields)

3 - Once you export your CSV file, use a spreadsheet software (Excel, LibreOffice, etc) to update the relevant columns (fields) in your issues. Keep the issue-key unchanged in order to map the changes to the existing issues in your JIRA when you import it

4 - After saving the CSV file changes, navigate to your JIRA Settings > System > External System Import and import your issues back to JIRA, mapping the issue-key and all the changed fields

For more information about CSV imports, check the documentation below:

Importing data from CSV

Let me know if this information helps.

[Miguel Koropecky]

Will this also work for google sheets?

[Jean-Christophe Chaulieu]

Hello Petter

Your solution doesn't match. No overwriting existing issues, but incremantally added Issues.

[Martin Kunst]

Same issue here. despite correct mapping, I'm trying to update! the existing issues, but instead of update, a new issue is created.

[Maksim Smetannikov]

Yes, you can update any fields in existing issues using system import CSV.

To update fields in existing issues, the required fields are issueKey and Summary + the fields you want to update.
You will need to do CSV export first and then import.

System import is located here: System/External system Import/CSV.

Be careful - create a backup before this operation.

Thank!

[p0cket0m]

It does not work at all. If you map the issue key, it tells you all existing issues have been skipped.

If you unmap the issue key, it tells you it won't start import because there are sub-tasks in the CSV???????????????????????

[Mykenna Cepek]

More information specifically about updating existing tickets via admin import is available here:

• https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Update-existing-issue-via-import/qaq-p/1291133
• https://support.atlassian.com/jira-cloud-administration/docs/import-data-from-a-csv-file/

I just recently had to do this in Jira Cloud. I'm including a screenshot below showing the trivial field mapping I used, allowing me to update one field on a subtask.

Relevant tickets in the JAC would include:

• Extend JIM to UPDATE already imported issues (closed Aug 2018 as "obsolete")

• Allow to update existing issues in the non-admin CSV importer (closed Apr 2021 as "won't fix")

• update an existing subtask through CSV import (open since Sept 2016)

Bonus tip: if you have any multi-line text fields, and your CSV isn't importing them correctly into Excel, don't open Excel and then import the CSV. Instead double-click on the CSV file in File Explorer (or in the Finder on MacOS). Only then (apparently) will the multi-line fields be imported correctly.

[Cesar_mazzo_balsan__Paulo__BR_NON-J_J_]

Hello, I'm trying to do so, but with no success. First I cannot find the issuekey field to map, it is simply not there, so I'm using IssueID, then I validate the field and it passes the validation, but when I actually load the updates, they take no effect over the issue. Can you help me?

[george Joseph]

I believe you might be using the Issue -->Import Issues From CSV option to do the mapping. The Issuekey field is not available through this option. You will have to go through the JIRA Settings > System > External System Import option. You need to be a JIRA admin (Not just the JIRA Project admin) to use this option. You can check with your enterprise JIRA admin.

[natalia_lezhai]

It does not work, issues are not getting updated, but new issues are getting created instead. I mapped issue key, summary, status, none of that works.

[Martin Kunst]

Same issue here. despite correct mapping, I'm trying to update! the existing issues, but instead of update, a new issue is created.

[Jean-Christophe Chaulieu]

It doesn't function:

Issue in Jira-cloud

[Mykenna Cepek]

That linked ticket is not related to what is being discussed here.