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Import/Export tasks via CSV or iCal

It would be very helpful if one could import tasks from iCal (Result of an export from RTM), or if one could export tasks to CSV.

66 comments, asked by on Jul 01, 2011 - 00:57 in progress

613 votes

on Jul 28, 2011 - 08:50

Given today's outage export would be a much appreciated Premium feature.

I personally don't need import, just export for backup/emergency purposes.

on Aug 18, 2011 - 06:32

I would like to have that too. But I prefer simple csv export.

on Aug 19, 2011 - 06:46

would be nice to have export to csv.

on Sep 20, 2011 - 05:22

Yes. CSV/Excel and ICal should be seperated though. And please, free.

on Oct 01, 2011 - 09:17

Or XML. That shouldn't be too hard. Or in the interim, even if it was just some kind of database dump that isn't readable by any program/service other than todoist, so that we can restore our account if needed.

For me, the reason why iCal wouldn't be useful is that most of my tasks are undated. (I use the Getting Things Done system as a way to manage tasks, and the way I use Todoist doesn't always require me to date tasks.)

@Lior: This is a workaround, but: Try to print it to PDF instead of saving it. (I use the Cute PDF printer driver for this.) To do this, use the printer-friendly version of the site by clicking the print icon. If the print window pops up, cancel it first. (For some reason, it doesn't print correctly if you print it straight away.) And then print it. (And thanks for making me think about this is a viable way to backup my tasks!)

on Oct 20, 2011 - 05:26

Export any particular search/filter result as xls is huge! Typical use case "hey, we need justification to keep you on this project, please send me a list of everything you've completed in the past X months, along with a list of all scheduled tasks with time estimate to complete." So I need to be able to export a subset of my current to-do into excel so I can add a column for "est time to complete" and fill in manually. Being able to export completed to-dos in a similar way also being important, but lower priority for me personally.

Thanks!

on Oct 20, 2011 - 05:27

And yeah, csv is fine...any format that can be easily imported into excel would meet my needs. Thanks. :)

on Nov 07, 2011 - 00:12

I am new to the product and I would LOVE an import feature. The interface is easy to use but I have a ton of tasks and projects to add and doing that one at a time on the GUI is tedious.

Even if the tasks did not import formatted that would be fine. Just getting the data loaded in one fell swoop would be invaluable to me.

on Nov 15, 2011 - 21:48

me2, Excel or XML would fit.
Thanks!

on Nov 29, 2011 - 12:01

IMPORT please!!

on Dec 04, 2011 - 07:58

Yes, Import & Export from/to CSV. Having the ability to Import from other windows apps in a nested (hierarchical) format is necessary. Thanks and keep up th egreat work!

on Dec 08, 2011 - 08:20

One more vote on Excel export (high priority) and import (lower priority)

on Dec 12, 2011 - 21:05

This would not only help me but also Todoist. I am sure much more people would switch from other to-do list managing systems if they had the chance to import their existing lists.

on Jan 06, 2012 - 12:11

Export feature soon, please!

on Jan 10, 2012 - 11:04

This is much needed. Also did not realize you could not do this as most online task managers offer this feature.

on Jan 10, 2012 - 12:22

I will buy if i can import from another task manager

on Jan 10, 2012 - 17:44

It would be helpful to be able to import tasks from remember the milk

on Jan 11, 2012 - 01:31

I"ve been considering Todoist - I'm coming from ToodleDo, which is very complex, and only has one level of tasks underneath the top heading (unless you buy pro).

But I can't give Todoist a realistic trial run without re-typing all my data. Ugh. Hundreds of them. No, not happening.

Looks likes I'll head over to RTM and see if they have both import and export.

Important: the import/export file formats should be program independent so that it doesn't need too much massaging to move from one ToDo system to another.

on Jan 17, 2012 - 05:39

Importing Google Calendar would be great.

on Jan 30, 2012 - 08:50

I would like to see the ability to import a long text list.

I think your website is light years ahead of all the rest. But I really like to accrue random lists with Plaintext on the go, then add the appropriate ones to a todoist "inbox", similar to your suggestion below, before finally sorting them, which goes relatively smooth with reordering and/or "multiple tasks move to project". But cutting and pasting the list is a hassle, I have to perform half a dozen keystrokes as many times as items I have on the list.

from add additional item:
(paste, select all but one, give or take an up or right button, cut, return)

This could be 100 items why not. So at my computer I learned what I think is a macro, but I would be stuck with doing it only at my computer, and not at work or travel for instance. Not a huge hindrance, your website is overall great, but just wanted to offer my reasoning and ideas for others.

http://todoist.com/Support/showQuestion/1163/#comment_3267

on Mar 13, 2012 - 12:04

Please, I need this in order to create custom reports for my CEO regarding the state of my department (which is just me).

on Mar 17, 2012 - 11:35

Jennifer, here's a thought. You can cut and paste the screen into a text document to export. Then see if you can import it into another app that will export in another format. Swift might do some standard formats.

on Mar 18, 2012 - 14:47

Cut and paste format is horrible.

Export to excel would be a huge boon for me. Ideally would like to be able to export any view, but would be nice if I could get a report of
all open tasks (current project | all projects)

sort by priority or due date

optionally with notes.

on Apr 12, 2012 - 04:13

It would be great to import CSV files as well.. I have tons of project lists from work in Excel that I have to hand copy/paste into todoist. ugh!

on May 01, 2012 - 02:01

Really need a backup export option. It's not that hard to do. You already have the all projects view. It's just a matter of taking this same data and putting it in a file. Should be 4 hours of work max. We've been waiting on this for years. Love this app but would love it even more if there was a backup feature and also a decent Android app available.

on May 05, 2012 - 00:02

Need both import and export for backup and to import prepared task lists such as study courses. What good is having a backup if it cannot be imported. If something happens to your online account task lists, then manually re-entering all task will be frustratingly tedious; just saying....

on May 07, 2012 - 06:59

A CSV import would be useful. I have a text file that contains a long list of articles I want to read. Being able to create a task for each one through an import would be helpful.

on May 23, 2012 - 08:03

Someone quite a ways back had actually created an API to import from spreadsheet, but with all the changes in Todoist, it's now no longer supported.

on Jun 03, 2012 - 12:06

Export to CSV!

on Jun 29, 2012 - 15:55

Yes, for personal date safety and contribute-able. We must have it!!

on Jul 05, 2012 - 12:59

Import from CSV - would have made a difference in migrating from my Excel to-do list. Right now struggling with cutting and pasting. At some point I'll probably want to export too.

on Aug 13, 2012 - 21:42

Sure is a lot of people clamoring for the same thing here. I happily toss in my vote for the same thing. This feature is make it or brake it. If you want to show industry leadership, you will make it easier for people who already use task managers heavily to convert to your tool. They are the market you should be considering impressing the most, and the best place to start is by making a smooth, simple, and VERY effective import of their tasks. Adding the Export functionality shows you are thinking of the customer in the long term. I hope you consider both of these high priority when planning out your To Do Lists.

on Aug 20, 2012 - 04:58

This is absolutely the most important feature to implement. Not having the ability to export data gives the impression (however unwarranted) that this is a captive service. Enabling import means you'll more easily attract refugees from other services.

All mature services these days recognize that the data belongs to the user, not the service.

I agree with the other comments supporting CSV as the best format. Keep it simple.

on Aug 22, 2012 - 08:33

Import / Export is essential.

on Sep 12, 2012 - 11:28

Here Here! Import and Export would be amazing!

on Sep 17, 2012 - 21:26

+1 to: "Import / Export is essential."
We live in a world of interoperability and todoist IS a great tool, yet missing this very important feature.

I'd be happy even with paste CSV or text in a textbox

on Sep 19, 2012 - 12:00

A simple CSV export option would be a key feature for me a special projects manager. I need to be able to copy lists into my Board reports for circulation to my clients about outstanding issues on their projects.
An update on progress in this area would encourage me to go Premium.
Thanks
Mike

on Oct 15, 2012 - 10:28

Just discovered that Backups pretty much provide the import/export capability - a zip file of plain text files. I haven't looked properly at the file format but this does at least mean that it is possible to get at your data.

Fantastic! Thank you for this feature.

If I could add one refinement - integrate with Dropbox so the backups can be saved automatically to a DB folder.

on Oct 16, 2012 - 19:17

Export to Excel is vital. I am surprised that this has not already been included in what otherwise is a great product.

on Nov 06, 2012 - 08:00

It seems to me an essential first-time-use feature: the option to convert all your existing Outlook tasks into Todoist tasks. I was counting on that when I installed it.

on Nov 06, 2012 - 09:18

Can the guys at todoist possbily comment on whether this feature is likely, or give us a timeframe?

there seems to be a fair amount of strong support for it!!

In my view, the future of cloud apps is all about integration. The apps that allow clients to easily interface data into their other business systems in ways that make sense to them will be the winners. Todoist can do much more on this front.

on Nov 06, 2012 - 10:02

Hello,

Any feature that can greatly improve the user experience or help conveniently manage your data (such as an Outlook Tasks integration) will most likely be implemented in the future, but we can't give you any timeframe at this point.

As for data export, currently you can export your tasks to have a locally stored backup. You can find more details about this feature in this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U96Nco_but4


Best regards,
David

on Nov 20, 2012 - 05:08

I am not going back from Toodledo, because I will not type in my 100 tasks with all details back in here.

on Nov 27, 2012 - 06:54

I am not going to use Todoist unless I can import my present thunderbird calendar task.

on Dec 03, 2012 - 05:25

A way to import/export tasks should be a #1 priority.

I chose Todoist for I thought, based on the way the premium features were marketed, this could do what seems elusive: a means to import/export tasks to Google Calendar and Thunderbird/Lightning. Tasks dumping out in an iCal format and being attached to a Google calendar as entire day tasks is not import/export.

It is a hack and deceptive advertising on the part of Todoist to market it as import/export. It is not possible to export Google tasks to Todoist.

I am continuing to use Todoist to give it a fair try and see if it lives up to its billing. But as it stands, I don't see much value in it for $29/year to obtain premium features.

on Dec 21, 2012 - 11:11

Export feature soon, please! And free!

@Daniel Lamb : Agree with you, "deceptive advertising" man!

on Dec 31, 2012 - 10:19

Such a simple feature, and completely necessary if you want people to be able to migrate to Todoist from other services. Until this feature is in place, I can't easily move to Todoist from RTM. Get on with it.

on Jan 14, 2013 - 05:02

Please implement import/export to CSV using standard/open-code notation for dates to make todoist cross platform and cross application solution. This enables management of data for statistical purposes.

Import/export to CSV for past, today and future tasks.
I monitor past tasks to improve future effectiveness and for record past activities.

Thank you

on Jan 17, 2013 - 19:42

Import AND Export feature would be extremely helpful! Imagine all the potential Todoist clients that will not sign up because they have to manually enter their task lists ... :)
Thanks for the consideration & development!

on Jan 29, 2013 - 07:47

I'm moving from Trello to Todoist. I've managed to export my Trello cards to Excel - it would be great to be able to import them to Todoist as tasks.

on Mar 15, 2013 - 16:00

I agree with the need for import. Sometimes you are creating a to do list from some other source where it is already typed and you need to turn the list into todos. I'm moving over from Asana because of the inability to create subtasks, so moving some of my longer task lists would be nice.

on Apr 04, 2013 - 16:39

will you guys be adding a way to import tasks from astrid?

on Apr 04, 2013 - 17:48

Hello Danielle,

It is possible to import tasks in a TXT file where each line will become one task. Please clarify - what export format does Astrid support?


Best regards,
David

on Apr 10, 2013 - 11:46

1400 tasks to import from toodledo. Looks like there might be an option for importing from a text file. I can do some preprocessing to do a data conversion on the projects. I've got about 20 "Folders" and each folder has parent tasks with nested sub-tasks. This is toodledo's (extremely poor) solution to projects. Todoist is *much* better.

I'll look into the text import David mentioned in the previous post. Hopefully I can work out some solution to this. I'm a fast typer, so I'd be willing to dedicate a day to migrating my tasks. It will save me time and effort over the hoops I'm having to jump through in toodledo. (I use inbox-style task entry, and moving a task from the inbox to a project is a disconnected two-step process: set "Project", then switch to project and drag to parent task.)

Looking forward to using todoist, for sure!

on Apr 10, 2013 - 14:45

Hello Eric,

Another user has explained in detail the format we use for our TXT import option, please refer to this thread: http://todoist.com/Support/showQuestion/4269/ - it should help you prepare the files quickly.


Best regards,
David

on Apr 11, 2013 - 01:08

Worked great. Thanks!

on Apr 11, 2013 - 13:30

Being able to export in CSV into Excel is critical. I need to post my todos and completed to a central location every week. Without this capability, I'd have to duplicate my entries every week.

This tool is supposed to help me save time.

on Apr 15, 2013 - 09:07

Hey David,

I've uploaded my python script for Toodledo-to-Todoist conversion to github: https://github.com/cod3monk3y/todoist

Enjoy!
Eric

on Apr 15, 2013 - 10:58

I'd like to try out todoist, but I have quite a database of tasks in OmniFocus. Some of them have start dates way in the future, so I'd really like to import them instead of the possibility of missing them when manually adding them in.

on Apr 16, 2013 - 01:39

For my needs (which are much simpler than many of the requests), the ability to import a text file as a template is outstanding. I wanted to create a list of books that I want to read (all of the Hugo winners) and I was able to simply import the txt file with a return between each item and they all became their own item in the list. Outstanding. I know there are a lot of additional features in the template import/export - but this did it for me.

I would suggest that the name may cause many to overlook it - I would suggest simply calling it export list or import list.

It would be nice if there were a bit of documentation (not just the youtube video) for this. Does it require three periods for each indent? What is the structure of the file for adding other information?

But it's a great start!

Ron

on Apr 16, 2013 - 06:45

Hello Ron,

We're glad you like it. We'll soon publish a new FAQ/Help section clearly documenting every single feature on Todoist.

For now, to find out more details about the structure we use, please refer to this post from another user who figured it out: http://todoist.com/Support/showQuestion/4269/


Best regards,
David

on Apr 25, 2013 - 01:12

I've would like this for archival / history search purpose.
E.g. export all tasks, including notes (and perhaps attachments) completed between mars 1. and april 1, 2013.
I don't care about format as long as it can be searched from text editor. Also, it would be nice if you can add some time references: E.g. when created, when completed, timestamps for notes. Maybe even, as for Astrid todo manager; complete time-stamped log.

Regards,
Rune

on Apr 25, 2013 - 14:40

I have created a product enhancement feature which extends the ability to export in CSV, to be able to export a report into an Excel, Word or PDF document. If you want this feature, please vote for it.

http://todoist.com/Vote/showProposal/883/

Thanks for your support,
Karin

on May 16, 2013 - 13:57

I'd love to be able to import from either a csv, txt or excel

on May 17, 2013 - 04:05

Nevermind, I switched to trello, it works better for my needs