CSV Import: Unable to map all fields or update existing issues

[Jamie Crawford]

I am trying to update (or create) many issues (work items) by import with the "External System Import" tool, but have three challenges. I am not a super admin, but can create tickets with this tool. Are there configuration or permissions changes I need to request from my administrators?

Challenges

1. I am unable to map any "other" fields (based on the last item in the table under the Tips for importing CSV data into Jira fields heading in the Import data from a CSV file article.
2. I believe I am unable to update existing items because I'm unable to map the Issue/Work item key in this interface. The CSV file structure section has a sub-heading of "Updating existing work items" that indicates I should be able to update existing items this way.
3. Lower Priority: Two of three custom date fields cannot be imported due to "fields.validation.date.format" errors even though the same date format is being used for all date fields. I have tried multiple date formats; always keeping the CSV format and the import config format the same. I noticed that the dates in these fields are displayed in a different format in the issue search results.
   1. Dates I can update by import are displayed as MMM dd, yyyy (example: Jun 05, 2025).
   2. Dates I can NOT import are displayed as dd/MMM/yy (example: 05/May/25). They can also not be edited in-line in the search results.

NOTE: There are some discrepancies between what I see and what this documentation shows: for example, I am unable to switch to the old import view and I access this interface through the issue/work item search, rather than the "Settings" menu.

[Tomislav Tobijas]

Hi @Jamie Crawford ,

Yeah... CSV imports can be a bit tricky. From my experience, using old import wizard proved to be the best (although there are some good features in the new one as well).

Anyway, related to your questions:

1. Other fields are actually custom fields in your instance. For example, if you have field named "Project Manager", you should be able to select it while mapping CSV columns and Jira fields.
   Can you share which fields it appears you cannot import/select?
2. To update existing items, it's easiest to export items you have in Jira (as you will then get item keys) and then edit the table/CSV file. These "TT-1" (and similar) values from the example are actually item keys.
3. I'm guessing you've formatted all date values the same way in your CSV file? All date fields need to have the same format as you're defining in the first steps in the import wizard.
   Can you share which date types these two fields are? Are we talking about 'Date picker' or 'Date time picker'?

As for date formats, these can also cause some problems. The experience showed you really need to know your way with constructing files that are ready for import. And this highly depends on what kind of OS you're using, regional settings on your device, etc.

If you have any example of CSV/table you're trying to import, together with a list of Jira fields and their types, we could maybe try to recreate this and see how to import stuff properly.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Jamie Crawford]

Thanks for the reply, @Tomislav Tobijas . Unfortunately, I am unable to switch to the old import wizard via the UI. I will respond to your other follow up questions soon. In the meantime, could you send me the URL for the old import wizard so I can try that?

[Tomislav Tobijas]

Hey @Jamie Crawford ,

Apologies for the delay from my side.

...could you send me the URL for the old import wizard so I can try that?

Here's the link you could use (just replace <subdomain> with the one you're using):

https://<subdomain>.atlassian.net/secure/admin/ExternalImport1.jspa

[Jamie Crawford]

Bummer, when I try to access that target, Jira goes into an infinite redirect/user access /login loop.

[Jamie Crawford]

@Tomislav Tobijas

Thanks again for your reply. My experience trying to access the old import page makes me think its even more likely that I am missing some permissions to be able to bulk edit, even though I can bulk create. Do you have any thoughts on that?

I don't have access to/know where to find the fields details; here's an example of an import file:

Issue Type,Issue key,Issue id,Summary,Assignee,Status,Resolution,Custom field (Start date),Due date,Custom field (Story Points)
Story,MP-77777,999999,Integration Triage - 2025.07.10,someone@somewhere.com,Backlog,,07/10/2025,07/10/2025,1

Here are answers to your other questions:

1. Thank you. I was mistaken about all "other" (custom) fields being absent. Some are available.
   1. For example, we have a custom "Start Date" field and a custom "Story Points" field. The "Start Date" field is included in the list. The "Story Points" field is not.
   2. See GIF below.
      
      
2. Yes, that is the process I attempted, but there is no way for me to map the Item Key to the appropriate field in the "Map fields" step because "Item Key" (by that name or any other) is not in the list of mappable fields.
   1. Status and Resolution are also missing, but I assume that is because item transitions cannot be handled by the importer.
   2. The GIF below shows what fields are available:
      
3. Yes, all date fields used the same format. I cannot confirm the data types. Both use date pickers, not date-time pickerts.
   1. The difference between the date fields 
   2. Interestingly, I just tried the inline editing again and found I could do it for the fields that were causing me issues before. These fields are also now showing in the same date format as the other fields: MMM dd, yyyy. The import error remains.
      1. I don't have access to see the data type for the fields, but the two fields that I cannot import were created by "Advanced Roadmaps for Jira".
         

Here are the steps that I'm taking and the outcome of those steps:

1. Search for the issues I want to update.
2. Adjust the columns in the results as needed.
3. Click the "Export" dropdown and select "Export Excel CSV (my defaults)".
4. Open the downloaded Excel workbook.
5. Open the workbook, change the ticket details as needed, and save the data to a "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv)" format.
   1. Examples for Changes.
      1. Add/change the Assignee (via user email address). (OOTB) field)
      2. Add a Start Date (custom field).
      3. Add a Due Date (OOTB field).
      4. Add Story Points (custom field).
   2. These changes cannot be made with the "Bulk change work items" tool because they differ throughout the ticket set.
6. Delete all lines except 1 for testing and save the test import in a new file.
7. Back in Jira on the search page, click the triple-dot (...) menu on the far right and select "Import work items from CSV"
8. Land on the "External System Import" page: https://<subdomain>.atlassian.net/secure/BulkCreateSetupPage!default.jspa?externalSystem=com.atlassian.jira.plugins.jim-plugin%3AbulkCreateCsv&new=true
   1. Note: I tried to change `new=true` to `new=false` but did not see a difference on the first page of the import flow.
9. Select my CSV test file.
10. Leave the "Use an existing configuration file" checkbox blank.
    1. NOTE: I have used an existing config file as well, but that's not relevant.
11. Click "Next".
12. On the "Settings" page, add the settings:
    1. Project: The same project the tickets came from.
    2. File encoding: UTF-8 (no change)
    3. Delimiter: , (comma - no change)
    4. Date format
       1. I have tried multiple date formats, including the following:
          1. MM/dd/yyyy
          2. yyyy-MM-dd
          3. dd/MMM/yy h:mm a
       2. Related to Question 3 above.
13. Click "Next".
14. On the "Map fields" page, try to map all the fields in the CSV file.
    1. Unexpected Result 1: The field list is very limited. See replies to Questions 1 & 2 above.
15. After mapping the fields I can map, click "Next".
16. On the next page, click "Validate" (or "Begin Import").
    1. Unexpected Result 2: See the following error message:
       Issue can't be created due to the error/s [ fields.validation.date.format; fields.validation.date.format ]
17. Remove the two failing date fields from the CSV file, go back to the first page, repeat steps 8-16.
18. The sheet passed validation, which includes a check for data format alignment.
19. "Unexpected" Result 3: A new ticket is created.
    1. NOTE: It is actually "expected" because I can't map the item key.

[Tomislav Tobijas]

Thanks for this detailed explanation @Jamie Crawford ! Kudos for that 🙌

Now, it seems I've learned something new as well.

The first thing worth checking is global Jira permissions. There's a permission for bulk edit items so check which groups have been assigned to that.

Next, it really seems to depend on how you access this import wizard. For example, if you navigate to the import wizard via Jira global search or "All items" project views, although the UI looks the same, it's actually not.

👉 There are major differences when it comes to importing items from CSV.

If you navigate to it like this:
"...back in Jira on the search page, click the triple-dot (...) menu on the far right and select "Import work items from CSV"

• This is actually bulk create feature which will respect create screens for project that you've selected before field mapping. Meaning, if specific field is not on a create screen for any item within that project, you will not be able to select those fields.
• As the name says (you can also check it via browser URL > when you get to mapping screen, URL will look something like this https://<sitename>.atlassian.net/secure/admin/BulkCreateFieldMapping) this is bulk create and from this, you won't be able to select some fields including Work item key in order to update existing items.

Now, to actually bulk update items via CSV, it would seem you'll need to be Jira admin and navigate to Settings > System > External system import and from there, once you get to mapping window, URL will look something like this: https://<sitename>.atlassian.net/secure/admin/CsvFieldMappingsPage and in there, you'll be able to select pretty much any field, including the one for Work item key. (in order to make bulk update via CSV)

As for dates, I'd need to test it a bit more, but I know it's a struggle. Formatting highly depends on how you create CSV and which operating system you're using (& which regional settings are configured on the device). Once you figure it out, definitelly create a Confluence page and 'put it on paper' for future use 😅

Also, here's one additional material/support doc which might clarify some things (even though it's for server/DC): https://support.atlassian.com/jira/kb/missing-fields-for-mapping-when-importing-issues-through-csv-in-jira-server-data-center/