Todoist CSV import: reconcile a pilot before moving a project

SOURCE-BASED ANALYSIS · NO HANDS-ON RATING

Use a pilot project first

A spreadsheet row is not necessarily a ready-to-use task. Before importing a live backlog, decide which rows describe work, which describe headings and which are merely notes. Todoist documents its own CSV schema and requires UTF-8 encoding; TYPE values are case-sensitive. Use the current official format rather than renaming arbitrary spreadsheet headers and hoping they match.

Example: a 24-row launch checklist

Assume a consultant has 20 actionable tasks and four phase headings. Prepare a reconciliation sheet with the source row number, intended task title, intended section, proposed date and expected owner. The acceptance count is 20 tasks and four sections, not 24 tasks. This is an illustrative exercise, not an import we ran.

Choose five representative rows first: a heading, a normal task, a title containing an accent, a nested item and a dated task. Give the test project a conspicuous name such as Import rehearsal. Keep the original spreadsheet unchanged; edit an exported working copy.

Run and inspect the sample

1. Obtain the current Todoist CSV template and map each source column to its intended field.
2. Save the sample using UTF-8 and import through the web project's Manage data menu.
3. Count resulting tasks and sections independently.
4. Open each sample task and inspect the title, date, nesting and assignment rather than relying on its position in the list.
5. Correct the source file and repeat in a fresh rehearsal project if any expectation differs.

Decide what to do after a partial result

Do not treat an import as a synchronization contract. A second upload needs its own reconciliation plan; this guide does not claim that Todoist matches source rows and updates existing tasks. Keep a source-side completion column showing which rows have been accepted. If only half a batch is visible, establish exactly which half before retrying.

For the example, approve the move when every one of the 20 work rows has one intended destination task and all four headings have the right contents. A correct count alone cannot detect two swapped dates or the wrong person assigned twice. Keep the pilot small enough to inspect every field.

Cut over deliberately

Freeze edits to the old checklist during the final transfer and publish a single location for new work. Retain the original file until the team has reviewed the imported project. If the source contains historical evidence, retain that separately; importing an active checklist is a different requirement from preserving an archive.

For the complete learning path, visit the Todoist practical guide hub.