Import tasks from todo.txt and other known tasks/todo file formats

[reinhart1010]

I think we can create a new feature where users can import new tasks directly from todo.txt and other tasks/to-do files to SuperProductivity either via PWA or Android.

Besides todo.txt we could possibly add the ability to import tasks from 5 other file formats as well:

• GitHub-flavored Markdown file with (nested) checkboxes,
• Plaintext tasks exported from Samsung Notes (via Save/Share as TXT, similar but not compatible with GFM standard),
• XML backups generated by Getting Things GNOME (GTG),
• Joplin exports (.jex)
• And CSV files, but the format depends on respective To-Do/Tasks/Reminders applications (see https://guide.smarttask.io/fundamentals/task/creating-a-task/importing-tasks-from-csv vs https://www.workast.com/help/articles/61000165153/ for example)

Now, I know that the current SuperProductivity's "create new task" feature supports some of todo.txt's conventions. However, what I mean instead is the ability to import the text file directly into the app, as simple as selecting SuperProductivity from let's say, an Android share sheet.

This could benefit the app in several ways. Not just for easier imports from other to-do/tasks/reminders software, but also the ability to share a "todo list file" where others (who also uses SuperProductivity) can add the tasks in batches without the hassle of copying-and-paste each task on the app. This works similarly with sending vCard files for sharing contacts and iCalendar for sharing and adding calendar events.

[johannesjo]

Hi! Thanks for the suggestion. I am all for supporting this, but I am not sure it has to happen necessarily in the app itself (at least as a first step) as adds overhead for a feature that likely only certain people need and those people probably only need it once if I understand your proposal correctly. Parsing todo.txt shouldn't be to complicated and converting it to Super Productivity's json shouldn't be either. The data converter could then be provided as a standalone web app for example.

[parohanoid]

Hi there @johannesjo , Big fan and a long term user here! I sometimes breakdown tasks with chatgpt and quickly want to import to SupProd. I'll work on a way to convert a widely used task-list format and convert it into SupProd's JSON format. I might go with a csv file but let me know if there's any other preferred file format needed.

Also, is there any import JSON documentation of it,? it might help me understand the import JSON file format.

[johannesjo]

You can have a look at the typescript interfaces in:
src/app/imex/sync/sync.model.ts

Everything should be covered there.

[Karl-Bee]

any news on this?
I also would like to import from todoist,
however neither can handle the json file (don't understand the syntax) nor understand the src/app/imex/sync/sync.model.ts
would e.g. .csv or .txt-files work?

[johannesjo]

@Karl-Bee the format Super Productivity uses is not very complicated. You can have a look at the json export. If you somehow can bring your todoist data into that format, you should be able to import it.

[OLLI-S]

I would love to import from TickTick, here I have 445 tasks.
TickTick allows to export to CSV.

Here an a separate import-tool would be nice, that allows to open such exported files and then store them as Super Productivity JSON.
Important here is, that the existing data in Super Productivity is not overwritten, the imported tasks should be added to Super Productivity.

[coissay]

Would also love it if we could import tasks from Jira or Youtrack format

[OLLI-S]

@johannesjo
You already allow to import data in JSON format.
If I am right, then the existing data in Super Productivity will be overwritten with the imported data.
Or will the data be added to Super Productivity?

It would be cool to have an import feature, that asks me:

• the source application the data should be imported to
• the file that I have exported from my old ToDo manager

Then all data will be imported to the new project "Imported 2025-07-29" (the current date).
Then users can drag and drop the tasks from the import folder to the correct projects.

I know that this is a lot of work, especially when you support multiple source applications.
Here I thought about a "Converter" tool. that converts the exported data to a specific format that can be imported to Super Productivity.
So you just need to import one specific format and the "Converter" can transform the source-data to the target-format.

What bout the CSV-format as global import-format?
I read somewhere here, that the current JSON format is very complicated, so transferring the data to SCV would be much easier.
A format, that is easier to handle would be cool.

Would this be a feasible approach?
So an other user could implement the "Converter" application (this can also be programmed in any other programming language).

[johannesjo]

No unfortunately not. This remains potentially complicated no matter what format we use...

I believe the best way to deal with this, is an external conversion tool that does not need to be maintained by me. While it would be nice to have this in the app, it is something that likely requires continuous work, which I rather do some place else.

Could be cool to have this as a general purpose tool for people that switch apps often.

[MehdiSaraeian]

Hello everyone,

I've been following this discussion and I'm also very interested in a way to import tasks into Super Productivity from different formats. I've been working on a small Python program that might be a good starting point for what's being discussed here.

I've created a repository for it here:
https://github.com/MehdiSaraeian/todo-bridge

It's called "todo-bridge" and it's a command-line tool to convert to-do lists from other formats into the JSON format that Super Productivity uses. Right now, it's a work in progress, but it can already handle a couple of formats:
CSV files: You can map columns to task attributes.
Markdown files: It can parse task lists, including nested tasks.
It also supports tags, time estimates, and due dates, and can merge new tasks into an existing Super Productivity backup file.

I know it's not a perfect solution, and it's definitely not as user-friendly as a web app, but it's a start. It only converts from CSV and Markdown as of now, but I'm hoping to add support for more formats in the future. I'd love to get some feedback from you all, and of course, contributions are very welcome!

This could be a good foundation for the standalone converter that @johannesjo mentioned. Let me know what you think!

[johannesjo]

Thank you very much for sharing @MehdiSaraeian !

[parohanoid]

This is very good, I'll try this out and contribute what I can