# How to properly import notes into joplin?

**URL:** <https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [30 March 2024 00:17 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241 "2024-03-30T00:17:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KOT040188](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/kot040188/32/20630_2.png) [@KOT040188](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/KOT040188)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 00:17 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/1 "2024-03-30T00:17:22Z")

</div>

### Operating system

Linux

### Joplin version

2.14.9

### What issue do you have?

I want to go to Joplin. I currently use clipto for notes and ticktick for tasks. Clipto exports notes to a json file, ticktick to a CSV file. How do I import these files into Joplin? I tried many online services and python scripts to convert json files to markdown, but couldn't do anything. I haven't started converting CSV yet. How to do it right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![muzak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@muzak](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/muzak)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 02:49 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/2 "2024-03-30T02:49:45Z")

</div>

For those file types, use an external file format conversion program like `pandoc` to convert those files into Markdown. Then, in Joplin, try `File` \> `Import` \> `MD - Markdown File` for each file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/marph/32/10800_2.png) [@Marph](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/Marph)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 12:54 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/3 "2024-03-30T12:54:30Z")

</div>

I think in general, the markdown conversion and import is the easiest way to import notes, as @muzak said. But I doubt that it can be done in this case, since the note content is somewhere nested in the CSV/JSON file.

You will probably have to write your own importer. I couldn't find much information about the file formats. If you are aware of some documentation or can post the exported files here, maybe someone can help.

Related links:

- Ticktick CSV to ICS: [Reddit - Dive into anything](https://www.reddit.com/r/ticktick/comments/ou0q8k/easy_conversion_from_ticktick_csv_export_to_ics/)
- Other Joplin importers: [Importing notes from other notebook applications](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/importing-notes-from-other-notebook-applications/22425)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KOT040188](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/kot040188/32/20630_2.png) [@KOT040188](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/KOT040188)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 15:38 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/4 "2024-03-31T15:38:31Z")

</div>

I'm probably doing something wrong, but I can't convert json to md. Could you please suggest the correct command for conversion?

```auto
kot@192:~/bin/tmp/gjc$ pandoc -o clipto_backup_240326_082618.json clipto_backup_240326_082618.md
pandoc: clipto_backup_240326_082618.md: openBinaryFile: does not exist (No such file or directory)

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/marph/32/10800_2.png) [@Marph](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/Marph)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 17:01 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/5 "2024-03-31T17:01:42Z")

</div>

The output file should be directly after the output option ([Pandoc - Pandoc User’s Guide](https://pandoc.org/MANUAL.html#using-pandoc)). In your case: `pandoc -o clipto_backup_240326_082618.md clipto_backup_240326_082618.json`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KOT040188](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/kot040188/32/20630_2.png) [@KOT040188](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/KOT040188)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 17:23 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/6 "2024-03-31T17:23:06Z")

</div>

```auto
kot@192:~/bin/tmp/gjc$ pandoc -o clipto_backup_240326_082618.md clipto_backup_240326_082618.json
JSON parse error: Error in $: JSON missing pandoc-api-version.

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/marph/32/10800_2.png) [@Marph](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/Marph)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 17:35 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/7 "2024-03-31T17:35:41Z")

</div>

After reading the [pandoc website](https://pandoc.org/index.html), I think it supports only the specific `CSL JSON` format. Your note has most likely another format. So I guess we are at this point again:

> [@Marph](#):
>
> You will probably have to write your own importer. I couldn't find much information about the file formats. If you are aware of some documentation or can post the exported files here, maybe someone can help.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KOT040188](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/kot040188/32/20630_2.png) [@KOT040188](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/KOT040188)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 17:49 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/8 "2024-03-31T17:49:04Z")

</div>

I tried to convert the csv file and nothing worked either, the output md file has the following content:

> Date: 2024-03-26+0000

* * *

Version: 7.1  
Status: 0 Normal 1 Completed 2 Archived  
Folder Name

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KOT040188](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/kot040188/32/20630_2.png) [@KOT040188](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/KOT040188)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 19:36 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/9 "2024-03-31T19:36:01Z")

</div>

> [@Marph](#):
>
> or can post the exported files here, maybe someone can help.

Here is an example json file:  
[clipto\_backup\_240331\_102627 (1).json](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/uploads/short-url/4r3ZHgCMmIB8k9kEK5QQAxomqpt.json) (3.6 KB)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/marph/32/10800_2.png) [@Marph](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/Marph)\
**Post date:** [1 April 2024 12:02 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/10 "2024-04-01T12:02:56Z")

</div>

For CSV, you need to find the correct markdown variant (see [Importing notes from other notebook applications](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/importing-notes-from-other-notebook-applications/22425#other-generic-formats-4)). For me `pandoc -o output.md -t gfm input.csv` worked.

The JSON format is human readable. I might write an import script if I get some time in the next weeks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/uploads/cozic/original/3X/1/c/1c948e33314e232a0927789508474d8624f4270b.png) [@system](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [1 May 2024 12:03 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/how-to-properly-import-notes-into-joplin/37241/11 "2024-05-01T12:03:01Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.