ConvertCSV

Linear CSV: Export Issues and Import Backlogs Cleanly

By Convert CSV Editorial TeamLast updated August 3, 2026

Export Linear issues to CSV and prep backlog imports. Map teams, statuses, and labels for US, UK, AU, and EU product engineering orgs.

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Linear Is Keyboard-First — CSV Still Matters for Migrations

Product engineering teams in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Europe adopt Linear for issue tracking, then need CSV to report in Excel, migrate from Jira/GitHub, or seed a new team backlog. Exports are straightforward; imports depend on Linear’s current importer capabilities and careful mapping of team, status, and assignee identity.

Export vs Import

Different jobs.

JobApproachNotes
Share issues with PMs in ExcelExport CSV from a view/filterKeep issue IDs as text
Migrate from Jira/GitHub/AsanaImporter + CSV/mapped fieldsPilot one team first
Seed a new Linear team backlogCSV/import path you supportStatuses must exist
Paste a table into a Linear doc/issueMarkdown tableCSV to Markdown helps

Step-by-Step: Export Issues for Stakeholders

Sprint review path.

  • Build the filtered view (team, project, status, cycle).
  • Export CSV per Linear’s UI.
  • Archive raw as team-linear-YYYY-MM-DD.csv.
  • Open in Online CSV Editor; protect Issue ID / Number columns.
  • Convert to Excel for leadership if needed.
  • For short status tables in docs, convert a subset with CSV to Markdown.

Illustrative export shape

Headers vary by export configuration:

ID,Title,Status,Assignee,Priority,Project,Labels,Created
ENG-142,Add Looker Studio guide,In Progress,alex@example.com,High,Content,docs seo,2026-05-03

Step-by-Step: Import / Migrate a Backlog

Use Linear’s supported import path for your source.

  • Create the destination Team and workflow statuses first.
  • Export from Jira/GitHub/Asana using that tool’s CSV guidance.
  • Normalize columns: title, description, status, assignee email, labels, priority.
  • Prefer ISO dates.
  • Clean in Online CSV Editor; dedupe obvious repeats.
  • Run Linear’s importer; map fields; pilot 10–20 issues.
  • Verify assignees and labels; import the remainder.

Assignees, Labels, and Projects

Where migrations look successful but triage is wrong.

  • Assignee emails must match Linear workspace members.
  • Unknown labels may be created or skipped — decide intentionally.
  • Projects/initiatives mapping differs from Jira epics — remap deliberately.
  • Estimate/point fields: confirm Linear field support before promising parity.

Linear vs Jira CSV

Related, not identical.

  • Jira CSV import is admin-heavy with issue types/workflows — see Jira CSV guide.
  • Linear migrations often use dedicated importers plus CSV cleanup.
  • Excel to Jira Table is unrelated markup pasting — not an issue creator for Linear either.

Locale Notes

Distributed product orgs.

  • ISO timestamps for cross-US/UK reporting.
  • UTF-8 for non-English titles.
  • German semicolon sheets: convert before tools expecting commas.

Common Mistakes

Backlog foot-guns.

  • Importing into the wrong Team.
  • Losing issue IDs to Excel scientific notation on exports.
  • Re-importing weekly without an external id strategy → duplicates.
  • Assuming Jira Epic ≠ Linear Project automatically.
  • Emailing customer-titled issues unredacted.

Best Practices

Treat migrations like production cuts.

  • Pilot one Team first.
  • Version CSVs with source + date.
  • Document status mapping (Jira “In Progress” → Linear equivalent).
  • Freeze the source tool after cutover.
  • Cleanse in-browser when contractors prepare migration sheets.

Why Use Convert CSV Online?

Convert CSV Online is free, browser-based, and requires no account for everyday conversions. Prep Linear migration sheets in the Online CSV Editor, convert exports to Excel for PMs, or to Markdown for docs — useful for US, UK, AU, CA, and EU product orgs.

Clean a Linear CSV now

Open the export or migration sheet, normalize statuses and assignees, download UTF-8 CSV, then import or share.

Conclusion

Linear CSV workflows succeed when titles, teams, statuses, and assignees map to the live workspace. Export for reporting, migrate with pilots, and keep Excel away from issue IDs.

FAQ

How do I export Linear issues to CSV?

Open a filtered view and use Linear’s export CSV option. Archive the raw file and keep issue IDs as text in Excel.

Can I import a backlog CSV into Linear?

Yes via Linear’s supported import/migration paths after mapping title, status, assignee, and labels. Pilot a small batch first.

How do I migrate from Jira to Linear with CSV?

Export from Jira, normalize columns to Linear’s expectations, map workflows/statuses, then use Linear’s importer. See also the Jira CSV guide.

Why are assignees missing after import?

Emails likely did not match Linear members. Use exact workspace emails.

Is CSV a full Linear backup?

No. It captures issue/field values, not the full workspace (insights, SLAs, permissions, integrations).

Should I paste CSV into a Linear issue description?

For small tables, convert to Markdown first. For creating many issues, use the importer — do not paste a 200-row CSV into a description.

References

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