Import backlog items

You can import backlog items from a file into the product or release backlog. User stories and defects are imported from separate files.

In this topic:

Prepare a backlog import file

In an Excel or CSV file, list the user stories or defects you want to import.

When importing from Excel, your import can also include tasks and acceptance tests. Add a Tasks sheet in a defect or user story import file, and/or an Acceptance Tests sheet in a user story import file.

The file must be formatted according to specific guidelines, and some fields are restricted to certain values. For more details, see Import guidelines and Fields and validations below.

Use template files to assist you in creating compatible backlog files.

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Import the backlog items into Agile Manager

1. Select the area in Agile Manager into which you want to import backlog items:

   • Product backlog: Under Product Backlog > Backlog, select the Backlog Items View.

   • Release backlog: Select Release Management > Release Backlog. Make sure the correct release is selected.

2. Click More Actions > Import Backlog.

3. In the Import Backlog dialog box, specify whether you are importing user stories or defects.

After Agile Manager validates the content of the file, you can import the backlog items.

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Import guidelines

Review these guidelines to ensure that the import completes successfully. Many of the guidelines are implemented in the template files.

Import guidelines
Supported file formats	.xls .xlsx .csv
Multiple Excel worksheets	In Excel files, the main backlog item data must be in the first worksheet, or a worksheet named Backlog Items. Add separate sheets for Tasks or Acceptance Tests to include them in the import.
Import file size	The import file can contain up to 2000 items to import, including backlog items, tasks, and acceptance tests.
Field names and column headers	The field names must be listed on the first row of the file or worksheet. The order of the fields is not important. The column headers in the file must match the field names in Agile Manager.
Merging imported data	You cannot merge an imported backlog item with an existing backlog item: if you import an item with the same name as an existing backlog item, another backlog item will be created with the same name.
Supported fields	You can include any of the standard user story or defect fields, in addition to any custom fields defined in your site. If you want to import data to custom fields, simply add additional columns for the additional fields.
Required fields	Some fields are required, and must be filled in for each user story or defect. For details, see Fields and validations below. Note: If your administrator has set additional fields as required for user stories or defects, they are not included in the templates by default. You must add them to the import file as additional columns, using the exact names of the required fields. You may want to mark these extra columns as required by adding a comment to the column header, and save the file as a template for later use.
Supported field values	Some fields may contain specific values only. For details, see Fields and validations below.
Multi-list fields	To specify several values in multiple selection fields, separate the values with a semicolon.
Ranking	Backlog items are ranked in Agile Manager according to their order in the file. If backlog items are already defined in Agile Manager, the imported items are ranked below the existing ones.
Themes, features, and applications	Themes and features can belong to multiple applications. If you add separate items with the same theme and feature name, but different applications, any new application values are added to the theme and feature when you import.

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Fields and validations

The following tables list the required user story and defect fields that must be filled in the Excel sheet for each backlog item, and the allowed values for certain fields.

First Sheet (User Stories)

First Sheet (Defects)

Acceptance Tests Sheet