Migration
Move from Todoist to Done Bear
Export a Todoist backup or a project CSV, upload it to Done Bear, and check the preview. Projects, labels, sub-tasks, priorities and dates come across in one pass.
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The short answer
Done Bear imports Todoist from a backup JSON file or a per-project CSV. Projects, sub-projects, labels, sub-tasks, due dates and priorities come across in one pass, and the preview shows every record before anything is written. A nested project's parent becomes the team, and sections are recorded on each task.
Key takeaways
- Done Bear accepts a Todoist backup JSON file or a per-project CSV.
- A nested project's parent becomes the team it belongs to.
- Sections are recorded on each task rather than recreated as headings.
- Comments are appended to the task description so nothing is dropped.
- Re-uploading the same file adds only what is new.
What to export from Todoist
Done Bear accepts one thing from Todoist: Backup JSON or a project CSV. These are the steps the import wizard itself shows, so the file you produce is the file it accepts.
- 1.Open Todoist on the web and go to Settings → Backups.
- 2.Download the most recent backup, or press “Create backup” first.
- 3.Upload the .json file here. A per-project CSV export works too.
The long version: how to export Todoist
What Todoist concepts become in Done Bear
Every Todoist concept has a home in Done Bear, and this table is the whole mapping. Read the notes column before you import; that is where the qualifications live.
| Todoist | Done Bear | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Project | Project | An archived Todoist project arrives archived rather than active. |
| Parent project | Team | Todoist's parent project is the closest thing it has to an area, so a nested project's parent becomes the team it belongs to. |
| Section | Recorded on each task | Sections are kept on the tasks that were in them rather than recreated as headings, so nothing is invented that Todoist did not have. |
| Label | Label | |
| Sub-task | Checklist item | A sub-task becomes a checklist item when the checklist can hold everything it carries and its parent is in the same file. Anything else stays a task of its own. |
| Comment | Appended to the description | Comment text is kept on the task so the discussion is not lost, and the task keeps one readable body. |
| Priority | Priority | Todoist's API counts up to p1 while its CSV counts down. Done Bear reads whichever scale the file you upload declares, so a p1 stays a p1. |
| Due date | Start date and deadline | A date with no time stays all-day, read in the zone you pick in the wizard. |
| Recurring due date | Repeat rule | A rule Done Bear can run exactly is kept as one. A rule it can only approximate arrives narrowed, with a warning. A rule it cannot run is preserved as text on the task rather than stored as a repeat that would fire wrongly. |
What comes across and what does not
Done Bear imports the fields below from Todoist. The second list is what stays behind, so you can decide what to save by hand before you delete anything.
Comes across
- Areas and folders (become teams)
- Completed tasks
- Tags and labels
- Projects and lists
- Repeating tasks
- Sub-tasks
Stays behind
- Attachments
- Comments are appended to the task description.
- Todoist sections are recorded on each task but are not recreated as headings.
Running the import
The import wizard lives in Settings, Integrations & Import, Import from another app. Choose Todoist, upload your file, and Done Bear previews every record it found. Nothing is written until you confirm.
Re-running it and undoing it
Re-importing the same file is safe. Done Bear recognises the tasks it already brought across from that export and adds only what is new. The completion screen offers an undo, which removes what the import created and keeps anything you have edited since.
Frequently asked questions
What file do I bring from Todoist?
A backup JSON file or a per-project CSV. Open Todoist on the web, go to Settings, Backups, and download the most recent backup, or press Create backup first. A CSV covers one project, so a backup is the shorter route when you have several.
What happens to my Todoist sections?
Recorded, not recreated. Done Bear has headings, but a Todoist section is a container rather than a task, so the section name is kept on each task that was in it. You keep the information without a structure the export did not describe.
Do completed Todoist tasks come across?
Usually not. A project CSV and a ZIP backup exclude completed tasks, so what reaches Done Bear is your active list. The Export to Google Sheets extension can include completed tasks; bring that file if your history matters to you.
Why do my recurring tasks look wrong?
Check them before you leave. Todoist says a CSV does not save the start date of a recurring date, so a task that repeats every year from a set date can become every year. The export does not flag which rules changed, and Done Bear can only read what the file says.
Does importing change my Todoist account?
No. Done Bear reads the file you upload and never signs in to Todoist, so your Todoist account is unchanged. Re-uploading the same file is safe too: Done Bear recognises the tasks it already brought across and adds only what is new.
Where this information comes from
- Done Bear, Importing from another app (Done Bear imports a Todoist backup JSON or project CSV and previews every record before writing)
- Done Bear, How to export your Todoist data (a project CSV and a ZIP backup exclude completed tasks, and a CSV does not save the start date of a recurring date)
- Done Bear, Done Bear vs Todoist (Done Bear ships Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime and Someday as views rather than saved filters)
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