Import existing tasks into a CWM Board

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 26, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read

    • Bring existing work from a spreadsheet or document into a CWM Board. Column mapping is generated automatically. Review the mapping, preview the result, and confirm the import.

    Before you begin

    • Prepare a source file that meets these conditions:
      • One of these file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .png, .jpg, or .jpeg
      • 10 MB or less
      • A maximum of 100 rows and 50 columns
      • Includes a column that contains a task title or name, used as the short description during import.
      • For Excel files (.xls or .xlsx): place the column names in the first row. The AI always treats the first row as the header row.
      • If your file contains dates, the dates must match the format set in the glide.sys.date_format system property. Dates in other formats are silently left blank after import.
    • Verify that Now Assist for CWM is active on your instance.
    • Role required: sn_cwm_ai.cwm_ai_user or lens_user

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Collaborative Work Management.
    2. From a Space, select a Board to import tasks into.
    3. From the Board header, select Import.

      Board header showing the Import button.

      The import wizard opens with three steps: Upload file, Field mapping, and Preview board.

    4. From the Work item type list, select the type of record to import tasks as.

      You can choose CWM Tasks or Stories. The source to CWM column mapping in the next step depends on this choice.

    5. Upload your file by dragging it onto the upload area or by selecting Select file.

      The file is processed and the wizard advances to the Field mapping step automatically.

      Upload file step with AI scanning the uploaded file.

    6. On the Field mapping step, review the proposed mapping.
      For each source column, a target column on your Board is suggested. Adjust the mapping in any of these ways:
      • To map a source column to a different existing column, select a value from the target list.
      • To add a new custom column on your Board, select Add as new custom column, and then choose the column type.
      • To return to the original column mapping, select Reset to Now Assist mapping.

      The Short description column is required. Each source column must map to a different target column.

      Field mapping step showing AI column mapping recommendation.

    7. Select Preview tasks.
    8. On the Preview board step, review the tasks to import.

      Select all tasks at once or select the tasks to import.

      Preview board step showing tasks to be imported.

    9. Select Confirm and Import.
    10. If you added any custom columns during the import, enable their display on the Board using the Personalize side panel and save the view.
      For more information on personalizing columns, see Personalize List, Gantt and Kanban display for CWM Boards.

    Result

    The wizard closes and the import runs in the background. A workspace notification confirms the outcome:
    • If all tasks import successfully, the notification shows the count of records added to your Board.
    • If some tasks import, the notification shows the count of records imported and indicates that some items were not processed.

    What to do next

    Open the Board to verify the imported records. Edit individual records from the side panel or by inline editing in the grid.