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Import & Export

Copera makes it easy to bring your data in from spreadsheets and other tools, and to export it when you need to share, report, or back up your work. A guided import wizard walks you through bringing in a CSV step by step, and a powerful export dialog lets you produce a file in the format you want, with exactly the columns and formatting you need.

This page covers importing data and running a single export. For tracking past exports and setting up exports that run automatically, see Export History & Scheduled Exports.

Importing Data​

Copera's guided import wizard brings rows into a board from a CSV file, walking you through each step so the result lands cleanly. You can import into an existing table, into a new table on an existing board, or as a brand-new board.

Because almost every tool can export to CSV, the wizard works whether your data started in a spreadsheet or in another product — you export that tool to CSV, then import the CSV here.

Starting an Import​

To import into an existing board:

  1. Open the board and the table where you want the data.
  2. Open the Import option from the board or table menu.
  3. The import wizard opens, showing a step-by-step progress bar across the top.

To import as a new board, choose the Import option in the Create Board dialog instead.

Step 1 — Choose Your Source​

Pick where your data is coming from. Options include a generic CSV file plus shortcuts for Airtable, Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Monday.com, and Notion. Choosing a specific tool simply tailors the on-screen guidance for getting a clean CSV out of that product — every path imports a CSV.

Step 2 — Upload Your File​

The wizard shows short tips for exporting from your chosen source, then a drop zone where you can drag and drop or click to browse for your .csv file.

As soon as the file is read, a preflight summary appears so you know what you are about to import before you continue. It reports:

  • The number of rows and columns detected.
  • The detected delimiter (comma, semicolon, and so on).
  • Warnings for things worth a second look, such as blank column headers, duplicate headers, or completely empty rows.

If a file is too large or has too many rows or columns, the wizard tells you exactly which limit was exceeded so you can trim the file and try again.

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A single import can include up to 20,000 rows and 100 columns, and the file can be up to 25 MB. As you approach a limit, the summary highlights it; above the limit, you cannot continue until you reduce the file.

Step 3 — Map Columns​

The wizard lines up each column from your file against the fields on your board and automatically matches columns whose names line up. For every file column you can:

  • Map it to an existing board field.
  • Create a new field for it (choosing the field type).
  • Skip it so it is not imported.

Step 4 — Match Option Values​

If you mapped a column to a Status, Dropdown, or Labels field, an extra step appears so you can match the values in your file to the existing options on that field (or create new options for them). This keeps your single-select and multi-select data tidy instead of creating duplicates. This step is skipped automatically when none of your columns need it.

Step 5 — Match People​

When your file contains people (such as an "Assignee" column), the wizard lets you match each name or email to a workspace member, so assignments and ownership land on the right person after the import.

Step 6 — Review and Import​

When you are creating a new board or table, a Review step summarizes what will be created before anything is written. Confirm to start the import.

The import then runs in the background, so you can close the wizard and keep working. You will get a notification when it finishes, with a link straight to the imported table. Larger files simply take a little longer.

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Test with a small sample file first. Running ten rows through the wizard lets you confirm your column mapping and option matching before importing thousands of rows.

Exporting Board Data​

You can export a board view at any time. To do so, open the view menu (the three-dot menu next to the view name) and hover Export. The submenu offers two ways to export, plus links to your export history and scheduled exports.

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The Export submenu only appears if you have permission to export the board. Board admins always can; other members need the Export role. See The Export Role.

Quick Export​

For a fast snapshot, choose Quick export view (.csv). This skips the dialog entirely and instantly downloads a CSV of exactly what you see on screen — your visible columns and visible system columns like the row ID, in their on-screen order. Hidden columns are left out so the file matches your view.

Advanced Export​

Choose Advanced export to open the full export dialog, where you control the format, the columns, and how every value is written. The dialog mirrors what is on your screen: your current filters, sorting, grouping, and search are carried into the export automatically, so you get a file of the data you are actually looking at.

When you are done configuring, click Export. (If you simply open the dialog and press Export, you get the same kind of file as the quick CSV — sensible defaults are pre-filled.)

Choosing a Format​

The dialog presents eight formats as selectable cards:

FormatBest for
CSVSpreadsheets and importing into other tools.
Excel (XLSX)A native Excel workbook.
JSONFeeding data into scripts and other apps.
MarkdownPasting a table into docs and notes.
HTMLA ready-to-view web table.
PDF documentA polished, printable report.
ZIP bundleOne archive containing the data file plus attachments.
Calendar (ICS)Putting date-based rows onto a calendar.

Some formats add their own options when selected — for example, PDF lets you pick a page size and orientation; ZIP lets you choose the data format inside the archive and whether to include attachments; and Calendar (ICS) lets you pick which date column drives each event. The Calendar (ICS) card is only available when your table has a date column to build events from.

Choosing Columns​

The column picker lists every column in your view — visible, hidden, and system columns alike — so you can build the exact file you want:

  • Tick or untick any column to include or exclude it. Visible columns start ticked; hidden columns start unticked.
  • Drag a column to change its order in the exported file.
  • Use the quick buttons — Visible only, Select all, or None — to set your selection in one click.
  • A small preview shows sample values for each column, and you can pick which row to preview so you see realistic data.

Controlling How Values Are Written​

A formatting section lets you decide exactly how each kind of value appears in the file, so it lands the way the destination tool expects:

  • Dates — keep them as displayed, write them in a standard machine-readable form, or use a custom pattern.
  • Numbers — as displayed, as raw values, or formatted for your locale.
  • People — show names, emails, or both.
  • Multi-select values — choose the character used to separate multiple labels in a single cell.
  • Links and linked rows — choose whether to write the address, the label, both, or a structured value.

You can set these as defaults for the whole export, or override them for individual columns when one column needs to be treated differently.

Extra Options​

A settings section adds a few optional toggles:

  • Include group totals — when your view is grouped, add the group summaries (counts, sums, and so on) to the export. This only appears when grouping is active.
  • Save a copy to my Drive — in addition to downloading the file, keep a copy in your Copera Drive.
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When your view is grouped by a date column, the export groups rows by the day shown on screen, honoring the date format you chose — so rows that fall on the same calendar day land in one clean group instead of being split apart by the time of day.

Saving Export Presets​

If you run the same kind of export regularly, save your configuration as a preset. In the dialog, click Save current as preset, give it a name, and reuse it later from the Presets dropdown. You can mark one preset as your Default so the dialog opens with it pre-loaded, and Manage presets lets you rename, delete, or change the default.

Exporting Selected Rows​

You do not have to export the whole view. Select rows with the checkboxes, and a floating action bar appears at the bottom of the table with an Export button. This opens the same export dialog, but scoped to just your selection — a banner confirms how many rows you are exporting. It is the quickest way to produce a file of a handful of specific records.

In the Grid view, the same selection bar also offers Copy link, which copies a direct link to the selected row (or rows) so you can paste it into a chat, document, or email.

What to Keep in Mind​

  • Filters and views are respected — the export reflects the filters, sorting, grouping, and search active in your view at the moment you export.
  • Rich text — formatted paragraph fields are written as plain text in formats like CSV.
  • Attachments — file columns are written as links in most formats; choose the ZIP bundle format to include the actual files alongside the data.
  • Large exports run in the background — bigger files are prepared behind the scenes and delivered through Export history with a notification, rather than downloading instantly.

Backing Up Your Boards​

Exports double as a simple backup. To keep offline snapshots of your data:

  • Run regular exports (CSV or Excel) before making large structural changes to a board, as a safety net.
  • Schedule exports to receive automatic, recurring snapshots by email without having to remember — see Export History & Scheduled Exports.
  • Turn on Save a copy to my Drive when exporting so a copy is always kept in Copera.

Best Practices​

tip

Test imports with a small file first. Run a handful of rows through the wizard to confirm your column mapping and option matching before importing thousands of rows.

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Save a preset for recurring exports. If you produce the same report each week, save its format and columns as a preset (or turn it into a scheduled export) so you never reconfigure it from scratch.

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Export filtered or selected rows for focused reports. Apply filters or select specific rows before exporting when you need a targeted file rather than the entire dataset.

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Match people during import. Mapping names and emails to workspace members keeps assignments and ownership intact after the import.

Next Steps​