CSV Migration Guides

How to migrate your help desk data to CSV?

To migrate your help desk data to CSV using Help Desk Migration, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Help Desk Migration account.

2. Create a new migration.

3. Select the platform from which you want to export the data.

4. Choose CSV as the target.

5. Select the entities you want to export and adjust the Ticket and Article fields mapping if needed. Click “Continue” to start the Demo Export, which exports a sample of the data into a CSV file.

Click “Continue” to start the Demo Export. This action will export 20 Tickets with related Agents, Contacts as well as 20 Articles into a CSV file.

6. Migration Wizard will generate three .zip files containing ticket and ticket comments information, contact information, and article data. Download these files by clicking the “Demo Migration Results” button.

Review the files to ensure the formatting is correct and all necessary columns are present. If satisfied, start the Full Data Export.

Once the export is complete, you’ll receive an email notification or can check the progress in your account.

Download the final files by clicking the “Migration Results” button.

How to open a CSV

How to open a CSV file in Excel?

Opening a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file in Excel is straightforward. The Migration Wizard provides you with CSV files where the delimiter is a comma (,) and the enclosure is a quotation mark (“).

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to open a CSV in Excel:

1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer.
2. Go to the ‘File’ Menu: Click on the ‘File‘ menu located in the top-left corner of the Excel window.
3. Select ‘Open’: Choose the ‘Open‘ option from the menu.
4. Browse for the CSV file: Navigate to the location where your CSV file is stored. In the file type dropdown menu, make sure to select “Text Files (*.prn; *.txt; *.csv)” to see CSV files. Click on the CSV file you want to open.
5. Click ‘Open’: Click the ‘Open‘ button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
6. Text Import Wizard: Ensure “Delimited” is selected, then click ‘Next‘. Select “Comma” as the delimiter, and ensure “Text qualifier” is set to the quotation mark (“). Click ‘Finish‘.
7. CSV file in Excel: Your CSV file should now be open in Excel, displaying its contents in spreadsheet format.

How to open CSV in Numbers?

Do you need help with opening CSV files on your Mac without using Excel? No worries! To access CSV files in Numbers on your macOS device, follow these steps:

1. Save the CSV file to your device and locate it.
2. Right-click on the file and choose “Open With” → “Numbers.”
3. If the file doesn’t display correctly, click on “Adjust Settings“.

4. In the Import Settings dialog, select your delimiter and click “Update Table.” For more advanced adjustments like file encoding (e.g., UTF-8), click on “Advanced Settings.”

The file will now open as a spreadsheet in Numbers, ready for editing.

How to Migrate Data from a CSV file?

Data migration from CSV files can be a valuable solution for many business needs. This guide covers various aspects of CSV data migration, including:

• Data entities and how to import them to your help desk, service desk, or ticketing system.
• CSV file requirements to ensure your customer service data migration will be a success.
• A CSV sample* for importing tickets and record types to include in your header and custom fields.
• A CSV sample* for importing ticket comments and record types to include in your header.
• A CSV sample* for importing knowledge base articles and record types to include in your header.
• Tips on how to save your data in a CSV format.

* You can download any of the samples and use them for a Demo migration, as well as to insert your own data and use it for data migration. Or simply rename the headers in your CSV file to correspond to our requirements to the CSV file.

What data can you import via CSV?

To import your data, provide three files that contain

• Tickets
• Comments
• Knowledge Base articles

Create each file separately and then upload them to the Wizard. Make sure your CSV file corresponds to our Migration Wizard requirements. Check the guidelines for migrating data from CSV below.

CSV file requirements

Each file must possess a heading row with a summary column. The heading row is necessary to identify and map data objects.

Pay attention to the following aspects:

Preparing the file with Tickets (download sample)

To import tickets, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
TicketId	468985	Required
Subject	Test subject	Required
Tags	“tag 1, tag 2”	Optional
DepartmentName	Support	Optional
Description	Test Description	Required
Type	Task	Required
Status	Open	Required
Priority	Low	Required
AgentEmail	a.lewis@yourcompany.com	Required
AgentName	Adam Lewis	Required
ContactEmail	s.gibbson@mail.com	Required
ContactName	Stacey Gibbson	Required
ContactPhone	1234567890	Optional
CompanyName	Faux Mart	Optional
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
UpdatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
ClosedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Optional
Attachments	“https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf”	Optional

Double-check the following things:

• You can specify your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00.
• If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

Importing custom fields

To migrate custom fields, add tags to column headers (ticket field names) so that the Migration Wizard can identify them. Here are the tags you need to use:

• _select – dropdown (e.g., ChooseProduct_select)
• _date – time (e.g., due_date)
• _integer – number (e.g., TicketInternal_integer)
• _decimal – decimal (e.g., Cost_decimal)
• Any other columns in a file without a tag will be treated as string(text) at mapping

Migrate and map other custom fields as text fields using the _textArea tag.

Preparing the file with ticket comments (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with ticket comments possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
CommentId	468985	Optional
TicketId	485853	Required
AuthorEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com	Required
Public	0-private, 1-public	Required
Body	“Test comment”	Required
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
Attachments	“https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf”	Optional

You can only submit one file with comments. Make sure to collect all ticket comments in that file.

Check the following aspects:

• Make sure your CSV file is encoded in UTF-8. This ensures proper recognition and display of special characters and symbols, and prevents hiccups during the import process.
• Fields are separated by commas.
• The body of the comment or ticket description can contain HTML formatting.
• To attach files, you need to provide a public URL following which our service can access the attachment. You may add multiple attachments – separate them by commas.
• You can set up your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00. If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

What to do with tickets that have more than one comment

Ensure that comments from the same ticket have the same TicketId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the CommentId set in the corresponding order. Ticket comments are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with knowledge base articles (download sample)

To import knowledge base articles, provide a CSV file that contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
Title	Creating discount codes	Required
Category	Discounts	Required
Folder	Offering discounts and setting sale prices	Required
Description	“The body of the article”	Required
Status	Published	Required
Tags	“account, setup”	Optional
Attachments	“https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf”	Optional

Preparing the file with Service Requests (download sample)

To import service requests, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
RequestId	1	Required
Subject	Test subject	Required
Description	Test description	Required
Type	Question	Required
Status	Open	Required
Priority	Low	Optional
AgentEmail	a.lewis@yourcompany.com	Optional
AgentName	Adam Lewis	Optional
ContactEmail	s.gibbson@mail.com	Required
CompanyName	Faux Mart	Optional
ContactName	Stacey Gibbson	Required
ContactPhone	1234567890	Optional
Tags	“tag 1, tag 2”	Optional
DepartmentName	Support	Optional
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
UpdatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
ClosedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Optional
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Double-check the following things:

You can specify your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00.
If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

Importing custom fields

To migrate custom fields, add tags to column headers (request field names) so that the Migration Wizard can identify them. Here are the tags you need to use:

• _select – dropdown (e.g., ChooseProduct_select)
• _date – time (e.g., due_date)
• _integer – number (e.g., RequestInternal_integer)
• _decimal – decimal (e.g., Cost_decimal)
• Any other columns in a file without a tag will be treated as string(text) at mapping

To be identified, tags should be in English.

Preparing the file with service request comments (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with service request comments possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
CommentId	1	Required
RequestId	1	Required
AuthorEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com	Required
Public	0-private, 1-public	Required
Body	Comment html or text content	Required
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Check the following aspects:

• Fields are separated by commas.
• The body of the comment or request description can contain HTML formatting.
• To attach files, you need to provide a public URL, following which our service can access the attachment. You may add multiple attachments – separate them by commas.
• You can set up your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00. If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 is set up automatedly during the data migration.

How to handle service requests that have more than one comment

Ensure that comments from the same request have the same RequestId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the CommentId set in the corresponding order. Request comments are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with Changes (download sample)

To import changes, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
ChangeId	1	Required
Subject	Test subject	Required
Description	Test description	Optional
Type	Question	Optional
Status	Pending	Required
Priority	High	Required
Impact	Medium	Required
Risk	Low	Required
DepartmentName	Support	Optional
AgentEmail	a.lewis@yourcompany.com	Required
AgentName	Adam Lewis	Required
ContactEmail	s.gibbson@mail.com	Required
ContactName	Stacey Gibbson	Required
ContactPhone	1234567890	Optional
PlanningReason	Reason1	Optional
PlanningImpact	Impact1	Optional
PlanningRollout	Rollout1	Optional
PlanningBackout	Backout1	Optional
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
UpdatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
ClosedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Optional
PlannedStartTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
PlannedEndTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Double-check the following things:

You can specify your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00.
If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

Importing custom fields

To migrate custom fields, add tags to column headers (field names) so that the Migration Wizard can identify them. Here are the tags you need to use:

• _select – dropdown (e.g., ChooseProduct_select)
• _date – time (e.g., due_date)
• _integer – number (e.g., ChangeInternal_integer)
• _decimal – decimal (e.g., Cost_decimal)
• Any other columns in a file without a tag will be treated as string(text) at mapping

To be identified, tags should be in English.

Preparing the file with change notes (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with change notes possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
NoteId	1	Required
ChangeId	1	Required
AuthorEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com	Required
Public	0-private, 1-public	Required
Body	Comment html or text content	Required
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Check the following aspects:

• Fields are separated by commas.
• The body of the comment or change description can contain HTML formatting.
• To attach files, you need to provide a public URL, following which our service can access the attachment. You may add multiple attachments – separate them by commas.
• You can set up your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00. If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 is set up automatedly during the data migration.

What to do with changes that have more than one note

Ensure that notes from the same change have the same ChangeId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the NoteId set in the corresponding order. Change comments are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with change tasks (download sample)

To import change tasks, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Example
TaskId	1
ChangeId	1
Subject	Change internet provider
DepartmentName	IT
Status	New
Priority	High
Description	We need to change our internet provider as this fails too often
AgentEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com
AgentName	Jeremy Buck
DueTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
CreatedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
UpdatedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
ClosedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33

Preparing the file with change task notes (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with change task notes possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Example
NoteId	1
TaskId	1
AuthorEmail	john@yourcompanydomain.com
Public	0
Body	Please do this ASAP
CreatedTime	1/1/2023 18:12:12
Attachments	https://help-desk-migration.com/files/Help-Desk-Migration-Checklist.pdf
AgentEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com
AgentName	Jeremy Buck
DueTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
CreatedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
UpdatedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33
ClosedTime	1/10/2023 10:00:33

How to handle change tasks that have more than one notes

Ensure that notes from the same change task have the same TaskId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the CommentId set in the corresponding order. Change task notes are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with Problems (download sample)

To import problems, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
ProblemId	1	Required
Subject	Test subject	Required
Description	Test Description	Required
Status	Open	Required
Priority	Low	Required
Impact	Medium	Required
Urgency	Medium	Required
DepartmentName	Support	Optional
AgentEmail	a.lewis@yourcompany.com	Optional
AgentName	Adam Lewis	Optional
ContactEmail	s.gibbson@mail.com	Required
ContactName	Stacey Gibbson	Required
ContactPhone	1234567890	Optional
AnalysisCase	Case1	Optional
AnalysisImpact	Impact1	Optional
AnalysisSymptoms	Symptom1	Optional
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
UpdatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
DueTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Optional
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Double-check the following things:

You can specify your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00.
If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

Importing custom fields

To migrate custom fields, add tags to column headers (field names) so that the Migration Wizard can identify them. Here are the tags you need to use:

• _select – dropdown (e.g., ChooseProduct_select)
• _date – time (e.g., due_date)
• _integer – number (e.g., ProblemInternal_integer)
• _decimal – decimal (e.g., Cost_decimal)
• Any other columns in a file without a tag will be treated as string(text) at mapping

To be identified, tags should be in English.

Preparing the file with problem notes (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with problem notes possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Format	Field
NoteId	1	Required
ProblemId	1	Required
AuthorEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com	Required
Public	0-private, 1-public	Required
Body	Comment html or text content	Required
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional
DepartmentName	Support	Optional
AgentEmail	a.lewis@yourcompany.com	Optional
AgentName	Adam Lewis	Optional
ContactEmail	s.gibbson@mail.com	Required
ContactName	Stacey Gibbson	Required
ContactPhone	1234567890	Optional
AnalysisCase	Case1	Optional
AnalysisImpact	Impact1	Optional
AnalysisSymptoms	Symptom1	Optional
CreatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
UpdatedTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Required
DueTime	YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS	Optional
Attachments	https://site.com/attachment1.jpg, https://site.com/attachment1.pdf	Optional

Check the following details:

• Fields are separated by commas.
• The body of the note or problem description can contain HTML formatting.
• To attach files, you need to provide a public URL, following which our service can access the attachment. You may add multiple attachments – separate them by commas.
• You can set up your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00. If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 is set up automatedly during the data migration.

What to do with problems that have more than one note

Ensure that notes from the same problem have the same ProblemId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the NoteId set in the corresponding order. Problem comments are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with problem tasks (download sample)

To import problem tasks, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Example
TaskId	1
ProblemId	1
Subject	Fix wifi drops
DepartmentName	IT
Status	New
Priority	High
Description	Fix regular wifi disconnects
AgentEmail	jeremy@yourcompanydomain.com
AgentName	Jeremy Buck
DueTime	2023-01-10 10:00:33/td>
CreatedTime	2023-01-10 10:00:33
UpdatedTime	2023-01-10 10:00:33
ClosedTime	2023-01-10 10:00:33

Preparing the file with problem task notes (download sample)

Ensure your CSV file with problem task notes possesses a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Example
NoteId	1
TaskId	1
AuthorEmail	tedy@example.com
Public	1
Body	A persistent issue with the WiFi connection. These interruptions occur at various times throughout the day, disrupting work and causing inconvenience.
CreatedTime	2023-01-01 18:12:12
Attachments	https://help-desk-migration.com/files/Help-Desk-Migration-Checklist.pdf

How to handle problem tasks that have more than one notes

Ensure that notes from the same problem task have the same TaskId. The Migration Wizard identifies where they belong. Double-check the CommentId set in the corresponding order. Problem task notes are sorted by creation date. Look at the example below:

Preparing the file with Contacts (download sample)

To import contacts, prepare a CSV file which contains a heading row with the following columns:

Header	Example
ContactId	1
ContactEmail	john@email.com
ContactPhone	1234567890
ContactName	John Jones
CompanyName	Faux Mart LLC
CreatedTime	2023-01-01 18:12:12
Attachments	https://help-desk-migration.com/files/Help-Desk-Migration-Checklist.pdf

Double-check the following things:

You can specify your time zone in the format 2021-09-07Т15:17:07+03:00.
If you don’t fill in your time zone, the time zone +3 sets up automatedly during the data migration.

Importing custom fields

To migrate custom fields, add tags to column headers so that the Migration Wizard can identify them. Here are the tags you need to use:

• _select – dropdown (e.g., ChooseOption_select)
• _date – time (e.g., due_date)
• _integer – number (e.g., ContactInternal_integer)
• _decimal – decimal (e.g., Cost_decimal)
• Any other columns in a file without a tag will be treated as string(text) at mapping

To be identified, tags should be in English.

Importing your CSV files

When your CSV files are ready, log into Help Desk Migration and start your CSV import.

CSV made easy: Simple tips to save your data in CSV format

Converting Excel, Numbers, LibreOffice Calc or Google Sheets to CSV

If you’re working with data in a spreadsheet (Excel, Numbers, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets), you can easily save it in CSV format. Simply select “Save As” and choose the “.CSV” option, similar to saving as “.XLS” or “.TXT”.

This will automatically convert and save your file in CSV format without altering the data. Alternatively, you can also use the “Export to” or “Download” option to obtain a CSV copy of your file.

Exporting data to CSV

This method differs from the previous one as it involves downloading data directly from your database in CSV format. This allows for easy editing in other applications, as well as flexibility for moving or backing up the data as needed.

Note that not all programs or applications support CSV downloads, which may require the use of third-party tools to obtain the required data.

Using Notepad or Text Edit, etc. to CSV

While not common, you can manage small amounts of data using a text editing program. Structure the data using commas or another recognized delimiter, with each delimiter indicating a different “column” of data. Then, select “Save As” and choose the “CSV” option from the available formats.

Some text editors may require manually adding the “.csv” extension in the file name, such as “File.csv”.

How to Connect CSV to Migration Wizard?

When migrating data from CSV, you’ll encounter a page prompting you to select the records you wish to export.

Regardless of your choice, you’ll need to configure your CSV connection by providing either CSVs with Tickets and Comments (for Help Desk records) or CSV with Knowledge Base data (for KB records).

To understand the configuration process in detail, we’ve prepared a visual tutorial covering both options. Watch the video to learn how to upload files to Migration Wizard, check CSV compliance, and use sample files.

Importing data to CSV is straightforward. Simply read the note and click the ‘Continue’ button. However, subsequent steps may require additional guidance. For this, we’ve created another visual tutorial.