Prepare your CSV file

Open your LoopedIn export in Excel or Google Sheets, check that the columns match what the SimpleBoards importer expects, and save the file as a CSV again.

A CSV file is a plain text file where each row is one record (one idea or one roadmap card), and each cell is separated by a comma. The first row is the column headers.

Open the file

  • Excel: open Excel, then drag the CSV file onto the window, or click File > Open and pick the file.
  • Google Sheets: open Google Sheets, click File > Import, then Upload, and drop the CSV file.

You should see one row of column headers (like Title, Description, Votes) and then one row per idea or roadmap card.

Check the column headers

SimpleBoards matches column headers in a flexible way. Capitals and spaces are ignored, so Title, title, and TITLE all work the same. The columns the importer looks for are listed below.

For an Ideas CSV

Column header What goes in this column
Title The idea title. Required.
Description The full idea text.
Category The category name (for example, Mobile App).
Votes A whole number (for example, 12).
Created Date The date the idea was first posted (for example, 2025-03-14).

See Import your LoopedIn ideas.

For a Roadmap CSV

Column header What goes in this column
Title The card title. Required.
Description The full card text.
Summary A short summary. Used as the description when Description is empty.
Roadmap Column The column the card belongs in (for example, In Progress).
Roadmap Objective The category name (for example, Performance).
Planned Release Date The release or due date (for example, 2025-06-30).
Votes A whole number.
Created Date The date the card was first posted.

See Import your LoopedIn roadmap.

Edit your file

If your file is missing a column, add a new column at the right with the correct header. Type values into the cells below it.

If a column has the wrong header name, click the cell at the top of the column and rename it. For example, change release_date to Planned Release Date.

You do not need to delete extra columns. The importer ignores any column it does not recognize.

Tips for clean data

  • Titles must be filled in. Any row without a title is skipped.
  • Dates work best as YYYY-MM-DD (for example, 2025-06-30). The importer also understands other common date formats, but YYYY-MM-DD is the safest.
  • Votes should be a whole number. 12 works. 12 votes is read as 12. An empty cell leaves the vote count alone.
  • Description can contain plain text or HTML. HTML tags are stripped during import so the text reads cleanly on the card.
  • One row per idea or card. If a description spans more than one line in your spreadsheet, keep it in a single cell. Both Excel and Google Sheets handle this correctly when you save as CSV.

Save as CSV

  • Excel: click File > Save As, pick *CSV (Comma delimited) (.csv) in the file type list, click Save**.
  • Google Sheets: click File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv).

You now have a CSV file ready to upload. Go to Import your LoopedIn ideas or Import your LoopedIn roadmap.

See also