Use Zapier to automatically import features from a spreadsheet

If you're just getting set up in Productboard, you'll want to load in existing features and requests. If you're just looking to perform a one-time import from a spreadsheet, see Import features from a spreadsheet.

But if you're looking to automatically import new features on an ongoing basis—like whenever a new row gets added to a spreadsheet (representing an incoming feature request, for example)—you can use Zapier in combination with Google Sheets to route these into Productboard!

In this article: 

• Format your data
• Get started with Zapier
• Configure your zap
• Make sure it's working

Format your data

Let's start by formatting your data so it will be easy to map to the fields in Productboard.

First, organize your spreadsheet under the following column headers. (Your headers don't need to be copied verbatim from those below, but it helps if they're similar.)

Required headers:

• Owner – the person on your team who owns this feature.
• Name – the title of the feature.
• Status – current development status of the feature. By default, this can be "New idea", "Candidate", "Planned", "In progress", "Released", and "Archived". However, you can customize feature status values. If the feature statuses listed in your spreadsheet don't match the feature statuses in your Productboard space, feature statuses will default to the first available status in Productboard.

Optional (but recommended) headers:

• Description – text describing the feature.
• Tags – tags for retrieving certain features later.

Here's a sample sheet with headers and a few rows of example data:

Get started with Zapier

Now let's get set up in Zapier, which is a helpful tool for creating simple recipes (called "zaps") for sending data from one system to another.

1. Sign in to Zapier. If you don't already have an account, set one up at Zapier.com.

2. Ensure your data is properly formatted (see above). If your data isn't already in Google Sheets, import it into a new sheet now.

3. Set up your zap: Configure your new zap using this zap template.

Configure your Zap

Zapier will ask you to authorize access to your Google account and identify which sheet you'd like to pull data from.

After connecting your Productboard account, you'll be prompted to begin mapping Productboard's data fields to the data columns in your sheet. If you've already formatted your data according to the directions above, this part will be easy.

Make sure to select Show advanced options to display all available fields!

If there are any fields you would not like to map dynamically, but would instead prefer that the value remain constant for all new features created, you can enter that constant value in place of selecting a spreadsheet column (or for a non-required field, leave it blank).

Want to route different features to different owners based on an existing data field?

• Under Feature Owner select Use a Custom Value (advanced). 
• Then under Custom Value For Feature Owner ID select the column in your spreadsheet that contains the Productboard IDs for your feature owners. (The ID appears beside each name in the Feature Owner dropdown just above.)

Make sure it's working

Sit back and watch your new feature requests stream into Productboard!

Note that there will be a 15 minute delay between the time data is updated in your spreadsheet and when it appears in Productboard. (It's not our fault. Go get a snack.)

Want to customize the zaps linked above? Create a zap of your own!

See also

• Integrate with Zapier
• Import notes from a spreadsheet
• Import research & feedback from a spreadsheet using Zapier