Cannot update existing issues with the CSV import of Redmine

Updated on 2022-04-07 • Created on 2022-03-17 • ISHIHARA Yukiko

The import feature of Redmine creates new issues. It does not update existing issues.

To update existing issues at once, use one of the following methods.

Bulk edit: On the issue list page, select several issues, right-click them, and click "Bulk edit" in the context menu. You can set the same value for a field in all selected issues. For details, see Bulk edit several issues in Redmine.
REST API: An external program can update each issue through the REST API. Use this method when each issue needs a different value. For details, see REST API.

Note that the "Unique ID" that you can specify in an import is not a field for the number of an existing issue. It is a number used to refer to other issues inside the CSV file, for example when you want to create a parent task and its subtasks in one import operation.