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Importing data ​

Inboxt allows you to import existing reading data so you can continue using the app without starting from scratch.

Supported import formats ​

Inboxt currently supports importing data in the following formats:

  • CSV files: commonly used by read-later and bookmarking tools
  • ZIP archives: exports generated by Inboxt itself or compatible tools

Imports are processed in the background, so larger libraries may take some time to appear.

Importing from CSV ​

CSV import is useful when migrating from other tools or spreadsheets.

A CSV file may contain the following columns:

  • url (required)
  • title or name
  • description
  • date or created
  • labels or tags

Labels can be provided as:

  • A comma- or semicolon-separated list
  • A JSON array (for example: ["Reading","Tech"])

Example CSV structure ​

A minimal CSV file might look like this:

csv
url,title,labels,date
https://example.com/article-1,Interesting article,"Reading,Tech",2023-08-14
https://example.com/article-2,Another link,"Personal",2023-08-15

During import:

  • New labels are created automatically (up to the label limit)
  • Items are imported as articles
  • Dates are preserved when available

Importing a ZIP archive ​

ZIP archive import is intended for restoring data previously exported from Inboxt.

When importing a ZIP archive, Inboxt will attempt to restore:

  • Saved articles and newsletters
  • Content (HTML and extracted text)
  • Labels and label assignments
  • Highlights

Item identifiers are regenerated during import, but the original content and metadata are preserved.

Standalone HTML files inside the archive are also supported:

  • Files detected as newsletters are imported as newsletters
  • Other HTML files are imported as articles

Import limits ​

To keep imports reliable and predictable, the following limits apply:

  • Maximum file size: 50 MB per import
  • Imports are processed asynchronously
  • Large imports may take several minutes to complete

Notes ​

  • Duplicate detection is limited; importing the same data multiple times may create duplicates
  • Some metadata may be normalized during import

For general constraints, see Limitations.

If you run into issues while importing data, you can report them on the GitHub Repository.