Import & export
Get data in and out of shadow-planner — CSV import, JSON round-trips, Excel workbooks, and Microsoft Project XML that opens natively in MS Project.
Your plan is yours: everything can be exported to open formats at any time, and imported back. Exports never include API keys or integration credentials.
Importing
- CSV — the scenario creation wizard (Details → Data Source → Import) accepts a CSV file to seed a new scenario; Excel/CSV data can be brought into an existing plan the same way.
- A previous JSON export — restores a full scenario; the JSON format round-trips cleanly, which also makes it the right way to move your plan to another machine.
- Documents into plans — a
.docx,.txtor.pdfbrief can be turned into a full draft plan by the AI planning agent; that path is covered in Plan a project with AI.
Bulk imports on the free tier are checked up front: if an import would exceed a free-tier cap it is rejected whole — you never end up with a partial import.
Exporting
Four formats, from the Scenarios view (MS Project XML is also in the Gantt's Export menu):
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| JSON | Full-fidelity backup and machine-to-machine moves — round-trips cleanly |
| Excel (.xlsx) | Human-readable review — one sheet per entity type |
| CSV (.zip) | BI and analysis tooling — one flat CSV per entity |
| MS Project XML (.xml) | Handing your plan to a Microsoft Project user |
The Gantt itself can also be exported as a PNG image, mirroring your visible columns and filters.
What lands in Microsoft Project
The XML export opens natively in MS Project Desktop and carries the full outline — projects, epics, tasks, sub-tasks and milestones — plus resources with their capacity, assignments, and finish-to-start dependency links. Not carried over: custom working calendars (MS Project applies its default 8-hour Mon–Fri), resource cost rates, and baselines.
Moving to a new machine
- Export your scenario(s) as JSON on the old machine.
- Install shadow-planner on the new one and import the JSON.
- If you bought Pro, restore your license in two clicks — see License & upgrades.
Note that a bulk import can't be undone with Ctrl+Z — take a snapshot first if you're importing into a scenario you care about.