This page explains how to import cards into Card Buddy from other apps. To export cards from Card Buddy to other apps, see the export page.

Importing into Card Buddy

Card Buddy currently supports import from two file types:

• CSV (comma-separated values)
• Plain text

If you have previously created notes using a spreadsheet app like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, you can bring these into Card Buddy easily using the CSV file format. Each cell in your spreadsheet that has text will be converted into a card when the CSV file is imported, and its placement in the spreadsheet grid will be retained in the Card Buddy board.

On the other hand, if you are using a text-based editor, you can use the plain text format to import multiple cards all at once into the app. See below for more details on how the plain text file is formatted.

How to import on Mac

• Click on the File menu and click Import As New Document to expand the submenu
• From there, click either “Text File…” or “CSV…” depending on the file format you’d like to import
• From the file dialog, pick the .txt, .md, or .csv file you’d like to import

Importing on Mac always creates a new document.

How to import on iOS

Unlike on the Mac, the iOS app currently can only import cards into an existing document. (This will be improved in a future update to Card Buddy.)

• First, create or open an existing document
• Scroll to the location you’d like to insert the imported cards and tap the cell on the board you’d like to insert into to move the cursor there
• Tap the ellipsis button in the top-right corner
• Tap “Import from Text, Markdown, CSV…”
• In the file picker that appears, tap the .txt, .md, or .csv file you’d like to import

CSV Format

CSV stands for “comma-separated values” and is a text file format used to store tabular data, such as in a spreadsheet. Generally, you won’t be creating the CSV file by hand, but instead saving it from a spreadsheet app.

Each cell that has text will be converted into its own card. Blank cells are ignored. The positioning of the cells will be maintained in the imported cards as well.

How to Save to CSV in Google Sheets

• In Google Sheets, click the File menu and then click Download
• Next, click on the Comma Separated Values (.csv) menu item

How to Save to CSV in Microsoft Excel

• With Microsoft Excel open on the document, click the File menu and then Save As…
• A file dialog will appear. Click on the popup menu beside “File Format:” and select “CSV UTF8 (Comma delimited) (.csv)”

How to Save to CSV in Numbers

• Click the File menu and then Export To and then CSV…

Plain Text Format

Plain text files are useful if you want to create your cards outside of the app by hand in a text editor or Markdown editor.

On iOS, when imported via text file, cards are inserted horizontally at the cursor location in Storyboard mode. If stacking is enabled, they are stacked at the current cursor. In Kanban mode, cards are inserted vertically at the cursor location.

On Mac, importing does not insert cards into your current document. Instead, Card Buddy creates a new document and the imported cards are inserted horizontally from left to right in rows of 10 cards.

Card Buddy itself can export to this text file format.

Here’s what you need to know about the text file format:

• The file name must end in .txt or .md
• Cards are separated with a blank line, —, and another blank line
• A card can have more than one side. Sides of a card are separated with a blank line, ***, and another blank line

Here’s an example:

# First Card

This is a card styled with a Markdown title above.

A card can span multiple lines

---

# Second Card

This is the front side of the second card.

This card has two sides as can be seen by the separator below.

***

This is the back side of the second card.

---

# Third Card

This is the third card.

Import Limitations

• Import currently does not support text formatting or card coloring. However, if you are importing from a .md file, all cards will be styled as Markdown. If you would like to import them as plain text, rename the file to .txt before importing.
• On macOS 12, it is not possible to select the .md files in the file dialog. In this case, please rename the file to .txt first before attempting to import. This will treat all cards imported as plain text, so you may want to change their formatting to Markdown afterwards using the Format menu.
• There is currently a bug in the app where if your first card is in the top-left corner of a spreadsheet and has multiple paragraphs of text, Card Buddy might import it incorrectly. If you see the first card imported errantly starting with a quote character, you’ve hit the bug. To work around this issue, please first insert a blank row in the original spreadsheet before saving to .csv and importing into Card Buddy.