What is Import in CWM?
Import feature in CWM lets you bulk-create CWM Tasks or Agile Stories on a Board by uploading a file with structured tabular data i.e. a spreadsheet, document, PDF, or image. Now Assist scans your file,
recommends how each source column maps to a CWM column, and creates the records for you. It removes the manual copy-paste effort that traditionally slowed backlog data transfer and helps teams consolidate work from multiple tools into one source of truth in CWM.
Getting Started
Who is Import designed for?
Any team/knowledge worker trying to bring work into CWM: New teams onboarding with existing backlogs in Excel or other work tools, existing CWM users consolidating work from multiple sources, scrum teams that need stories populated with priority/points/labels, and operational or waterfall teams importing structured task lists with states, priorities and deadlines.
Can I import data as Tasks, Stories, or both?
At the start of the import flow, you choose what type of work item you want to create — CWM Tasks or Agile User Stories. The mapping experience adjusts to the chosen type so that story-specific fields such as Story Points are available when importing as Stories.
Licensing
What roles are required to use Import in CWM?
Users need to install Collaborative Work Management - 10.0.2 and Now Assist for Collaborative Work Management (CWM) - 6.0.1 applications.
User roles needed to access Import feature -
sn_cwm_ai.cwm_ai_user
sn_cwm.cwm_user
lens_user
Who in my team can run an import?
Users with required roles and with CWM Space permission level of Editor + can initiate an import on the target Board.
Source Files
Which file formats are supported as a source?
AI Import supports spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls), documents (.doc, .docx, PDFs), and images (.png, .jpg, .jpeg). The maximum supported file size is 10 MB per upload.
Does the source file need a specific layout?
The source must contain table-structured data i.e. a clear set of rows and columns, with the first row used as column headers. Each row becomes one task or story; each column becomes a candidate field for mapping. The cleaner the structure, the more accurate the AI mapping.
Can I import from a PDF or image, like a photo of a whiteboard?
Yes, as long as the content is laid out as a recognizable table or grid. Handwritten whiteboards and photos with high visual noise may yield lower accuracy and should be reviewed carefully at the mapping/preview step.
How does Now Assist pick the right CWM column for each source column?
When you upload a file, Now Assist scans the column headers and a sample of the values, then suggests the best matching CWM column and the right column type — text, dropdown, label, date, long text, or reference. For example, a source column called "Priority" maps straight to the built-in Priority column out of the box (OOTB).
How are cell values mapped to CWM columns?
It depends on whether you're mapping to a built-in (OOTB) column or an existing custom column, and how closely your source values line up with what's already there.
For OOTB columns:
- Exact match: source values match OOTB values exactly (e.g., 1-critical, 2-High, 3-Moderate for Priority), so they map straight through. Any new values in your file are not added to the OOTB column.
- Semantic match: source values mean the same thing but are worded differently. The column still maps, but the cells fall back to the OOTB column's default value. If you want to retain all the source cell values, it is recommended to override the Now Assist recommendation and select “Create as new column option”
- No match: if Now Assist can't find a fit, you can create a new custom column on the fly.
For existing custom columns:
- Exact match: values map straight through, and any new values in your file are added as new options on the custom column.
- Semantic match: the column maps, but the cells remains blank. If you want to retain all the source cell values, it is recommended to override the Now Assist recommendation and select “Create as new column option”
- No match: create a new custom column on the fly.
What if Now Assist maps a column incorrectly?
You stay in full control. For every source column in the file you can:
- Accept and go with the Now Assist recommendation
- Override it by selecting any existing CWM column from the dropdown
- Create a new custom column on the fly, give it a name and choose the custom column type: Short text, dropdown, label, date, long text, or reference
A Reset to default mapping option restores the original Now Assist recommendations if you change your mind.
Can I create custom columns during the import process?
Yes. If your source has columns that don't match any existing CWM field, You can create new custom columns directly within the column mapping step. You choose the column name and the column type. For example, a Labels column for multi-value tags, a Date column for deadlines, or a Long Text column for scenarios.
Will there be any scenario where AI Lens doesn’t recommend any mapping?
Yes, there can be scenarios when there’s no existing CWM column present that is a right fit to map to the required source file column. In that case you can create a new custom column for that source column along with an option to select the column type - Short text, long text, dropdown, label, date or reference.
Is Short Description always required?
Yes. Short Description is the primary task identifier in CWM and must always be mapped to one of your source columns. After any file is uploaded, Now Assist first checks if there are any valid task name or description that can be mapped to the short description. Import process will abort if no valid column mapping is found for Task or Story short description.
During the column mapping process, if short description column mapping is overridden and left unmapped, Proceed to Preview button stays disabled until the mapping is provided.
What happens to assignees (or any reference fields like record numbers) if those users (or fields) don't exist in ServiceNow?
AI Import tries to match reference fields (like assignee values, SN record numbers) to existing ServiceNow record metadata like user profiles and task number. If a match is found, the user is assigned and Task number is hyperlinked. If not, the reference fields like Assigned to is left blank for that row and can be updated after import. The same logic applies to other reference-type fields such as Sprint, Record number, any other ServiceNow record metadata etc.
Preview, Selection and Import
Can I review the imported data before it lands on my Board?
Yes. After mapping, the preview screen shows every row exactly as it will appear in the target Board, with each source value placed in its mapped CWM column. You can scroll through the full list and confirm only when you're satisfied.
Can I import only some rows from the source file?
Yes. Each row in the preview has a checkbox. By default all rows are selected, but you can deselect any rows you don't want to import — useful for skipping completed work, irrelevant rows, or data you want to clean up first.
What if I spot a mapping problem during preview?
Use the Back to Mapping button to return to the mapping step, adjust column targets, and re-preview. No data is created on the Board until you click Confirm and Import.
Do I have to wait on the import screen until it finishes?
Yes. Once you confirm, the import runs as a background job. You can navigate to other Boards, work in Docs, or do anything else in CWM. Once the import job is complete you will get a CWM workspace notification.
How will I know when my import is complete?
CWM sends a workspace notification when the AI Import background job finishes. The notification includes the number of items imported and a direct deep-link to the target Board, so you can jump straight to your newly created tasks or stories with a single click.
After import, some of the columns I mapped are missing from my Board. Did I lose data?
No, your data is safely imported. Newly created custom columns aren't automatically added to your current Board view, so what you saw in the preview may not all show up on the Board at first glance. To make them visible, open column personalization on the Board and turn the columns on. Once enabled, all the imported values will be right there.
Data Integrity and Limitations
Is there a risk of data loss during import?
In rare cases, individual cells may fail to be processed by the AI mapping step. For example, if a value can't be parsed in the expected column type. The workspace notification also notifies if the import is a complete success or there is a partial miss of data.
Will parent-child relationships or sub-tasks be preserved?
No. CWM Import creates each row as an independent record on the target Board. It does not currently reconstruct hierarchies from the source file. If your source contains hierarchical structure, plan to recreate those relationships manually after import using the “Indent item ”menu option for tasks or user stories imported.
Can I undo an import after it completes?
There's no undo. Imported tasks and stories behave like any other records on the Board. You can select them and delete them manually. For this reason, the preview step is the best place to catch issues before confirming.
If your file has more than one sheet, which sheet in the excel file is considered ?
Only active sheet is considered i.e. the sheet in the excel file which user has last used and saved before uploading.
If your sheet has multiple tables, which table is considered ? What are the columns headers considered?
Any data value in row number 1 in a sheet is considered as column header values. If any table starts from row 2 or beyond, Now assist fails to consider them as column header values and import fails.
If there are multiple tables in a sheet the data values in row 1 is considered as its column headers and the 1st table data is considered while import. Remaining table column header aren’t considered for import. For a clean import into CWM Board, it is recommended to have one table, in a single sheet of any excel file.
Other
How is CWM Import different from /Connected Work?
Connected Work brings live ServiceNow records (incidents, change requests, problem records, stories from other workspaces) into a CWM Board as a real-time linked view i.e. Any updates to task metadata occurs at both CWM and the original record workspace (two way sync). Import is a one-time transfer of external or offline data into CWM Board as native CWM tasks or Agile Stories. Use Connected Work when you want to track work from another ServiceNow workspace; use Import when you're moving content into CWM from outside ServiceNow.
Quick comparison:
|
Dimension |
Connected Work |
CWM Import |
|
Data |
Lives in another ServiceNow application/workspace |
Lives outside ServiceNow (Excel, other tools, files) |
|
Sync direction |
Two-way, live |
One-way, one-time |
|
Records created |
Linked references to existing records in CWM Board |
Native CWM Tasks or Stories |
|
Best for |
Cross-team tasks visibility in a Board |
Onboarding, small team migration, consolidation, maintaining single source of truth in CWM |
