Things to Todoist Converter

This Python script converts data exported from the Things todo app into CSV files compatible with Todoist. It allows you to export tasks from 'Things' using the things-cli tool and then transform them into a format that can be imported into 'Todoist' projects.

Prerequisites

1. Install things-cli:
   To export your data from the 'Things' app in JSON format, you first need to install the things-cli tool. You can find the installation instructions and source code on the GitHub page.

2. Export Data from Things: Use the following command to export all your tasks and projects from 'Things' into a JSON file:

   things-cli -j --recursive all > things-all-output.json

   Replace things-all-output.json with your desired filename.

Getting Started

To use the script, simply download it from the repository:

Download the Script:

Download the file Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py directly from the repository here (or clone this repository).

Run the Script:

• Open your terminal or command prompt.
• Navigate to the directory where you saved the script.
• Run the script with python as described below.

Usage

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py [-h] [-a [AREA_NAME]] [-i] input_json [output_dir]

Convert Things 3 JSON export to CSV files. By default (without -a or -i options), the script processes all projects under all areas, creating separate CSV files for each project, and also processes top-level items into an 'inbox' file.

Positional Arguments

• input_json: Path to the input JSON file exported from Things 3 using things-cli.
• output_dir: Output directory for CSV files (default: current directory).

Options

• -h, --help: Show this help message and exit.
• -a [AREA_NAME], --area [AREA_NAME]:
  Process a specific area or all areas individually. If AREA_NAME is provided, only that area is processed. If -a is used without AREA_NAME, all areas are processed individually, creating separate files for each area.
• -i, --inbox: Process only top-level items (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday) into a single 'inbox' file.

Examples

1. Process all projects under all areas and create an inbox file:

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py things-all-output.json

2. Process all projects and output to a specified directory:

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py things-all-output.json output_directory

3. Process only the specified area:

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py things-all-output.json -a 'Area Name'

4. Process each area individually, creating separate files for each:

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py things-all-output.json -a

5. Process only top-level items into an inbox file:

python Things_json-to-Todoist_csv.py things-all-output.json -i

To import into Todoist:

Drag and drop one of the generated CSV files into a Todoist project.
Also see:

• Introduction to Backups
• Import or Export Todoist Project Templates

Todoist CSV Format Specification

For more information on formatting CSV files for Todoist, refer to the Todoist CSV format specification.