Importing a collection

You can import a collection from a JSON or CSV file — useful for restoring from a backup or migrating from another tracker.

How to import

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Import (in the Data section).
3. Pick a file from your phone:
   • JSON (Manga Vault export format)
   • CSV (with specific columns, see below)
4. Preview screen appears — see what’ll be imported.
5. Tap Import to proceed.

JSON format

The JSON format matches what Manga Vault exports. Re-importing your own export round-trips perfectly.

If you’re creating JSON from scratch (e.g., from another script), follow the export’s structure:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "items": [
    {
      "isbn13": "9781974712345",
      "title": "Series Name, Vol. 1",
      "series": "Series Name",
      "status": "owned",
      "condition": "good",
      "quantity": 1,
      "addedDate": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

CSV format

Required columns:

• isbn13 — The 13-digit ISBN.
• status — “owned” or “wishlist”.

Optional columns:

• title, series, author, publisher, condition, quantity, customValue, notes, read, readingStatus, currentPage, totalPages, timesRead.

Most columns aren’t strictly necessary if the ISBN is in our catalog — we’ll fill in title, series, etc. from the catalog. The optional columns are for cases where you want to pre-set fields.

What happens during import

For each entry in the import file:

1. We look up the ISBN in our catalog.
2. If found, we add the volume with the catalog’s metadata (cover, title, series, etc.) plus any custom fields you supplied (condition, quantity, custom value, etc.).
3. If not found, we add a manual entry with whatever metadata is in the import file.
4. If the volume is already in your collection, we either skip it or update existing fields (depending on import settings).

Duplicate handling

By default, imports skip volumes already in your collection (case-insensitive ISBN match). If you want to overwrite existing entries, look for the Overwrite duplicates option in the import dialog.

FREE tier 50-volume cap

If you’re on FREE and the import would push you above 50 owned volumes:

• We import up to the cap (50 total owned).
• Remaining items in the file are skipped.
• A summary tells you what was imported and what was skipped.

You can:

• Upgrade to PRO to import everything.
• Move some imports to Wishlist (before importing) by changing the status field — Wishlist items don’t count.

CSV import respects this cap. JSON import respects this cap.

Errors during import

If the import fails (corrupt file, unrecognized format, etc.), you’ll see an error and no volumes are added. The error message tells you what went wrong.

Partial imports — where some items succeed and others fail — are possible. The summary shows you what made it in and what didn’t.

Migrating from another tracker

If you’re migrating from another manga tracking app:

1. Export your data from the other app (if it supports JSON or CSV export).
2. If the format is different, you may need to manually transform the data into our supported format. The CSV format is usually easiest for migration.
3. Import.

We may add native importers for popular other trackers (AniList, MyAnimeList) in the future. Let us know if a specific tracker matters to you.

Cover art

Imports of ISBN-recognized volumes get cover art from our catalog. Manual entries (where the ISBN isn’t in our catalog) get a placeholder cover.

Privacy

Imports happen locally first, then sync to the cloud. Your import file is never shared with our servers (only the resulting structured data is).

Tip

Always export first if you have an existing collection. That way if the import goes wrong, you have a backup to restore from.