Book Import Guide

Welcome to the Clay book import feature! This guide will help you transfer your reading history from popular book tracking platforms like Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Supported Platforms

📚 Goodreads

• File Format: CSV
• What's Imported: Books, authors, ratings, reading status, dates, publisher info, page counts
• Setup Time: ~5 minutes

🌐 The StoryGraph

• File Format: CSV
• What's Imported: Books, authors, ratings, reading status, dates, metadata
• Setup Time: ~5 minutes

Quick Start

1. Choose Your Platform: Visit /import and select either Goodreads or StoryGraph
2. Export Your Data: Follow the platform-specific instructions below
3. Upload & Preview: Upload your CSV file and review the books to be imported
4. Import: Click the import button and wait for completion

Platform-Specific Instructions

Goodreads Export Instructions

1. Log in to your Goodreads account
2. Navigate to "My Books" from the top menu
3. Look for the "Tools" section in the right sidebar
4. Click "Import and export"
5. Click "Export Library"
6. Wait for the CSV file to be generated (may take a few minutes for large libraries)
7. Download the CSV file when the link appears

Expected CSV Fields:

• Title, Author, ISBN, Publisher, Publication Year
• My Rating, Date Read, Exclusive Shelf (reading status)
• Number of Pages, Language, Description

StoryGraph Export Instructions

1. Log in to your StoryGraph account
2. Navigate to your profile page
3. Go to "Settings"
4. Look for "Export Data" option
5. Select "Export Reading Data" and choose CSV format
6. Download the generated CSV file

Expected CSV Fields:

• Title, Authors, Publication Year, Star Rating
• Read Status, Date Read, Pages, ISBN

Alternative for StoryGraph Users: If you originally imported your data from Goodreads to StoryGraph, you can also export directly from Goodreads and use our Goodreads import option instead.

What Gets Imported

✅ Supported Data

• Book Information: Title, Author(s), ISBN, Publisher, Publication Year
• Reading Data: Your rating, reading status, date finished
• Metadata: Page count, language, description (when available)

📖 Reading Status Mapping

• Goodreads → Clay:

  • "read" → Read
  • "currently-reading" → Reading
  • "to-read" → Read (default)

• StoryGraph → Clay:

  • "read" → Read
  • "currently reading" → Reading
  • Other statuses → Read (default)

❌ Not Imported

• Reviews and notes (coming in future updates)
• Book covers (auto-generated when needed)
• Social data (friends, followers)
• Custom shelves/tags

Import Process

Step 1: File Validation

• Only CSV files are accepted
• File size limit: 10MB
• Must contain required headers (Title, Author)

Step 2: Data Parsing

• Automatic detection of platform format
• Handles quoted fields with commas
• Validates required fields

Step 3: Duplicate Detection

• Checks for existing books by title + author match
• Skips duplicates with helpful warnings
• Shows summary of what was/wasn't imported

Step 4: Import Results

• Real-time progress tracking
• Detailed success/error reporting
• Option to import additional files

Common Issues & Solutions

🚨 "No books found in CSV"

Cause: CSV format not recognized or headers missing Solution:

• Ensure you exported from the correct platform section
• Check that the CSV has proper headers
• Try re-exporting with a smaller date range

⚠️ "Some books already exist"

Cause: Books with same title+author already in your library Solution: This is normal! Existing books are skipped to prevent duplicates

📊 "Invalid CSV format"

Cause: File corruption or wrong file type Solution:

• Re-download the CSV from your platform
• Ensure you're uploading a .csv file (not .xlsx or .txt)
• Check file isn't corrupted during download

🔄 "Import taking too long"

Cause: Large library or server load Solution:

• Be patient (up to 5 minutes for 1000+ books)
• Don't refresh the page during import
• Try importing in smaller batches if needed

Tips for Best Results

📝 Before Export

• Clean up your library: Remove test entries or unwanted books
• Check your shelves: Ensure books are properly categorized
• Update reading dates: Add missing "date read" entries

🔍 During Import

• Review the preview: Check a sample of books before importing
• Watch for warnings: Pay attention to skipped/failed items
• Don't navigate away: Stay on the page during import

✨ After Import

• Review your library: Check that books imported correctly
• Set reading goals: Update your reading targets
• Explore features: Try our chat and excerpt features!

Supported File Formats

Privacy & Data

• Your data stays yours: We only import the book metadata you choose
• No platform access: We never access your original accounts
• Secure upload: Files are processed locally and not stored permanently
• Delete anytime: You can delete imported books individually

Need Help?

• Import Issues: Check this guide or contact support
• Missing Features: We're constantly improving - let us know what you need!
• Bug Reports: Help us improve by reporting any issues

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Happy Reading! 📚

Last updated: January 2025